I happened to visit a music show in the city for the Gypsyies. There is an organization called NOW (Nomads of the World) which organized a music workshop over the last week for world peace. The important thing though, was the participants which included some nomads from Rajesthan, school kids from the city and a composer from Italy whose first name is Andrea (coz I dont remember his full name 🙂 ).

Now, the schools kids composed, during the workshop, a song on world peace which they performed with an amazing zeal and passion which can be seen only at that age of innocence. This was followed by a series of Jugalbandi between the Italian composer and the Rajesthani nomads which was kicked off by Andrea singing the Gayatri Mantra. The jugalbandi was not always enticing, however, what was fantastic to see was, the people who didnt even have a verbal communication channel and used a translater at all times off the stage, had an amazing chemistry on stage during the performance and how they took to each other’s culture with such respect. I dont think the Italian understood what the lyrics of the song sung by nomads for Meera really meant but he sung it with the same passion as the nomads did and the same stood true for Andrea’s compositions being performed in tandom with the nomads. The special part was to see chemistry between Andrea and Rakesh, an 8 year old nomad who rose to the occasion and never lost control of his instrument during the dance steps that he never looked like stopping. He was just in a zone where he just couldnt see or hear anyone but for the music he was so lost in. Both the people never had to share a word, but change in the tempo or scale in one’s performance would immediately reflect in other’s right after an eye contact. It was so amazing to see.

Truly one of the best and most teaching experiences of my whole life.