The sound unbound

HYDERABAD: It is an unusual sound of jazz and Indian classical music touching hearts at Secunderabad Club. Musicians of Roots and Shoots – the German and Indian music collaboration performed at the Club as part of the Hyderabad’s first jazz festival. While Sebastian Gramss (Bass), Erwin Ditzner (drums) and Matthias Muche (trambone) represented German musicians, the Indian team of musicians included Hindol Deb (sitar), Paras Nath (flute) and Ramdas Palsule.

A few hours before their performance, Sebastian talks about the Indian trip. “I have come to India several times but never made it to Hyderabad,” he says. The Indo-German collaboration involves a play of imagination as the musicians create a variety of sounds. “Music is a universal language. Of course, the ability is to create music spontaneously in certain frame. What you see is that improvisation has been a part of the Indian classical and jazz music and that is a connecting part, something that is similar,” he points out and adds, “There are compositions already combining elements of contemporary western music and Indian classical music. So the whole thing was produced in order to make the different sounds meet in the middle and bring out the cultures.”

Sebastian was two years old when he first heard a record of American jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong. “I have been listening to all kinds of music but jazz has a certain quality that allows you to improvise, introduce variations, to act and create music spontaneously and that’s why it is and will always be my part,” he adds. Sebastian equates improvisations to leading a life which is not mundane. “If there is no imagination and life is fixed everyday, that wouldn’t feel good. There is spontaneity when you meet a friend or do something else and not follow a path or plan,” he states. As he is also a composer, his practice sessions eventually bring out a new piece. “It’s a bit different with classical musicians. Many-a-time, when I start practicing, I like some tune and end up composing a distinct tune,” he says with a smile.

Hindol discovered jazz as a little boy on Doordarshan when he saw musicians moving their heads with music. He started listening to jazz musicians only 12 years ago. “Teachers of Indian classical music would not allow disciples to listen to any other form of music as they wanted the students to follow in a singular direction. But with changing times and perspective, there is so much information and music from different cultures around us that we are able to imbibe it and develop more ideas with that kind of music,” explains Hindol.

Sebastian quips that gurus of classical music must have had this strict regimen for the students so that they do not get distracted.

“It is easy to be influenced and get lost in different forms of music. When you are into too many things, you learn everything a bit but are adept at nothing. It is easier to stay connected to one form of music and have a good foundation.”

The group also performs in Mumbai and Pune before the German musicians fly back to their country.