The Hindu : New Delhi News : Australian band awaits jugalbandi with Indians

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Friday, Mar 28, 2008
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New Delhi

Australian band awaits jugalbandi with Indians

Spirited: Australian band Sirocco.

To give budding musicians tips on how to play their kind of music, internationally-acclaimed Australian band Sirocco will perform and conduct a workshop at Delhi’s Sanskriti School in Chanakyapuri this coming Monday.

Comprising four musicians -- Peter Kennard (drummer), Andrew DeTeliga (composer), Paul Jarman (woodwind and synthesiser), and Bill O’Toole (bagpipes and didgeridoo) -- the group feels that even the uninitiated can play any musical instrument provided they are taught the correct method.

At the school, Sirocco will give a musical performance for middle and senior students. This will be followed by a workshop with the school’s rock band and music students in which the group’s members will mingle with budding musicians and teach them how to play instruments.

Interaction with locals

While touring any country, the group not only plays music but also interacts with the local audiences and works with indigenous musicians and dancers. Although the group has toured 32 counties, India is one of its favourite destinations.

Describing India as one of the most beautiful and exotic countries, didgeridoo player Bill O’Toole says this visit to perform and interact with the local people is a dream come true for him. “We will perform music that is a mixture of various cultures that make up Australia from Aboriginal to Irish,” he adds.

According to woodwind player Paul Jarman, the ongoing tour will provide him an opportunity to perform with Indian musicians. “Last time in 1996 we performed with sitar and tabla as well as an amazing slide guitarist from Chandigarh. I was invited to a number of weddings to perform with their musicians. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Stating that India was a fabulous country, Andrew DeTeliga, who is the band’s string player, says: “The people really appreciate music and we are treated so well. The audiences are so enthusiastic.”

A master drummer, Peter Kennard uses all kinds of drums and percussion. Andrew DeTeliga, the composer, can play anything with strings from the revop to the bouzouki to the blues guitar.

The group has also taken part in the two-day Jaipur International Heritage Festival that ended on Thursday in which the group members got a chance to experiment with music along with local musicians.

Sirocco’s visit to the country is supported by the Australia International Cultural Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra.

Madhur Tankha

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