The Official Community Of Nitin Sawhney

I thought it would be interesting to see who we would like to see Nitin collaborate with that he hasn't done so already. You never know, it might spark something......

My handful of suggestions would be:

• Bebel Gilberto - to explore Brasilian musical themes and add another female voice to Nitin's work.
• Sevara Nazarkhan - ditto to push the exploration way east into Uzbekistan
• Suba - back to Brasil via Serbia. He is no longer alive, but using some if his musical themes.....? Some may know of his link with Bebel Gilberto, too.
• Michael Franti and Spearhead - who share Nitin's political disquiet.
• Lior - Israeli Aussie to both add a male voice with that unique mix - and as a pretext to get Nitin over to Oz so I can hear him live.... (I'll hold the mike. I'll be quiet; I promise.)

 

Other suggestions?

I've been thinking about this over the last few days.  Maybe some more African collaborators .... he did say he might look in on Africa Express.  I've not been able to check whether he did - the programme on the radio was 6 hours and I am at 4 1/2 hours at the moment.  Nitin has always expressed admiration for Hugh Masekele.  Alternatively, he could consider working with Seckou Keita and his quartet (now 5 of them), as his most recent album has an eclectic slightly jazzy feel.

If you are talking Brazilian music, how about Seu Jorge?  or Marcos Valle, whom Nitin has included on his Fabriclive compilation?

---

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness" Confucius

Yeah, some good suggestions there. Hugh Masekele would be a blast - literally! I'm sure there is more in North or West Africa, too. The Super Rail Band de Bamako is a long-time favourite (eg Mansa, 1995) but I've lost touch with where they're at. I note the North African and Moorish feel in Nitin's music sometimes, too. So many possibilities!

Well now, since you suggested collaborating with Suba.... there are a few deceased heroes I'd like to add to the list, as well as a few live ones.....

First of all, I'd suggest a meeting of minds as much as music, with Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Nafi, aka Ziryab, the exiled Iraqi musician, composer, intellectual, astronomer, poet and refined, all round cultural icon of his time. I think that they would have much to discuss.... booted out of oud school for possessing a talent that far exceeded that of his teacher, he certainly went on to 'express' himself! After finding his way to Cordoba, he was to profoundly influence the development of European music, 'classical' and 'traditional', as well as introducing and influencing many other cultural pursuits.  In short, we'd have been a poorer continent culturally, were it not for Ziryab. Given that the development of the western lute can also be attributed to him,  perhaps Nitin would want to invite Sting to jam with the genius as well... and maybe an entire season of Prom's concerts could be devoted to Ziryab... yes, it would be a pleasant change to have the West recognise the debt we owe to one of Baghdad's finest!

Meanwhile..... on this side of mortality,  how about a little Jazz.... Nice.... I'm really excited as I've noticed that Corey Mwamba is in town this weekend.  Not heard of him? Well, neither had I until last year! I got to hear him play during a 6 hour long 'Monk-athon', where he teased out some extraordinary sounds from his vibes..... yeah.....

Also alive, alive-o...  my choice of diva would be Argentinian songstress,  Mercedes Sosa, no less! I'm too ignorant to understand a word that she sings but, the emotion with which she sings needs no translation....

Most of all, how wonderful would it be if we could have the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan return, if only for a single performance, to collaborate with Mr. Sawhney?  I read in an interview some years back that Nitin was actually about to get together with him, but sadly Nusrat died before it could happen. I'd not long 'discovered' Nusrat's music for myself when I read about it and regret not having heard of him while he was alive (I know, I know). Yeah, that would be something very special indeed....

....but, should we be limiting ourselves to collaborations with only with musicians?  Shouldn't we also include, for example, dancers?  I just checked my email to find that I'd been sent a link to a video clip (thanks C!) of two of London's most famous dancers......

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7kg6TptztNs

 .... yes, Rosemary, do they look familiar?

So, Nitin, how about it? How about collaborating with these two? Actually, I wonder if Mr. S. has ever been tempted to include a dance routine into his live performances....

Buga, I'm becoming seriously worried about your fixation with dead people, whether musicians or dancers.  Somehow I think that the Elvis impersonators pale into significance with Akram Khan.  On the other hand, I'm not sure I would buy a second hand car off these guys    http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/arts/2005/07/12/nylind_zero3.jpg[:D]

My vote for dancing goes to the hamster

---

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness" Confucius

rosemary:

Buga, I'm becoming seriously worried about your fixation with dead people

This from the person who was desperate to find the exhibition of Byzantine Art, while in town. 

I wouldn't be so quick to put down the Elvis impersonators either. It smacks of elitism. Akram is brilliant at what he does but then, so are they and what's more they are accessible to and are enjoyed by a far wider cross-section of society than you're likely to find at Sadler's Wells (no offence intended towarded Akram or the venue, btw!).

Oh yes, and your link appears to be dead...not that I'm fixating....

 

 Hmmm, I think we could be here a long time if we debated the difference between elitism and excellence!

That is, if I still survive being eaten alive by midges every night!

You are quite right about the picture - can't find a link that does work, so I have copied it in.  I hope that is ok with Beverley.

 

---

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness" Confucius

Actually, the link works if you take the end bits off and put: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/arts/2005/07/12/nylind_zero3.jpg (ie nothing after the jpg bit.)

I'm obviously working far too hard if I failed to spot the smiley on the end of the link!

---

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness" Confucius

Ah... THAT picture!   Yeah, now that makes sense - you wouldn't want to do a dodgy deal with that mob - 'specially Mr. G..... he looks stroppier  than me!!!  That said, they could all have been concealing knuckle dusters in that shot..... it's a pity we never got to see your other image as well.... which one of them was the 'dancing hamster' btw?

I can see the hamster here on this computer.  In case you can't, here is the link to all manner of dancing things

www.yahoofreak.com/dancing-animated-emoticons 

 

 

---

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness" Confucius

....Strange....couldn't see the hamster on your post and yet, as soon as I move onto the reply page, there he was....

It's not easy dancing with a belly full of risotto, I can tell you.  It might be easier for a hamster as it can store some of the rice in it's cheeks, but for us badly-designed humans... we had our Xmas do on Friday, which ended with a post meal shuffle. Did that group thing of dancing in a circle... a sure sign that  we are either a cohesive bunch of workmates... or just damned insecure on the dance floor... either way, we were facing each other, which has to be more reassuring than if we'd all been facing outwards, and at least we weren't dancing around our bags....

 So, I did indeed follow the link (afterall, anything had to be more palatable than the disturbing image Calme sent me recently....)  and gosh, so many animals, so many different dance styles... and it got me thinking... which of those animals most closely resembles Mr. Sawhney's dance moves... tricky question, since we've never actually seen him dance. At a guess, I would say 'happy penguin' but then, check out the legs on that 'cool chicken'.....hmmm.....

 

Ah well it looks like the hamster is back anyway.

If you danced round in a circle at your party, it suggests that all the people you work with are female.  In our place women still outnumber men but people tend to dance in pairs or threesomes, but there are those of us who can't bear to be parted from our handbags on any occasion outside the home. I shall miss it this year, so I won't end up being a "dancing queen" with C.

Back to the subject of dancing creatures, cute though the penguin is..... I think the "cool chicken" is nearer the mark as I imagine Nitin to be quite light on his feet.  Of course I could be completely wrong - he might be one of those who sits on the side and watches the dancers, nodding his head back and forwards to the music

. 

---

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness" Confucius

rosemary:

 he might be one of those who sits on the side and watches the dancers, nodding his head back and forwards to the music

.....oh yeah.... hence the DJing!!! 

Actually, returning (somewhat nervously...) to the topic of 'Collaborations',  I noticed there was a post mentioning Rizwan and Muazzam (been meaning to write something....). We should to add them, and Rahat, to the list.  OK, so R&M have done it already but that was AGES ago!!!  But also, what about the amazing Sain Zahoor?  Ah, he's just incredible......