A little bit of jazz in Indian classical

CHANDIGARH: The audience at Tagore Theatre were witness to a mesmerizing performance by music maestros Ranjit Barot and Sandeep Mahavir on Saturday.
Performing at the Pracheen Kala Kendra-organized concert 'Smelting Contours', the two maestros mixed Indian classical music and jazz percussions to leave the audience spellbound, including Haryana governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, who was the chief guest.
The event came to a grand close with a 'jugalbandi' (jamming session). It incorporated the intricacies of kathak dance and jazz drumming. Throwing light on the concept of fusion, Ranjit Barot said, "When people decide to work on fusion, they should know about the worlds they are fusing. They must have the time to take in the musical and visual diet."
The two musicians also gave solo performances. Mahavir performed an abhinaya along with a gazal called "aaj ki raat na jao". It wasn't the first time that these two were collaborating; they share a special bond and have known each other for years. "He was born in front of me and my mother and his father had worked with each other," Ranjit said. The two artists are highly driven by the passion they have for music and dance. "Music and dance are the extension of who you are and everything is showcased on stage," he said.