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| Sunday, 31 August2003 |
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' The violin is
my voice ' by Farah Macan Markar "C sharp", "That's E flat", "It's C natural" pipes the master to the pupil, a girl of ten or twelve, a violin on her shoulder, her chin resting on a corner of its surface, the bow, on the other hand, twanging/chiming away at its strings, creating waves of sound. A grade five violin examination book lies open on a stand, in front of the little player. A cool wind blows, while all else lies still. Except, of course, the music. The music harps on, running, jumping, skipping, halting at moments with an amateurish screech, picking itself up again, a running, a jumping and a skipping once more.
Having been musical ever since he was a kid, for the first twenty years of his life, Ananda had an oriental taste of it, learning oriental music. Twenty years. It marked not only the beginnings of his second decade on earth, but was the time he was introduced to Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Haydn and Gang. This he says, was due to his meeting Douglas Ferdinand, who was his biggest influence, and teacher. "It was at this period that I learnt music properly. Grasped it technically and scientifically" says Dabare. Within a year Ananda did the Grade Five Royal School of Music Violin Examination, the year after moving onto Grade 8, and in the third year, winning a schol to study music in Russia (1987). Having specialised in the instrument he loved, Dabare returned in 1993, and rooted his vocation, a teacher of violin, which he still is today. Age being no barrier in teaching this universal language of notes and sounds, Dabare teaches both children and adults. His ultimate vision is to make good music. "To have good music" he says "you need good players. Through teaching, I want to create good players, who will give the country, and the world, more good music". A prominent figure on stage, he first performed a solo with the Sri Lanka Symphony Orchestra, before going for higher studies abroad. Since his return he has dominated the stage with his violin, performing in orchestra, solo and trio concerts. Trio's being his special domain, Ananda together with Ramya and Dushanthi, has given Sri Lanka a number of violin, piano and cello mingled music. Today he has his own string chamber orchestra, called Krassner, which has given two concerts plus a third, which was held on the 27th August 2003, at the Wendt. He also plays popular and semi classical music, at the Galadari Hotel California Grill Restaurant, on Friday and Saturday nights. A lover of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Samuel Barber and Gershwin, Dabare plays just about everything that comes his way, having a liking however for climatic music. "In music" Ananda says speaking further of his passion "we are always trying to say something to the people. The instrument is the musician's voice, and through it we are speaking to the people, translating notation into sound, giving it depth, tone, colour, rhythm, feeling and most importantly life". So what is the magic behind producing good music? "Nervousness" says Dabare, "everyone gets nervous on stage. It is an essential part in performing. To play music, you need to feel it. Capture its meaning from the heart. Nerves help this, cause when your feeling nervous, you are sensitive to all kinds of emotion. You cannot interpret good music, without getting a spot of the nerves. You need to feel to play". Of the classical music scene in Sri Lanka, Ananda feels it needs much improvement, especially in the field of the strings. "There is not enough good music being produced from string instruments, not for the lack of talent, but lack of good teachers. Just a few of us doing this job is difficult. To raise the music standard, it is essential to have government support, for facilities, materials and other resources. We should also have government schools for classical music". Being busy with his violin, practising, performing and teaching, Dabare, wishes he had a bit of time, to compose a bit of his own music, and have a go in learning the oboe, the only instrument, other than the violin he has ever fancied playing. A animal and nature lover, Ananda enjoys getting out of the big city, and travelling to rural areas. He has a pet dog called "Rhapsody" and a four and a half year old daughter - Kaushalya. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
The day is a Wednesday. The place, an open airy balcony, above The
Wendt's canteen. The instructor of the student is non other than Sri
Lanka's master violinist Ananda Dabare. And it is about Dabare, his violin
and its music, this page is all about. Music, to Dabare, is the emotion of
the soul. The violin, its voice box. "Music is all about feeling, and
character. Through interpreting notes, giving them character, you project
a mixture of emotions, such as love, hate, rage, joy, hurt, excitement,
sorrow...The violin, to me, speaks from my heart. Whatever, I have to say,
don't want to say, comes out through it".
