What Happened in Kolkata?
You need to know about Colin Mackenzie and the Yatra project, all Leodhasachs do.
We should all be talking about it.
The Colin Mackenzie story is remarkable. Though I'm not going to go into a history lesson here - if you're anything like me, you would just skim through a bunch of dates and facts then switch off anyway - so I'll give you a brief summary for now, and leave you to search online for more details on the Stornoway-born legend who is Colin Mackenzie.
THE 'NUTSHELL'
Mackenzie travelled to India in 1783. He became the very first Surveyor General of India (pretty big deal), collected thousands of incredible manuscripts, beautiful figures intricately carved in stone (some of which you might have seen on display at Lews Castle Museum last summer), maps, coins and paintings which are all hugely valuable to Indian history today. He died in Kolkata in 1821 and never did return home to Lewis.
In 2017, a piece of music was put together to tell the story of Colin Mackenzie called 'Yatra', meaning 'journey'. It was performed in An Lanntair, Stornoway last year and most recently in Kolkata, just last Saturday. I won't lie, it's pretty special.
THE MUSICIANS
Dalbir Singh Rattan (Dal) lead composer and tabla
Kathleen MacIness, vocals
Aziz Ibrahim, guitar
Kaviraj Singh (Kavi) vocals and santoor
Neil Johnstone, cello
Rhona Johnstone, violin
...and me!
Catherine Maclean (top left), the curator of the project from An Lanntair, got in touch with the 'Lewis' musicians last summer and introduced us to with Dalbir Singh Rattan (Dal) - a renowned tabla player and the project's lead composer.
Our first meeting took place in Catherine's living room in June last year, where we started to get various ideas and phrases flowing by playing over an Indian drone in E.
Musical projects vary. Sometimes you're given your written part and that's simply what you play, sometimes you've got to research your own tunes and other times you've just got to feel the music and improvise. This was about playing what you feel.
Dal, being the lead composer, naturally possessed an overall picture for the entire musical story, but that first evening gave us an idea of how we fitted into that picture. Neil, Rhona and I became the string family. We were there to support his melodies. We were there to add further emotion and harmonies. Most of all, we were there to represent the Outer Hebrides.
"I felt so blessed working with you all and learnt so much. It wasn't so much that this is Scottish music or Indian music, it was our music! - Dalbir Singh Rattan (Dal)
THE MUSIC
The hour long piece seemed to lift every listener out of the current world they were sitting in and into another. With Gaelic song, fiddle and Indian classical music, along with the visuals projected onto a screen behind us, the performance is not like one I've ever been part of before. It's ethereal, it's moving and it's poignant.
Aziz (best known for his work as guitarist with Simply Red and The Stone Roses) and Kavi (santoor and extremely talented vocalist) joined us for rehearsals in Stornoway before our concert and suddenly, the entire piece made sense. I'll be honest, until the final rehearsals, I didn't fully appreciate how special this was going to be.
The piece started with a 6/8 march called 'Farewell to the Isles', written by R M Mackay. I came across this tune in one of Donald Macleod's books and it has remained my favourite tune since. It was a fitting tune for the opening of the story, which interpreted Colin's travel to India. This was followed by a war scene - dramatic tabla sounds, santoor and phenomenal guitar playing from Aziz - then lastly, came the section we called 'Enlightenment'.
Kathleen tied each section together with a narrative, which helped to tell Colin's story. Though, it was her singing voice that left me feeling so proud to be from the Outer Hebrides, it always does! Playing my fiddle on stage across from her, hanging onto every note she sang of Oran Mòr Mhicleòid, with the visuals of home behind us on a big screen, it hit me. There it was, clear as day; cianalas in Kolkata.
It's hard to believe that just eight days ago we sat in the spectacular courtyard of the Museum of India with a Kolkata audience.
A regular visitor to Kolkata told me that he has never experienced a Bangali audience appreciate a concert so much, not ever. He has visited Kolkata regularly for ten years now and told me that normally, a Bengali audience will sit and chat or even walk about during a concert. At the Yatra concert however, everyone sat quietly, mesmerised.
THE 'REAL' WORLD
Since coming home, a few people have asked me if it's good to be back in the 'real world'. While it's always nice to come home and get into your own bed and see your family again, I have never considered our home to be the 'real' world at all. Stornoway is definitely not 'normal'.
Reality for the people of Kolkata is sharing their city with over 4.5million other people. Reality for too many of them is begging visitors for money, food or anything to get them through the next 24 hours. Reality for them is 35 degree heat, busy streets 24/7, spices, naan bread, rice for breakfast and cups of fresh lime soda on the street.
We share our entire chain of islands with 25,000 people. We don't have families sleeping on our streets. We never reach 35 degree heat and our cuisine traditions include guga and black pudding. They use tuk tuks and Ambassador taxis, we have 70 1234.
I can say with absolute certainty, that we live in a different world to everyone else. If anyone is outwith reality, it's probably us. I would not have it any other way.
THE MUSIC WORLD
What I like about music is that it takes you into another world altogether. There's no poverty, wealth or status in music. Everyone is equal. We all speak the same universal language, which you often find speaks louder than any words, and we all love what we do (listeners and players alike).
Yatra took us into that surreal world. It was inspiring, it told an important story and it made me appreciate all I have that little bit more.
For those with an interest in music and the arts, pursue it.
For those able to support music and the arts, endorse it.
Without music and the arts, the world would be a very lifeless indeed, no matter which 'real' one you live in.
My Kolkata Highlights:
