By Willie Gordon Suting
Not many concerts have a story behind them. This one was a story of close friendship between a teacher and a student.
Benedict Hynniewta, the flutist met renowned German sitar player Uwe Neumann in 1993. After many years being immersed in their respective fields, the two were reunited in the concert, Close Connection, held recently in U Soso Tham Auditorium.
Neumann first visited India in 1986. When he was about to take a bus to Kathmandu from Benaras, he met a man who offered him sitar lessons. The man led him to his house which was full of Indian musical instruments. It was from there that Neumann bought a sitar. Neumann also used Ravi Shankar’s instructional manual My Music, My Life to learn the sitar.
Neumann completed his Bachelor’s Degree in sitar from Shantiniketan from 1989 to 2000. He recalls learning under Pandit Indranil Bhattacharya. “At first it was very difficult, but Bhattacharya had a real depth and understanding of the sitar. I was very fortunate to learn under him.”
The German sitar player is a First Class First with merit scholarship from Shantiniketan. He then went to further polish his skills under Partha Bose. Neumann said, “Bose helped me become a professional in Indian standards.”
When asked about his relationship with the art, Neumann said, “I play because it is a representation of natural phenomena, the freedom of expressing oneself through a raga.”
Neumann received the Ravi Shankar Memorial Award and Galaxy Award for Music. In 1999, he was invited by Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, to perform for world leaders in Benaras. Neumann’s influences are Nikhil Banerjee, Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar.
It was in 1993 in Shantiniketan that Hynniewta first met Neumann. The two became good friends. “It was during Holi. I was mesmerised when Neumann played many instruments. I went to his place to learn light classical guitar,” reminisced Hynniewta. Neumann was Hynniewta’s guitar teacher in Shantiniketan.
“There are many teachers I met in life, but he is a rare genius,” Hynniewta said during a conversation after the concert.
The concert had three segments, Hynniewta performing as opening act for Neumann, and then with the house band joining in.
At First Light, a cover of Michael Mc Gorrick, was redolent of imageries of nature. Hynniewta was able to make the audience dwell in recollections and reminiscences. It had a pathos which connected deep to the soul. Nathaniel Lyngdoh on the acoustic guitar was brilliant.
Colours of The Wind, a soundtrack from the movie Pocahontas had the band joining. There was a vivacity and mirth to the piece. Hynniewta carefully weaved a story through rich melodies. The audience were taken to imaginative worlds.
Leit Puh Lyngkha, an original by Hynniewta, had a deep sadness. It evoked images of simplicity of rural life, of the hills and rivers of Meghalaya. The humbleness of rural folk was narrated by the piece.
Jingmaia Ka Por, a cover composed by late Amiyo Lyngskor was filled with nostalgia. Hynniewta, through his flute, spoke of how time alters life. It was about looking back on the past and understanding varied complexities.
Bill Withers’s Ain’t No Sunshine was fused with Maxter Warjri’s Ko Mynsiem Jong Nga. Both the tunes seamlessly merged together with Hynniewta’s flute. Lyngdoh on the acoustic guitar gave a verve and edginess to the piece. The interpretation was rich in jazz, funk and soul.
Neumann appreciated the artistic growth of Hynniewta. “I felt he expressed a lot of gratitude in his compositions. It moved me deeply witnessing how much he’s developed.”
Neumann’s raga named Jog had western melodies infused to Indian Classical. But the approach was subtle and well-thought out. Neumann’s sitar produced poetry of sereneness and tranquillity. It had a haunting quality with every chord progression. The melodies altered like shifting human emotions.
The second performance by Neumann was an impromptu with Madhuriya Palit Bora on the tabla. Neumann played the sansa, a small instrument made out of coconut shell. The sound produced was world music of highest standards. The beats from the sansa had a contemporary feel that was akin to pop music. It had an ethereal aspect that took the audience on an emotional ride.
Sier Lapalang was a duet between Neumann and Hynniewta. The folkloric tale’s narrative was felt by the audience as Hynniewta’s flute produced sadness. Each had their respective solos, but Neumann stood out for his improvisational techniques. His sitar created melodies rich in detail. The piece was transformative plunging into depths of human emotion.
Kolkata Groove featured the house band. Western sounds like jazz and funk were conspicuous in the piece. Neumann delivered solos with his sitar that had altering chord progressions. Hynniewta played the flute with sensitivity and scrupulousness. Neumann gelled well with the band and gave space for other members.
Hynniewta and Neumann praised the effort of Indian Council For Cultural Relations and Department of Arts and Culture for organising the concert.
“It is like a dream turned to reality playing with my guru. We shared a telepathic bond on the stage. I felt our souls reconnected,” said Hynniewta.
