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2007 National Day Cultural Programme
Introductory
Remarks by His Excellency Ambassador Saurabh Kumar
Item 1: Chanting
and dance by pupils of the John Scottus School, Dublin
Item 2:
Irish traditional (‘sean-nos’) singing
Item 3:
Instrumental Music (composition in Carnatic style) by ‘ Khanda’
Item 4: Piano by
Utsav Lal
Item 5: Maa
Amritanandmayi 'bhajans' (hymns/devotional songs) in Irish & Hindi
Item 6: Poem on
Gandhiji by Micheal O’ Seadhail
Introductory Remarks
by His Excellency
Ambassador Saurabh Kumar
…….. Just a few words
about the Cultural Programme that is being presented to you, because it is a very special one. We have some items on Indian music and dance for you tonight. But were
they just that, there may not have been cause for special mention. What we have here today is not
just some Indian music and dance items but Indian items by Irish artists, and leading ones at that.
And some others with an India connection. So that is what makes them so special.
This
is a very fortunate circumstance – the fact that there is widespread interest in India and things Indian in Ireland. It is extremely gratifying. We can see it all around us – not just in the large numbers of Indian
restaurants and yoga/Ayurvedic massage centres all over the country, but also a deeper interest in
Indian spirituality and culture. It is reflected in the large numbers of students who go to India
during their transition year for voluntary work. And often, in fact return for extended stays on
the basis of the bonds they form during the course of their voluntary work. Belvedere College
itself is one of the leading examples. So also John Scottus School, whose children you will see on the stage
in a moment. It is also reflected in the love for Indian writing in English
in Ireland – my wife and I are no longer surprised, as we pleasantly used to be at
first, to find our Irish friends enquiring about and discussing their favourite Indian authors as
household names. So there is this very special connection between India and Ireland that is at
heart, I think, a kind of bonding that stems from a shared affinity for the spiritual dimension of
life.
My colleagues in the Embassy and I therefore feel privileged to have the opportunity of serving in
a country where there is so much goodwill for our country. We thought it appropriate to bring some
of this very endearing aspect of our assignment here to wider attention through this programme
tonight on the occasion of our National Day. It seeks to acknowledge the many multi-faceted and
rich connections between India and Ireland and celebrate the special place India occupies in the
hearts of the Irish people. I am extremely grateful to all the artists for their very kind gesture
in giving their valuable time and agreeing to perform at this function tonight. It is much appreciated.
Before
concluding, I may mention also that we are very fortunate to have here in Ireland people from our
country in all walks of life in Ireland – professors, consultants, other doctors,
scientists, IT professionals, businessmen, nurses, students and others – all
contributing their mite towards strengthening the bonds of friendship between India & Ireland.
Some of them are present here tonight and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all
for their endeavours and for the understanding and cooperation we have received from them from time
to time. And wish them even greater successes in their professional and personal life in
Ireland.... .….
see a
webcast
Item 1: Chanting
and dance by pupils of John Scottus School, Dublin
We open this evening’s
programme with a chanting of the famous ‘Gayatri Mantra’, an ancient Indian invocation to the
beneficent powers of the Sun:
“Let the effulgence of the Divine dispel the darkness of ignorance”.
This will be followed by
a prayer that seeks all aspects of creation to be blessed by peace. (Om shanti ! shanti ! shanti
!)
Next there will
be a song-and-dance item in praise of Lord Vishnu (Shantakaram bhujagshayanam), and last the ‘Hansa’ or
Swan dance, depicting the beauty and grace of the swan.
The little 8-9 year old
artists are Class 3 students at the John Scottus School in Dublin, where they learn Sanskrit as
part of the School’s objective to inculcate a love of philosophy. In keeping with the ancient
Indian approach, the School endeavours to teach ‘abhinaya’ or dance as an expression of the divine
qualities of the Absolute, that aims at uplifting others as well the Self .
see a
webcast
Item 2:
Irish traditional (‘sean-nos’) singing
Our next item in tonight’s programme on the theme ‘India in Ireland’ is some Irish ‘sean-nós’ singing that is
very strongly evocative of Indian folk music. The Irish musicologist ,Tomás Ó Canainn, had observed
that “no aspect of Irish music can be fully understood without a deep appreciation of sean-nós (old
style) singing. It is the key which opens every lock".
Sean-nós airs
are sometimes called “shut-eye songs” because this music is an intimate undertaking and
sung to ensure that the soul of the ballad is heard. It is not so much the narrative, but rather
the emotion of the song which the singer tries to impart: it is music to, from and for the soul. A mystical experience between a singer and his music. All essential characteristics of Indian music as well and
it may have been for this reason that the great Irish musicologist, Sean O’Riada, thought
that “listening to ‘sean-nós’ singing is to think of Indian music rather than European”. The similarity is indeed so striking that one could almost challenge
an unwitting listener to guess where it is coming from, India or Ireland
!
The ‘sean-nós’ songs are sung by two renowned
sisters, Maighread and Triona, Ni Dhomhnaill Tory who will present three traditional songs. The first, Domhnall Og (Young Donal) is one of the greatest love songs in
the Irish language.
It comes from Oilean Thorai,Tory Island, off the northwest coast of Ireland’s most
northerly county, Donegal. This is a song of unrequited love, sung from the perspective of a
heart-broken woman. Listen out for the power of the words in the passionate final verse
:
“Both east and west from
me you have taken,
The days that are gone
and the dawns not yet wakened,
From its cage inside of
me my heart you have taken,
And my greatest fear is
that even God you have taken.”
The second – Ar a dhul chun an chuain dom (Going down by the sea) -- is a song from the pen
of the late 18th century cleric, poet, rake, soldier of fortune from the province of Connacht,
Fair-Haired Cassidy. This is a lighted-hearted song of regret, from the singing of Annie
Eoghain Eamoinn from Dobhar in Donegal.
An Mhaighdean Mara – The Mermaid -- , the last one, is another wonderful Donegal song
that recounts the international folk tale of the selkie or seal-maiden. A man and his family lament the loss of the wife and mother, who having
married the mortal man and borne his children, discovers her cloak or crown that reminds her of her
former life as a mermaid. Having unearthed the hidden cloak she is compelled to return to her
real home in the sea but returns to the shore to serenade her former family.
Incidentally, the word 'sean-nós' is remarkably similar to the Sanskrit word 'sham-nah' (Om sham nah …), which proclaims well being. Linguists have pointed out that the structure of old
Irish can be compared with that of Vedic Sanskrit. The similarities are not just aural, between a
large number of words in the two languages, but extend to concepts, customs, folklore, myths and
beliefs that are reflected in the very way of life and mannerisms of the people. The ancient
Irish law system – the Brehon laws – bear a close parallel to the laws
of Manu in ancient India. Likewise many surviving Irish myths and legends
have a strong resemblance to Indian ones.
see webcast of a
selection
Item 3: Instrumental
Music (composition in Carnatic style) by ‘Khanda’
The third item on our programme is the inimitable group, Khanda, who spent a year in India
at the Karnataka College of Percussion working together with classical Indian (Carnatic) music
artists and produced some wonderful fusion music that you will listen to in a moment, though,
unfortunately, without their Indian collaborators. (We could not get their Indian counterparts over for this evening's
function but they have been here
in Ireland on an earlier occasion and given a performance in Dublin, a
DVD of which can be seen during the reception afterwards in the foyer). This is not the complete Khanda Irish group either; joining us today
are – Martin Nolan with Pipes/Whistle; Ellen Cranitch on the Flute; Tommy
Halferty – Guitar; Ronan Guilfoyle – Bass, and Conor Guilfoyle – Drums.
Khanda is one of Ireland's
best known and most successful cross-genre groups. Founded in 1993, it
seeks to form a bridge between jazz, Irish and Indian music, through an
exciting amalgam of the three genres, while being both innovative and respectful of
the various musical traditions within them.
Khanda have performed extensively in Ireland and abroad, made numerous TV appearances and recorded
two highly acclaimed CDs. Tonight they will perform a composition "Ramabhakti" by the great Tamil
poet and seer, Thyagaraja, and then an Irish piece of their own, "Five Cities".
see webcast of a
selection
Item 4:
Piano
The next item
is unlike the others, which have all been by Irish artists. This one is a reciprocal offering, of some traditional Irish
music, by a budding young Indian pianist, very very young indeed. Utsav lal, a 14 year old prodigy from India, presents some Irish
numbers that he has tried to pick up in his short stay in Dublin of just a few months. Utsav has earned a place in the Limca Books of Records – India’s
equivalent of the Guinness Book of Records – for his 40 concerts already, the first one at the age
of nine. Largely self-taught, Utsav has not been content to follow the beaten
track and has experimented with the piano to play Indian classical music ragas on it. These are, however, being reserved for another day. In the limited time at his disposal tonight, Utsav will present three
popular Irish numbers -- Carolan’s Concerto, Donegal reels and an improvised version of Molly
Malone. He will be accompanied by Chandrashekhar Koushik, an IT professional who is a trained mridangam and
table player.
see webcast of a
selection
Item 5: Maa
Amritanandmayi 'bhajans' (devotional songs/hymns) in Irish & Hindi
The
penultimate item on our programme tonight is a selection of devotional songs or hymns from India,
rendered into Irish by the noted poet, Cathal O Searcaigh, and sung by the well known
singer, Deirdre Brennan. Deirdre lives and works as an artist in the Donegal Gaeltacht and is a
native Gaelic speaker. She is a member of the musical Brennan family and a long time devotee
of the humanitarian and spiritual leader from Kerala in South India, Maa Amritanandmayi, or Amma,
the ‘hugging saint’, as she is commonly known in Ireland.
The
item is a glowing example of the affinity that many in Ireland feel with Amma’s spiritual
attainments and her message of love and compassion for all humanity. Amma, as you all may know, has
visited Dublin twice in recent times and received a spontaneous welcome from people from all walks
of life here.
Deirdre is accompanied
by her group -- Bill Cody on the clarinet, Tom Tohar on the keyboard and Padmanabhan
Gopalakrishnan -- Paddy to his Irish friends --- on the drums (mridangam).
see webcast of a
selection
Item 6: Poem on Gandhiji
by Micheal O’Seadhail
And now ladies and gentlemen, the finale. We conclude this evening’s programme with a poem on Gandhiji by the
noted Irish poet, Micheal O’Siadhail, read by the poet himself. As many
of you may know, Micheal O’Siadhail, has several
publications to his credit and is a founder member
of Aosdana, the Academy of distinguished Irish artists.
He has taught at Trinity College, Dublin, and edited the
Poetry Review and other journals. His most recent book, titled ‘Globe’,
was released just a week back on his sixtieth birthday.
The dedication
of this volume gives us a flavour of what follows in it when it says so simply, yet
so profoundly, ‘Born in a land, I wake in a globe’. Truly well said, isn’t it? We live in a globalised world and indeed are all
global citizens of tomorrow, whatever we may think of ourselves today. It needs a person like
Micheal to bring that insight to our attention. It was Auden perhaps who said that it needs the
poet, the bard and the sage, to enable us to perceive what is often right under our nose. Incidentally,
the word for poet, in Sanskrit and other Indian languages, is one that connotes a seer and a sage – as it does in Irish. Yet
another illustration of the underlying commonalities
between the Irish and Indian cultures, and indeed
perhaps of all cultures.
May I now invite Micheal O Siaidhail to come to the stage and read to
us his poem on Mahatma Gandhi.
see
webcast
A DVD on the complete programme is available on request.
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