Cultural symphony of ‘Saranam’ promises to stir the soul

‘Saranam’ performers jamming in harmony during their press conference in USJ last month. (Unique Arts, Culture and Heritage Malaysia pic)

PETALING JAYA:

It was possibly the most diverse musical blend ever witnessed in the country – a jam session featuring a Spanish Flamenco guitar, Chinese traditional instruments, an Indian nadaswaram and tablas, Malay percussion, and the sape from Borneo.

You rarely see these instruments featured together in the same room, let alone in the same show! Yet the performers of the upcoming “Saranam” concert seemed to have little difficulty playing together during their press conference last month.

Plus, the music they produced was really fun to listen to!

Of course, none of this is any surprise, given that unity in diversity is a major theme of “Saranam”, a “unique charity orchestral concert celebrating cultural harmony”. The event merges the melodic strumming of classical stringed instruments with group singing and a variety of traditional Malaysian instruments.

The result? A unique soundscape reflecting the country’s diverse heritage: imagine western instruments such as the cello and viola blending with the distinct sounds of the rebana asli and dagu drums!

The team behind ‘Saranam’ hopes the concert inspires a spirit of gratitude in their audience members. (Unique Arts, Culture and Heritage Malaysia pic)

Organised by Unique Arts, Culture and Heritage Malaysia, the concert will feature artistes from different backgrounds coming together to share their music on a single stage. Selections will include songs traditionally performed in various religious contexts, thoughtfully arranged to honour the sensitivities of each faith.

Unique Arts president Abisheg M, who plays the sitar and harmonium for the show, said the concert derives its name from the Sanskrit for “surrender”.

“I had a strong urge within myself to express gratitude to the Creator, through the in-born music talent I was blessed with,” he told FMT Lifestyle. “I’m confident that the whole concert repertoire, which is based on gratitude, will remind our audience to be grateful for what they have in life.”

The concert is also aimed at raising funds to upgrade Unique Arts’ music department, as well as to provide more musical instruments, studio equipment and costumes for its students and performing artistes.

The event will feature a vast ensemble, many of whom have over a decade’s experience in music. These include Amir Hamzah on percussions, Elynn Tan on the ruan, Sergio Camacho Fernandez on the flamenco guitar, James Lurthusamy on drums, Anjali Kathirawan on the nadaswaram, Vani Nethiar’s Indian classical vocals, Aru on bass guitar, Sharvin Kutty on the dolak, and Dhivagar Murahari on the tabla.

musician — (From left) Musicians Amir Hamzah, Aru and Abisheg, who is also the concert’s project director. (Unique Arts, Culture and Heritage Malaysia pic)

There will also be a qawwali (Sufi devotional music) performance by the Joggi troupe, as well as an eight-member string ensemble from Universiti Teknologi Mara.

In addition, attendees are invited to participate in a free crystal healing workshop themed “The Journey Back To You”, conducted by two practitioners with over a decade of experience in the field. This workshop aims to promote self-discovery and healing.

“This is the spirit of Saranam, where one surrenders his or her gifts and talents back to the community with thankfulness in their hearts,” shared assistant project director Anderson Kalang, who plays the sape alongside Munirih Jebeni and Rosemary Colony Joel.

“I hope the performers build an everlasting bond with one another, and the concert fulfils its themes of togetherness and unity in diversity.

“This is one way we can give back to the community. Everyone is gifted in selected areas in their life, and it’s good to share our gifts and talents with the people around us. We’ll never know who we’ll bless through what we share,” he concluded.