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(c)taran Wilkhu photography
chiddiNglY FesTival
“You get magic moments at a gig like this.”
The Chiddingly Festival, <strong>now</strong> entering its 32nd
year, always seems to manage to find something
special. This year looks like no exception with the
first performance in the region by Arun Ghosh
and his Indo-jazz group, since he played at the
Brighton Great Escape Festival in 2008.
Viva Lewes caught up with Arun one Sunday at
home and asked him about his influences and
what he makes of playing a local festival such
as Chiddingly. “I’m excited to be playing at the
Festival”, says Arun, “We want to bring our m<strong>us</strong>ic
to people of diverse backgrounds.”
“It’s also great to be playing in a small, intimate
venue; there’s less of a barrier with the audience.
We’ll also be able to play an almost entirely
aco<strong>us</strong>tic set, so as m<strong>us</strong>icians we get to hear each
other. And you’re more likely to get those magic
moments at a gig like this. I feel this is how m<strong>us</strong>ic
should be played.”
His core band of six jazz m<strong>us</strong>icians was formed
in 2007, and in 2008 recorded their first album
“Northern Namaste” - which means ‘greeting’
in Hindi – to critical acclaim. They’ve also
performed at major festivals in the UK and
overseas – the line up for Chiddingly is the same
seven that performed to rave reviews at London’s
Pizza Express jazz venue.
He’s avowedly a jazz player – but one that draws
on his Asian heritage along with those of his
w w w. V I VA l E w E s . C o M
F E s t I VA l
fellow performers, to create a sound he calls
‘Indo-jazz’. “We’re more melodic and tuneful
than some modern jazz. And ‘Indo’ since we
incorporate m<strong>us</strong>ic influences from the whole
sub-continent.”
How does he find audiences outside London and
Manchester respond? “We’ve j<strong>us</strong>t come back
from the North Devon Festival in Barnstaple.
There’s a warmth and great response to what we
do – you get a different reception, appreciative
that we’re playing there and not j<strong>us</strong>t sticking to
large cities.”
Growing up in the North-West of England in a
family that supported his m<strong>us</strong>ical development,
he played recorder from a young age, going on
to study clarinet at the Royal Northern College
of M<strong>us</strong>ic in Manchester, and improvisation was
always part of his approach to m<strong>us</strong>ic: “Something
j<strong>us</strong>t clicked when I was little. I found myself
making up tunes. Good jazz is like a dialogue - a
conversation between players – that builds from
simple m<strong>us</strong>ical ideas.”
He also composes m<strong>us</strong>ic for films and events - his
m<strong>us</strong>ic for six stories has recently been performed
at Charleston - and works as an educator with
schools: “We run workshops for young people.
And I’d really like children to come along to see
<strong>us</strong> at Chiddingly. We’ve got a very communicative
way of playing which engages audiences of all
ages and backgrounds.”
S<strong>us</strong>sex should be in for something special since
the concert comes j<strong>us</strong>t before he takes up his next
big project, recording his group’s second album in
October and he promises he’ll be trying out some
of the new material at Chiddingly. Then next year
it’s on to a tour of Europe. Rob Read
Chiddingly Festival, 23 Sept to 3 Oct Tickets go on
sale from 1 Sept. www.chiddinglyfestival.co.uk
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