Tarang: Four Seasons

They are the most talented young artists from around the UK and lovers of North and South Indian music are in for a treat from Tarang, a dynamic young ensemble of "maestros in the making".

Their new production 'Four Seasons' by one of India's most creative musicians, Dr Rajeeb Chakraborty named Composer of the Year in 2008 sees the the UK's Indian Classical Music Ensemble perform a unique blend of Indian classical, folk and contemporary compositions.

The ensemble was officially launched with a pilot project at the Sangeet Sabha conference in the early 2000's by Milapfest, a world music organisation who created this ensemble to promote a new form of dynamic Indian classical music by young musicians of Britain.

As the ensemble progressed Milapfest recruited 17 musicians for the ensemble, including both semi-professionals in Indian music and advanced students. The pilot project and first year of its creation were overseen by Artistic Director Sri Dharambir Singh.

In 2006, Tarang recruited the eminent musician Mrs Manorama Prasad as Director of Music, After an invitation to The Nehru Centre in London, the ensemble embarked on a series of concert performances throughout the year, including appearances at Liverpool, Manchester and Kendal.

With newly commissioned pieces and arrangements by world maestros like Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya (BBC World music award winner 2007), Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Ganesh-Kumaresh, Veenai Jayanthi, Prof. T V Gopalakrishnan and others Four Seasons" is a new composition celebrating the beautiful music of the Indian seasons.

By Dako Mission

Drumming to a Different Beat

Gone are the days when world music was an anomalous, almost meaningless thing; an umbrella term which in its attempts to be all inclusive, simply couldn't sum up the diversity of the cultures it was trying to reflect.

But in this age of globalization, the term 'world music' seems apt and relevant in the way that it reflects the genuine internationalist tone of the times. Besides acting as a window into different cultures and other ways of being, world music also offers what is quite possibly some of the most exuberant, sultry sounds this side of the Sahara.

Enter the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards – an event that celebrates the importance of global voices by championing everything from the cacophonic, to the avant garde to the hymn-like hum of deep roots. It is a truly eclectic mix, broken down to the beat of each continent.

Whether it is the Asiatic electronica of Chinese superstar Sa Ding Ding or the urgent Ngoni rhythms of Malian virtuoso, Bassekou Kouyate and his band Ngoni Ba or the silvery soulfulness of flamenco guitarists Son de La Frontera, these are unique sounds to suit every discerning music lover's palette.

The winners of the awards were announced last April in Camden's hipster hangout, Dingwalls and this concert should act as a timely reminder of what makes these artists cool customers not only when it comes to their studio recordings but also in their live performances. It promises to be a carnivalesque riot of colours and sounds.

By Diriye Osman

Wobble and Dub

Pure music without the dependence on language is universally understood and some visionary musicians over the last couple of years have sought to synergize their respective musical expression by fusing it with disparate strand of instrumentation and inflection from other cultures.

Jah Wobble, for one, has successfully been fusing musical styles since his early days with the Sex Pistols' off shoot Public Image Limited (PIL). Starting off with melding punk with reggae, in 1979, Jah Wobble went on to visit diverse musical styles from around the globe and augmenting it with his bass guitar proficiency drawing heavily from dub music.

Having explored World Music by way of employing Middle Eastern, African, Celtic, Indian musical patterns into idiom of Jazz, ambient and dance music, for his latest project the prolific Wobble is about to embark on a nine date UK tour of an "Anglo Chinese Aural and Visual Spectacular" titled, Jah Wobble: Chinese Dub.

More than a musical project Chinese Dub serves as a showcase for two ancient Chinese performing arts: Tang Dynasty Dance, and Mask Change, a specialty of Sichuan Opera. Highly dexterous performers use different masks to express a range of emotions; skilled performers can change over ten masks in less than 20 seconds. It takes many years to master the technique, and in China today there are less than 200 artists who are able to perform the Mask Change.

Tang Dynasty Dance has developed over thousands of years, evolving from a few simple gestures into the intricate, highly skilled art form it is today. The modern presentation of Tang Dynasty Dance provides an insight into ancient China's distinct age old traditions and customs.

Jah Wobble traveled to China last year and hand picked the singers, musicians, dancers and mask changers to take part in his 22 member orchestra. A further breakdown of his orchestra personnel has singers from Tibet and the Yunnan province, dancers from Hangzhou, Sichuan Opera Mask Changers, and an Anglo-Chinese dub band made up of bass, drums, guzheng, yangchin, bamboo flute, and gourd pipe. By all accounts this has to be Wobble's most ambitious undertaking to date.

Chinese Dub is closer to home for Jah Wobble for the ensemble also features his wife Zi Lan Liao on guzheng, a Chinese harp.

The upcoming magnum opus marks its debut as a part of commission for Liverpool 08, celebrating the city's honor of being named the European capital of culture.