Entertainment /
Move To The Ragas And Rhythms
?We chat with dancer, artist and singer Bageshree Vaze on her latest CD.
In January 2011, we had the pleasure of featuring 2004 MTV India's Rising Star Bageshree Vaze for our 8th Anniversary Sexy & Successful issue. On the eve of her Ragas and Rhythms, Global Bollywood, CD release concert at The Hugh Room in Toronto, Canada, Vaze takes time to catch up with ANOKHI to share details of her new album and the exciting events taking place in her life.
"I had a baby boy [and] he's almost five months old now, Vaze laughs, and that's on my personal side. This summer I launched a series of arts programming with The Harbourfront Centre and their summer festival programming. I have an organization called Pratibha Arts."
Pratibha Arts was established by Vaze in 2005 to promote and produce high-quality programming of music and dance to showcase traditional and contemporary work, which collaborate various cultural styles reflective of the Indo-Canadian culture. Recently during Canada Day weekend, Vaze had the pleasure of performing her Global Bollywood show at The Harbourfront Centre's Going Global Summer Festival featuring Toronto musicians' bassist Chris Gartner, guitarist Kevin Laliberte, saxophonist Sundar Vishwanathan, and violinist Jaron Freean-Fox and Vaze's spouse table virtuoso Vineet Vyas. "The songs that I selected are songs that I like [by] Indian film directors who [have] tried different style[s] of music like Celtic music, reggae, Latin, jazz, says Vaze.
As we continue our discussion, we dig deeper behind the concept of her new CD Ragas and Rhythms. Raga which should not be confused with Ragga (reggae) music is Indian classical music. Unlike Western classical music there is a set of notes and the songs created are performed to stay within the musical composition. "My idea was that each Raga has a certain character or mood associated with it, says Vaze, often in Hindu culture there is so much association with mythology and god and goddess; each song on the album is trying to show the character of each Raga".
Deemed a 'real triple threat' by critics, Vaze's flawless classical voice intertwined with versatile choreography shows perfection in her dance execution leaving intrigue in whether she embodies each character. "With kathak dance there [is] not necessarily a story or character that is being depicted, explains Vaze, it's more just the mood, because a lot of it is so rhythmic in nature that you're basically trying to show that through footwork and movement."
Should you have the opportunity to speak with Bageshree Vaze, there is no doubt about the passion she has for her artistry. In fact, it's crazy to think, but you have to wonder does she ever get nervous before she performs? "You obviously always have that tension of how it's going to work out, says Vaze, [but] once you do it enough you realize okay, nothing is going to fall apart." Visit Bageshree Vaze website at www.bageshree.com for more information on her album.
BY: TESSA JOHNSON
Sources: bageshree.com, harbourfrontcentre,anokhi magazine, and amazon.com
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