By Our Special Correspondent
Shillong: When Western classical music meets Jazz the effect is electrifying. With teenagers Ronojit Chaliha at the piano and Adiel Massar at the cello producing a fusion of the old time favourite Summer time it was a real treat for the audience.
The occasion was an evening of classical and jazz fusion presented by the Aroha Music and Cultural Society at the Aurobindo Institute of Indian Culture on Saturday.
Ronojit does not look at the scales; he just plays as if the piano is his natural ally. Richard Duncan, a musician and a member of the audience on Saturday, said, “Ronojit plays with his heart and soul. You can see it from the music he produces with his nimble fingers.”
But Duncan also admired the young Adiel Massar who he says is set to go places if he continues to perform the way he does and perhaps even outdoes himself.
In the second half of the show Ronojit and Adiel were joined by Amarnath Hazarika on the guitar and Samuel Shullai at the percussions. The foursome played Georgia on my mind and Autumn Leaves. It was jazz music at its best.
Amarnath graduated from the Berklee School of Music, Boston, USA and majored in composition and arrangement. Sam is a professional drummer cum guitarist having played with numerous bands including Soulmate at their recent performance in Memphis Tennessee, and Kennedy Centre USA besides other foreign locales.
What was of special delight was to see noted musician Pauline Warjri who is also the soul behind the Aroha Choir accompanying her son Kennen Warjri on the saxophone as he played Amazing Grace.
In the last part of the show the Aroha Choir which never fails to enthral, gave the audience a taste of foot-tapping and soulful music.
Ronojit Chaliha we are told, learnt to play the piano by ear at age 3. He started learning piano under various teachers. In 2010, Ronojit reached the third round of India’s Got Talent show. In November 2011, he was declared over-all winner of the Jazz and popular music category national level piano competition Musiquest organized by the Academy of Music Pune.
Adiel Massar has had a fair bit of musical journey at a young age. He has travelled extensively with the Shillong Chamber Choir of which he is a member. Adiel was part of the Choir when they won the India’s Got Talent competition in 2010.
This child prodigy handles the cello like a professional although it has not been too long since he mastered it under the guidance of Australian cellist and conductor Eva Izlinger.
The musical talent in the region never ceases to amaze. Each time someone emerges and produces music that is almost ethereal. Sadly the region lacks infrastructure for quality performances such as the one on Saturday.
An acoustically calibrated hall gives a different feeling altogether but the only hall fine-tuned to such sound is turned into a legislative assembly.
Meghalaya is still looking for a world class performing arts centre which will draw crowds like London or any other musical capital does.