Untitled - Mariposa Folk Festival

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SHARDA: A unique by Frank Pausch IN THE 16th CENTURY THE MOGHULS invaded northern India. They were lovers of the arts and it was in their courts and palaces the Persian, Arabian and lndian cultural synthesis took place - resulting in a style of northern Indian music (after almost two centuries of Moghul rule) that was distinctively different from that of the south. The first major court was built in Delhi, where the roots of bai, the oldest style of northern Indian music, can be traced. Lucknow was next to host a Moghul court. Sharda, one of Mariposa's featured performers, has his family roots in Benares, a town to the south and east of Lucknow. Since they were musicians at the time, Sharda's ancestors sent representatives of their family to Lucknow to try and earn a place in the court. One was a child prodigy on the tabla (lndian drums), impressed all those who listened and was much in demand as a performer. As he grew, he also began to compose virtuoso tabla works popular to both inside and outside the courts. He had a special way of playing and of composing. These unique styles have been passed on orally from his generation to ours and are considered the "Benares As with any instrument, there are many levels of playing tabla, from the simplest folk tunes that can be learned in days or even hours, up to the most complex style". When you listen to Sharda's music, listen carefully, for those melodies, rhythms and instruments have existed, with little change, from the days of Moghul court life up until the present. Sharda's ancestors were not the only ones to develop their own style based on a master, During the Moghul rule, families from the same caste all over India sent artisans to the courts to try and gain prestige and earn their living. From this influx of talent rose other master musicians who also had their own style. The musicians did their best to please those who employed them, so styles tended to be somewhat different from court to court and from region to region. Over time and with the demise of the court system musical influence most styles died out or merged. The rise of radio and easier transportation greatly contributed to dissolving regional differences while the pressure to incorporate all styles into a homogenous whole increased as musicians tried to reach a wtder audience. There are now six major styles in existence, The first, as already mentioned, originated in Delhi. The second style is the Benares style. The most common, or at least the most listened to internationally, is the Pun.labi style which is what Ravi Shankar's son plays. This style originated in the area now called Pakistan. The form and function of the music itself can be compared in some respects, to Western jazz. In both kinds ot music, there are major forms and standard ways of performing them. In tabla music each composition presents a given amount of material. lt is up to the performer to present this material in the most interesting manner possible. Within the bounds of the piece, the artist can rearrange portions of it to suit his taste and technical ability. 22 "classical" works, comparable perhaps to Liszt's piano music. When an audience hears Sharda play, it is the height of Indian classical music they hear - something that takes a lifetime to practice and perfect. One common structure in north Indian tabla music is similar to our ballad form. A B A' B. where A can be considered a verse and B is the refrain.Themes can be introduced in the A section and in the A'section can be amplified and extended. The B section is a version of the theme in A. How the theme is added to and changed is up to the performer, but there are strict guidelines to this. In big band jazz, a Derson can solo for a certain number of bars and then return to the main body of music. lt is the same with tabla music - the oerformer can "spontaneously compose" (to quote Bob performance practice is that the player never crosses hands; the left one always plays the baya, the right one uses the tabla. Sharda's concert at Mariposa this year is a must for aficionados of rhythm and melody. Do not be intimidated, for there is much in common with Western music. Although there is no functional harmony, the beat is strong and constant, and much of the material is repeated at some point. A common rhythmic form to listen for is the taki, which is usually an ending cadence. lt is a phrase repeated three times with a gap between each phrase. A good taki is the mark of a good player, for it always ends on a downbeat, whtch means it has to be prepared well in advance of the actual end ot the piece. So listen and enjoy! (Special thanks to Bob Becker for his i nval u able assistance.,) Becker) on a certain theme for so many beats before returning to the unaltered theme or themes can be repeated any number of times, so that one piece of music can last for qurte a while. The ability to rearrange the material to develop a theme, without adding new material, is a necessary requisite for any competent tabla player. Each composition is made up of a certain beat pattern that is repeated throughout the piece. This is similar to, say, a twelve-bar blues which repeats every twelve bars. The rhythmic/melodic pattern ranges from six to sixteen beats. These patterns are called tala, or lal (singular). Tala are used in virtually alltabla music, with regional or family differences. The actual tal cycle is fairly slow, even though rhythmic embellishments can be amazingly fast. This makes the lahara or melody very important. lt is normally played on the sarangi, an Indian strrnged instrument, or on a violin. For Sharda's concert at Mariposa, Bob Becker, of Nexus fame, will play the lahara on harmonium. The lahara is the exact length of the tal cycle, repeated without alterations throughout the entire piece. Although the tabla player is the one to listen to, the lahara's rise and fall serves as a reference point by which the audience can determine where the per{ormers are in the cycle. The other per{ormer on the stage is the tamboura player who playes the drone notes which are unchanging and constant. The drums themselves can be considered woi'ks of art, without even being played. The right hand drum is called the tabla and the leit hand drum is the baya. These drums are not like the Western instruments, for they are used both melodically and rhythmically. Notice the black oatch on each drum head. This is actually a small packet with some heavy material, like iron powder, used to lower the oitch of the drum and tune the overtones. lt is permanently attached to the tabla, but on the baya it is sometimes put in different spots, depending on the situation. An interesting I,YASN'T THAT A TIIYIE! FOLK MUSIC MEANS TO ME people having a good time playing music together. To me, Mariposa meant a chance to see singers, musicians, dancers and craftspeople who learned their skills from friends and relatives, "in the good old way." The festival inspired and encouraged as well as entertained - so people would want to be where music was being made for fun, and maybe even to make some themselves. So we looked for performers who reached the heart and mind as well as the feet. We wanted the best, old and new, not the most. We weren't trying for standing ovations; we were trying to get people to think, "Maybe I could play like that," and, "Boy, that was fun!" As a performer, I want listeners to feel what I felt when I first heard the songs; as an organizer I want festival-goers to feel the excitement, magic and inspiration that I first felt at festivals, 25 years ago. Mariposa did it for me - | try to pass it on. by MICHAEL COONEY
1 I j CAESAR'S PALACE Home Of The Valcartier Dance Band THE THREE SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE VALcartier Dance Band come to Mariposa from a very special place. Valcartier, north of Quebec City, is a smalltown in an area settled largely by lrish and Scottish immigrants in the early years of the nineteenth century. Surrounded by the culture of the province's French-speaking majority, Valcartier is home to traditions and customs that are singularly and beautifully unique to that region. Many of these traditions live on at Caesar's Palace, a square-timbered structure dating back to 1875. The house was originally the home of William Smith. When built it was reputed to be quite the finest in the area, and Mr. Smith resided there until his death in the 1940s. For the old house, the following years included a period of vacancy, and a brief residency by tenants less fastidious than Mr. Smith, while the building was serving as a chicken coop. Eventually the deteriorating house was purchased by Leonard Thompson of Loretteville. A visitor, noting the condition of the building is said to have "Why, commented this is a real palace!" Several weeks later the new owner was surprised to find a wooden sign, prominently displayed on his property, on which were engraved the words "CAESAR'S PALACE". The name stuck, and from that day it has come to be known in Valcartier simply as "The Palace". Since then considerable repairs have been done to the house, and the Palace is now a place of recreation. The walls ring with the sounds of traditional music of the area, and the steps and figures of dancers shake the floor. Area residents see this not so much as a "revival", PHOTO BY: Y. ALLEN Older inhabitants of the village recall that it was always a good spot for a card party, or a dance, and stories are told of local farmers leaving the old house just in time to work in the hay fields the next morning. At the heart of the current renaissance are, of course, the local musrcrans. Among these are but merely a "temporarily continuation of activities, suspended". "I'he Dean" - Bernie Monaghan, accordionist, fiddler, and raconteur, Keith Corrigan, (a fine accordionist whose playing harkens to that of his friend and teacher Yves Verret), fiddler Eric Corrigan, and accordionist Billy Corrigan. As well as these natives of the region, two special newcomers have been welcomeo to tne loro: Ltsa Ornstern, ttddler, pianist, and accordionist, and dance teacher and caller Danielle Martineau. There are many more besides. On one recent occasion the rafters rang to the music of no less than 16 musicians. This is a Iar cry from the nights many years ago when no musicians were available, and a resourceful gentleman known as Uncle Stuart would take charge and "jig" (lilt) tunes for the dancers. The Valcartier people are very proud of their musicians, and are pleased to have them come to Mariposa. They are sure that you will like them; so am l. This article was adapted by lan Bellf rom a piece sent by Mr. Leonard Thompson, proprietor of Caesar's Palace. Caesar's Palace, 207 Redmont Road, Valcartier, Quebec. Summer GUmnastics WIHST()ITTTES f g.-:fl ''\3#,t PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN 20 MONTHS-1 2 YEARS MONDAY-FRIDAY, DAYTIME & EVENING CLASSES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 475-0942 W i nstonet te Gy m nast ic Associ at i on 185-1 CLAYTON DR., MARKHAM. ONT. L3R 5N4 Country & Bluegrass Records -Tapes -Acces sories SPECI,ALIZING IN MUSIC FROM THE EAST COAST, FEATURING STAII ROGERS, FIGGYDUFF, THE CAPE BRETONSYMPHOIry, ETC. Plus other notables such as ICD. Lang, Doc Watson, Bill Munroe, and a good selection of rockabilly alburns . Z2]3Danforth Ave Toronto, Mrc lrc , (u+,oblocks East of 'Vloodbine)
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Untitled - Mariposa Folk Festival

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