The Sound of Music

The stage is set. Five drummers take the stage with a solemn look on their faces. They start with a simple rhythm, building up the tempo as they start gryrating with the rhythm. Their companions, a group of mime artistes interpret the beats with just their bodies and faces -- all dressed in black-and-white. This mixture of rhythm and acting makes up the part of the upcoming performance called Drumime, a concept developed by the acclaimed tabla player Bickram Ghosh, and will be showcased in India for the first time at the upcoming Dumru festival in Pune.

Ghosh, a Kolkata-based tabla player performs in Hindustani classical as well as fusion music. Ghosh is known to experiment and reinterpret music and culture; and yet, his music is strongly influenced by thumri and khayal genres of the Patiala gharana. Known to dabble in a vast repertoire of musical genres -- from classical, rock, new-age, fusion to film music, he has now introduced a new concept called Drumime – a combination of drumming and mime.

"I operate on the philosophy of rhythm. Rhythm surrounds us all – it is there in everything we do. From mundane chores to nature, to our own heartbeats. I just wanted a large enough idea that could inculcate all these elements. Hence I came up with the concept of Drumime," explains the 46-year-old.

The show which is timed at a little over an hour, will be divided into various acts. The act called Body Drum, for example will see the members of Ghosh's group using their bodies as drums. "They will use their cheeks, stomach and thighs as a surface for drumming. It will be an entirely new experience," says Ghosh. The mime part of the show is choreographed by artiste Suman Mukherjee and will see a visually impactful visuals and lights.

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