The Manganiyar Seduction is an amazing musical presented in a theatrical style. Speaking with Kumud Merani the Director Roysten Abel explains his personal seduction with these musicians who have been performing for more than four centuries. "It's a theatrical experience of music to be enjoyed with all the senses", says Roysten.
Within the sumptuous magic box are 43 musicians seated in 36 red-curtained cubicles arranged in four horizontal rows one on top of the other; and the first singer begins his song, soon to be joined by another…and another creating a dramatic and astounding build-up of musical instruments and voices of the Manganiyar community.
The Manganiyars are a caste of Muslim musicians who are predominantly settled in the districts of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur, in the heart of India’s Thar Desert. They traditionally performed for kings, but over the years support for their music has shifted from kings to other wealthy patrons. Their repertoire ranges from ballads about the kings to Sufi poems written by various mystics. They also have songs for various occasions such as births, marriages and feasts.
In the 1970s the late ethnomusicologist Komal Kothari discovered the Manganiyars and gave them a new life in contemporary times. Their music is now appreciated worldwide. Even though they are classified as folk musicians, the traditional music of the Manganiyars is classical, and it clearly indicates the roots of classical music in India. The rawness of the folk juxtaposed with the complexities of classical music is what makes their music so special.
