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| Sunday, 4 May 2003 |
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by Farah Macan Markar The throne of the great Kashyapa Rajathuma will be vacant no more, as Bathiya and Santhush will revive the ancient kingdom of Sigiriya, to the 'fusionisitic' or shall we say 'fusioristic' tunes of the east and west, yesterday and today, with their ultimate show "The 8th Wonder". The date 9th May 2003. The auspicious time of play 8.00 pm. The place where it's all going to be happening. None other than The King's Court, Trans Asia. So is this going to be something totally different? You bet. According to B & S, an entire set of Sigiriya during the reign of Kashyapa will be built, recreating the grandeur, colours and atmosphere of the time. It will be a total experience says Bathiya. Upon one's first few steps to the entrance one will be treading through the identical garden as that of Kashyapa would have been like so many years ago. The ushers won't be just ushers but the "Apsaras" of Sigiriya. A five course set meal which will be a cooked up fusion of east and west will be dished out to tease one's appetite. Ventures Santhush "It will basically be a night of smell, touch, sight, sound and taste. An event which will gratify all five senses, whether be it music, food, anything". Let's go straight away to the big question. What's the Sigiri music to be like? An enthusiastic Santhush gesticulates it all. Awesome. "It's going to be a totally unplugged live concert, which will transport you to another world". Backed up by nine professional musicians, the music will be a fusion of the English flute piping to the tunes of a grand piano, accompanied by the rhythmic beat of both up country and low country drums. The songs of Eric Clapton, Simon and Garfunkel, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, will all come alive, to the blend of the very Sri Lankan "Dhanno Budhungay", and B & S's own numbers. Western music mixed in with Sri Lankan Percussion. Says Santhush "The whole show will cater to a Western palate with elements of Sri Lanka in it". The rehearsal schedules for the big event have been very tight reveal B & S. "Putting this whole show together has been a tough job. It's not just us having to work on the singing and music. It's much more". What's the much more? It turns out to be a lot of tedious, meticulous planning, organization and sleepless nights. Says Bathiya "We had to do a lot of research as well, in capturing the mood of an era now long gone. Having captured that mood we have to blend everything to suit one another. The effects of touch, sound, sight, smell and taste. For example the food served during a slow love song will have to have a calm soothing palate, where as a fast snappy song could have perhaps something hot and peppery to suit it". Music wise they say they have been producing some really crazy stuff while experimenting with it. Fusing the music of one country with another, putting it together and trying to come up with something different which is uniquely theirs, they say has been loads of fun. "We've made some amusing sounds while at it" reveals Santhush. On the whole the rehearsals for "The 8th Wonder" have been an experience. So what gave them the idea of this whole Sigiriya business? According to Bathiya, Sigiriya the 8th Wonder of the world has been promoted for its cultural and historical value. "What we are doing is reviving the kingdom of Kashyapa today, in the twenty first century". Music wise too they want to come up with something different. "We've done east-west fusion music before. But we have not used western technology in it. Thus it has not had a global appeal". Getting this global appeal in the music industry of Sri Lanka is what they are working for here. Says Santhush "When it come to really big hit shows in Sri Lanka it is often, shows in which foreign artistes come here and perform. We want to take Sri Lanka out of the island. Work towards building a music industry which reaches international standards. For this we need to use western technology and blend the Sri Lankan elements in it". A lot of people in Sri Lanka they say are afraid of doing this for fear of loosing their Sri Lankaness. "However it is only by using western technology and blending our Sri Lankaness into it that we can create a global chemistry, and the world recognises and appreciates what comes from Sri Lanka". The use of western technology they both stress is important, showing for example how the Indian music industry has become such a hit, world wide today. "It is because they use western technology, blending their own ethnic Indianess into it". This is what B & S are looking to do in "The 8th Wonder". Take the Sri Lankan elements of culture and blend it into the western glamour using western technology. By doing this they say "We hope to make this show the grandest event of the year". So what will the singers of Kashyapa wear on that night? No comments over here other than an infuriating "Come and See", and a hint that people will witness the real "Yakkas" of Sri Lanka. Whether this referred to themselves though, or to their dancers or to whatever other surprises due to spring up, remains to be seen. |
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