Path of Discovery

PATH OF DISCOVERY

DiverseCity 2015

KL International Arts Festival

Performance #1

September 6, 2015

DBKL Auditorium

Years ago, Malaysia ran a tourism promotion titled MALAYSIA TRULY ASIA, starring actress Michelle Yeoh. It spoke of the pouring into one country the best and most distilled essences of South East Asia. While the lustre may have dimmed from 15 years ago when the TV ads were broadcast, the performance I watched almost straight off the flight, seemed to be a theatrical avatar of that spirit

PATH OF DISCOVERY was the second official premiere for DiverseCity a month long festival of live arts presentations which features Malaysia as the ASEAN destination of the year.

I missed the first show on September 5 which was a highly acclaimed contemporary showcase of 6 Malaysian choreographers. Pictures of that will follow in later blogs

PATH OF DISCOVERY contained the piano as the core sound scape while various well known Malaysian artistes from dance, theatre and opera quilted the evening with their presence.

An American pianist - Kimball Gallagher - met the gorgeous and supremely talented Taiwanese pianist - Kai-Yin Huang, and together they began the global journey of "88 KEYS".  Inspired by the 88 keys of the piano, theirs is a collaboration with Myanmar as its geographical centre. Co-founders of the Myanmar Music Festival a few years ago, their presence in Malaysia was to tempt this country's renowned artistes to throw their hats into the improvisation ring.

And they did.

Playing Bach, and other classical composers as scaffolding, the two musicians displayed remarkable virtuosity while remaining sensitive to the presence of the various performers who came in and out of their aural tapestry. Dynamic Sabera Shaikh, Malaysia's best known theatre actor entered with the poem GREETINGS TO THE CONTINENT by Usman Awang. A moving and timely reminder of the ravages of violence and the displacement of humanity, her performance was marked by her expressive voice and simple but effective movement. 

Watching Ramli float onto the stage wearing a white skirt was a "moment". I saw the years of ballet training in his light-footed approach as well as his sinuous body respond to both the piano and the soprano voice of Malaysian artiste YiLing Chaing. Her French songs from the Alpine region were of young girls and boys with their flock. Ramli's soft leg extensions and suggested leaning onto Chaing' s shoulders, as well as his performance on the floor were particularly memorable.  When Gallagher presented his alphabet tribute with each key of the piano suggesting the alphabets of Ramli Ibrahim's name, I felt like I had watched a dance version of Sinatra's famous MY WAY.  Ramli's short improv suggested a dignified way of saying "Been there, done that!"

Give me Ramli in this solo contemporary avatar any day. I love his Odissi but with maturity, and a still supple body, THIS is the space he fills so wonderfully.

As the evening unfolded, it became clear that although the two pianists were the anchor for the show, it was the four Malaysian artistes who were giving it colour and breath. Taking off from the French and Taiwanese cultural tropes of songs to mimic favourite games, young dancer Weijin Loh charmed us with his agility and imaginative use of remote controlled toy car (which crashed into the empty VIP seating area!)  as a response to the four playful musical sections of Jumping Frog, Fishing Toy, Kite and Remote Control Car.

A nice foil to the mature presence of Sabera, Ramli and YiLing, this young man represented the "here and now" of Malaysian dance.

The final piece was a long and ambitious venture attempting to collapse the ideas of music, visual design, performance, acting and dance. Titled PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION, Gallagher played excerpts of French, Russian and European composers as the four actors entered as if  "wandering  into an art gallery" and responding to the changing music with varying pace and mood.

PATH OF DISCOVERY was both an individual's response, via the piano, to the inner artiste in each of us while simultaneously declaring  - "This is Malaysia-local Asian and global". Or as Satyajit Ray famously said of brilliant art - GLOCAL.

About the Title

AMOK is a Malay-Indonesian word ( AMUCK) that originally suggested 'warrior-like". Over the years it has been changed to be spelled AMOK and come to mean wild, destructive and untamed. I have chosen this word for my two week report from Kuala Lumpur during the KL International Arts Festival DiverseCity. So much is happening almost daily and the senses and spirit are truly "running amok"! 

ANITA RUNS AMOK Blog #1

ANITA  RUNS AMOK

Blog #1 September 6, 2015

Kuala Lumpur - Federal Hotel, Bukit Bintang

The trip began for me when the one and only Ramli Ibrahim handed me the slim brochure containing more than 20 world premieres in music, dance, theatre, traditional arts, storytelling, folk arts, food, fashion and more.

With Malaysia being the featured ASEAN country of 2015, the cultural vortex has become the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. For years, Malaysia, one of the most interesting crucible of cultures in South East Asia, has somewhat been nudged aside by its neighbours Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and recently, Vietnam and Myanmar. To me, Malaysia is the most ASIAN of countries.. Not only does it have the essence of all its neighbours but it also has a fascinating history of Indian diaspora. More interesting but less successful in tooting its own horn than Singapore, the country has an amazing mix of creative talent that has been forced to fend for itself and find ways to promote and stay alive in a turbulent political climate.

For readers of this blog, the name that resonates is that of Ramli Ibrahim. Outspoken, admired, feared and respected, this Bhoomi Putra of Malaysia has had his share of challenges. Riding every rough wave with the tact of a champion surfer, Ramli is now one of the three artistic directors of DIVERSECITY, a word that puns on the very nature of Kuala Lumpur's DIVERSITY.

Leaving Chennai's horrendously clunky airport at midnight, I landed into the bustling KLIA in the early hours of Sunday morning September 6th. Making the mandatory stop at the phone store to procure a local SIM card, my adventures began soon after checking into the Federal Hotel in the heart of the Bukit Bintang area of the city.

Unpacking and some yoga breathing done, I felt calmer and prepared to have a traditional Balinese massage to get over the stiff limbs and slight jet lag. A quick visit to the local health store to stock up on some good snacks with yoga guru Sumitra Sekaran was another eye opener to the immense variety of foods available in the city.

When I visited 10 years ago for a performance of SEVEN GRACES and UTPALA, KL was an exciting city. The Petronas Twin Towers were an Asian World Trade Centre and Chinatown was a shopper's bargain heaven! Europeans, Americans, Brits, South Americans, Australians were swarming wherever the eyes could see. Ten years later, the diversity is still there but mainland China and South Korea seem to have embraced Malaysia and its fantastic golf courses with gusto. Apartments are being sold in blocks to golf addicts and the rising Asian super billionaire lot love this complex Asian country.  The European and other western presence is markedly less.

For artistes, this is the time to create and watch. And that is what brings me here for the next 2 weeks. To watch 14 world premieres and share my reports with readers. DIVERSECITY has already begun on September 3 with the world premiere of TEPAK TARI, a contemporary dance by MY DANCE ALLIANCE.  Today was the earliest that I could arrive, what with an important performance just under my belt in Bombay.

So KL.. here I am..Meet Anita Ratnam running 'amok' among artistes, dancers, chefs, musicians and other creative minds in this fantastic city!

PS:  The word AMOK is originally Malay. It was spelled AMUCK and has its origins in the 16th century from Malaysian-Indonesian sources. It used to suggest someone of a "warrior like courage." Today it suggests a kind of destructive madness - TO RUN AMOK".  In this instance I have chosen this word since the month long festival is planned to cause a real "stir" with the citizens and business community in Malaysia. So AMOK it is!

Mira Nair: National Arts and Humanities Medals Keynote

think loud: Iyengar Airlines - IGA

think loud: Iyengar Airlines - IGA

The Awards Tsunami

In 1988 Bharatanatyam dancer Sudharani Raghupathy was sitting on the roadside in Karnataka sipping tea, a day after her performance. Her van had broken down and the mechanic was on his way. The teashop owner recognized her face from the photo in the morning newspaper. “are you Sudharani Raghupathy? I am honoured to meet a Padmashri.” That was how this dedicated dancer was told about her national honour. She was 44 years old. When she returned to her Mylapore home it was to a room full of telegrams and flowers. There was not a murmur about her merit and talent.
Over the past ten years, the Padma awards have ceased to reflect the intended patina of honour. For one, the net has been widened to include the fields of business, medicine and public service. While this is certainly commendable, the honouring of film stars who have done nothing for the medium is only devaluing the award. Rekha, the eternal diva, was honoured as late as last year along with film brat Saif Ali Khan! Both received the Padma Shri. Many times the list includes those who are in their nineties and often unable to stand or walk to receive the award from the President of India. Like RK Srikantan who is now 92 years old and finally recognized for his superb contribution to Carnatic music.
This year the inclusion of design guru Dasrath Patel for the Padma awards was bittersweet since Patel had passed away 9 weeks earlier to the announcement on Republic Day. Obviously nobody in the Home Ministry bothered to check on the names after they had been cleared.
Remember the furore last year over controversial NRI hotelier Sant Chatwal receiving the Padma Bhushan? Was that really deserved? Were there other pressures involved? The Padma awards are not supposed to be mentioned, according to the Supreme Court declaration, as a title in visiting cards and stationery. That does not stop many awardees from printing this national honour in bold letters on any given opportunity.
Through the RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, the complete list of more than 1000 names who were nominated for the Padma awards this year was available to all. The list revealed the huge disparity in collating the so called “deserving” individuals for the various Padma honours. A 35 year old Carnatic singer was competing with an 80 year old Bharatanatyam dancer. Fortunately the dancer received the award this year. Lobbying and jockeying for awards has become so common that some dancers and musicians are inviting former awardees as chief guests to their functions and gifting them with gold jewellery in return for the award.
Tamilnadu government’s recent list of state awards called the KALAIMAMANI, also reveals discrepancies. Kollywood starlets like Anushka and Tamannah receive the award alongside veterans like actor Revathy Sankkaran and theatre director Prasanna Ramaswamy! And to top it all, two committee members on a national government cultural department gave themselves awards while selecting others! Only in India can we see such blatant conflict of interest. It is like the wife directs a play, her daughter acts in it and her husband writes about the event in the media. The public reads this and actually believes the report to be objective and unbiased!
While awards, like life, can never satisfy everyone and be totally just, it is only fair that we as citizens of a democracy can expect to admire true achievers who have distinguished themselves in their chosen field of endeavour and enhanced India’s profile in the world. Not upstarts and publicity junkies who play the game and masquerade temperament for talent!

REAL LIFE AND REEL LIFE

The recent viewing of the film NO ONE KILLED JESSICA reminded me of the challenges of translating an an acutual incident onto celluloud. The sensational night when model/bartender Jessica Lal was shot by a boorish politician’s ‘beta’ fired the imagination of India on and off for seven years. The portrayal of the actual night of the shooting with the owner of the resto-bar, socialite Bina Ramani and her daughter Malini Ramani , was quite different from the actual flow of events. The mother was portrayed like distracted floozy and the daughter, a self righteous bimbette. Was that accurate? Knowing the mother, I can say that it was not like feisty Bina Ramani I used to know in New York in the last century. But that was life and this, before me, was the film.
How many biopics or incidents actually capture the person or the event truthfully? The answer is a paltry few. RAY, on the musician Ray Charles, WALK THE LINE on American country music sensation Johnny Cash, ALI on boxer Muhammad Ali are some sterling examples. Closer to home, NAYAKAN on the Mumbai don Varadaraj Mudaliar, BANDIT QUEEN on the explosive Phoolan Devi, Sivaji Ganesan’s VEERAPANDI KATTABOMMAN and the multiple award winning GANDHI(although made by British director Richard Attenborough) are some of the excellent films inspired by real events and people. Several others plummet into the chasm due to a deadly cocktail of misplaced reverence and self indulgent ego.

In the case of GANDHI, Attenborough recounts the resistance in actually portaying the Mahatma as a flesh and blood person. The groupies wanted him portrayed as a FLAME ! “A bloody flame!” as Attenborough exclaimed in a TV interview. Imagine if the shrill screams of intolerance were able to silence the brilliance of Ben Kingsley and the now iconic film that continues to inspire a new generation of young Indians.
Generally, we Indians are weak at writing and filming biographies. How many truly honest self reflexive books have we read authored by icons of our times? In the world of performing arts, I can honestly say that most autobiographies are merely hagiographies. The unnecessary attitude of hallowed worship misses the human side of the artiste. Rare examples are RUKMINI DEVI by Leela Samson, CHANDRALEKHA by Rustom Barucha and AE MOHABBATEIN by Rita Ganguly on singer BEGUM AKHTAR are three exceptions where the human side of this renaissance triad was shared, warts and all.
We are also brittle when an outsider attempts to capture the essence of any of our great epic traditions. Many of you may not recall the superb 9 hour stage adaptation of the Mahabharata by British director Peter Brook which launched dancer Mallika Sarabhai’s international career. In 1986 I watched the production in New York city at the transformed Brooklyn Academy of Music. It was, in one word – breathtaking- in imagination, scale and performance. When the production attempted to tour India, a maelstrom of protest began. How could Bhishma Pitamaha be a dark African actor? How dare Sri Krishna speak with a French accent? Bhima from Burkina Faso? Impossible! Never! Nobody should be addressed by their names – Only Arya Putra or Aryaa Putri ! And the outrage continued until the entire tour was called off to our disappointment and dusgust.
So, while watching the glossed over incident on the night of Jessica Lal’s fatal shooting in what was otherwise a fairly good film, I walked out the movie theatre wondering why the bungled cover up by Bina and Malini Ramani after the killing and so many other actual TEHELKA- revealed facts were never mentioned. But that may not have made for a sensational sex hungry, headlines grabbing TV journo Rani Mukherjee character.
And so it goes.. from Real life to Reel life..

COLOUR NO BAR? WRONG!

The recent furor over the techno-meddling with the skin tones of Aishwarya Rai, Beyonce Knowles for Western magazine shoots has re-launched the age old argument about colour. When Surpanakha, Ravana’s sister in the beloved epic The Ramayana, is shown using fairness creams in a television ad, we realize that the stigma of an’ Indian’ skin tone that is brown in any form is actually considered a handicap or a weakness. Look at the matrimonial ads for “fair”, “light complexion” as if they are trophy points for a bride or a groom. Fairness creams and skin lightening products is a multi billion dollar industry and the subject of feminist ire and scholarship.
For the West, black may be beautiful for political correctness but the actresses who have succeeded in white-dominated Hollywood are those who resemble their Caucasian colleagues. Halle Berry, Rihanna, Whitney Houston, are all beautiful-yes but with aquiline noses and gently sloping chins. No hint of any African ancestry evident. All their endorsements show them with lighter skins than what is theirs naturally. When Monique of generous proportions won the Oscar for her supporting role in the disturbing film “Precious”, she was featured in VOGUE magazine with considerably lightened skin, causing a major racial uproar in the US.
In the world of performing arts, especially dance, the same rule applies. If you are light skinned with an international body type- slim, long limbs, lean torso- chances are that western presenters will choose you as their Asian Barbie Doll. If you are brown toned, then you MUST be of perfect body shape. No Indian Ajanta hips and Chola breasts. Yuck! Please be uber slim and’ exotic looking’. Look at Freida Pinto! She is poised to vault over beauteous Ash because of her size zero body size.
I am also no stranger to this subconscious prejudice. This time from the other end. As a Tamizh woman, I am often asked with amazement if I am “puuure Tamil” by people from the North AND the South. I was overlooked by the government some years ago to represent Tamilnadu at a major outdoor event, citing my light skin colour and “upper class looks”. Huh?.
Which brings me to the tyranny of the Western ‘optic’. All Asian women, or women of colour need to subscribe to the ruthless mono culture ‘gaze’ of the euro centric gatekeepers. A strong, outspoken Asian woman is not as welcome in performance spaces compared to the demure, adorned bride/dancer type. For the West, all Asian women are “geisha babes” and all Asian men are kung fu fighting Jackie Chans. We cannot wait until the Euro-centric gaze changes to accommodate all our differences and exciting individualities. We just have to go out and break down those barriers and claim our space. Until we do that, we will always cower beneath our beautiful brown tones in embarrassment.