East Meets West! Music Full of ‘Joy’ by Duo Int’l & Local Artists Reverberates at ‘Joy Land ‘

By
Alfie Dsouza, Team Mangalorean.
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East Meets West! Music Full of ‘Joy’ by Duo Int’l & Local Artists Reverberates at ‘Joy Land ‘

East Meets West! Music Full of ‘Joy’ by Duo International & Local Artists Reverberates at Ashirwad ‘Joy Land’ Silver Jubilee Hall, Bolar, Mangaluru, on Thursday, 7 February 2019, where internationally renowned Pianist Marialena Fernandes from Austria, and Flutist Amina Anna Vámosi from Hungary, blended with Kudla Drum Jammers, led by popular folk singer Mime Ramdas.

Mangaluru: Marialena Fernandes, (whose parents are originally from Mangaluru) comes down to the city from Vienna-Austria, every year, and gives a sizzling and scintillating performance on the piano, joined by other internationalist artists. On 14 February 2015 on Valentine’s Day she was accompanied by the members of the Austrian band “Hotel Palindrone” – who gave a sizzling and entertaining performance featuring some of local Konkani music comprising of Mandos, Dekhnis and Dulpods wowed and surprised the packed audience at Kaalangaan Amphi-theater at Shaktinagar.

In 2016, Marialena Fernandes was back in town joined by three music comedy trio, who called themselves “The ThreeX” all the way from Poland, comprising of Jacek Stolarczyk on Violin, Krzysztof Kokoszewski, also on Violin, and Jacek Obstarczyk on Piano. It was indeed a rare, unique and delightful musical experience of professional music, jugglery and comedy performed by these three musical comedians, that mesmerized the packed crowd once again at Kaalangaan Amphi-Theatre on Tuesday, 23 February 2016.

Most concerts are for entertainment. But ever so often, along comes a show that has more to offer than just mere opportunities to applaud. The recent musical confluence titled “East Meets West” saw the coming together of Indian born pianist Marialena Fernandes, now settled in Austria, along with Hungarian Flutist Amina, with added masala from Kudla Drum Jammers led by popular folk singer Mime Ramdas, held at Ashirwad Loyland Silver Jubilee Hall, Bolar, Mangaluru, on Thursday 7 February 2019, hosted by David and Francis Pinto, and coordinated by Ms Sachitha Nandagopal of Centre for Integrated Learning, Mangaluru. “K2’s Rock ON” members under the leadership of the Group Administrator Kamalesh were also a part of the performers. The show was a fusion of Western Classical and Mangalorean Folk Music.

Never missing an opportunity to amuse the crowd, the entertainers won the audience over some soothing tunes. From swinging their feet to shaking a leg, the performers got the crowd’s feet tapping with the bow slamming and note picking gusto, thereby displaying that they are musicians, singers and entertainers par excellence. Along with Marialena and Amina, the duo international, the local musicians of Kudla Drum Jammers comprised of Dr Machendranath on Saxaphone, Mime Ramdas as folk songs singer, Lokesh on Flute, Anil Alva on Congo, Vishal on Djembe, Ganapathi on Tabla, Sharan on Keyboard, Yash Alva on guitar/Western vocal, along with Chandrashekhar who sang a few Hindi numbers . The star attraction of the evening was six-year-old Ananya Pai, who rendered an old Hindi number, received high applaud from the audience-this ting girl simply rocked the stage. The evening ended on a high note with a baila masala by Ms Zeena Pereira, which called for encore.

The concert, combining two international musicians and Indian musicians was astounding. The music created by internationally acclaimed highly talented pianist Marialena Fernandes and Flutist Amina was awakening. Their music was spellbinding. Fernandes really got the crowd going with her prodigious skill at the Piano and Amina was at her best on flute. You could sense the euphoria of the crowd. It was almost tangible. This unique concert proved that ‘We as human beings are essentially wired to love and not to hate. That is the true power of music, and that was what the audience sensed last evening – “The trans-formative power of music”.

Because you could appreciate the music that they made. You might be into jazz, R&B or rock, but you could appreciate their music, because you could see their passion. And seeing that passion gave you a positive vibe. Seeing that passion and commitment struck a chord in you. You fall in love with its uniqueness. You fall in love with this genre of music. Once you witness a performance like what took place yesterday, you will never turn down a chance to make another visit. It is this awakening. You may have watched a hundred concerts but everyone is different because at every concert you become a little more aware of life and yourself. That too is the power of music of the “East Meet West” show.

All in all it was well put together. It showed a lot of hard work and desire. Because, if you don’t have the desire you cannot do anything. And I saw that desire in the performance last evening. They wanted to please us. They wanted to make us happy. They wanted to give us a fabulous time and for this we must salute them. Music becomes that Universal language.It was a fine evening where the musicians performed together in perfect harmony through the common language of music and their shared passion for music.

Marialena Fernandes, Professor of Chamber Music, University of Music & Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria, on the piano gave a sizzling and extraordinary performance that simply wowed the audience. We all know that “Music” is a universal connector of people. It breaks barriers of nationality, religion and economic status. With this mission in mind, Marialena Fernandes had once again organized this music tour to the country of her birth, India. Vienna is the City of Music because Music is one of Vienna’s legacies. Musical prodigies including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, Robert Stolz, and Arnold Schoenberg have worked there. From the “City of Music-Vienna” came Marialena Fernandes, joined by Amina, the flutist from Hungary, along with our local “Kudla Drum Jammers” to entertain music lovers of Mangaluru. The “East Meets West” show was compered by Ms Malini Hebbar, a professor at St Agnes College, Mangaluru.

About Marialena Fernandes- Austria:

Born in Mumbai, Marialena Fernandes has been since several years a recognized artist on the international scene. After acquiring her Licentiate Diploma of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM), Fernandes completed her education from the Mumbai University in Psychology. Prize-winner of the All India Beethoven Piano Competition, Fernandes was awarded a scholarship to the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where she received her Diploma in Piano and Chamber Music Performance with unanimous distinctions.

Her Professors were among others, Walter Panhofer, Bruno Seidlhofer, Tamas Vasary, Stanislav Neuhaus, Wilhelm Kempf. Solo, Chamber Music and Orchestra concerts in most European capitals followed, but also in USA, Australia, Africa and Asia. Annual TV and Radio broadcasts, CD recordings. From 1988-2006 she ; was Professor for Piano and Chamber Music at the Joseph Haydn Conservatory in Eisenstadt. Austria. Since 1991 Professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Workshops, Masterclasses around the globe, Jury member at International Competitions. Artistic Director and International Program Curator in Crossover projects, in which Fernandes incorporates classical, jazz and world music fusions with an emphasis on Improvisation. Intercultural exchange between Students, Teachers and Audiences.

Since 2007 Series Cycle „Uno, Due, Tre“ in the prestigious Musikverein in Vienna. Musical Dialog between educators, students as well as active audience participation. Fernandes has initiated several Projects with emphasis on Women Composers and Gender themes. In 2008 Marialena received the MIA Award from the Austrian Ministry for Woman with an international background in the field of Art and Culture. 2010 took the artist for a Sabbatical as scholar as well as faculty member to the USA at the University of Urbana Champaign in Illinois.

In 2012 she was invited to participate at M.I.T Boston University in a Symposium on „Reconstructing Beethoven as Improvisor“. In 2013, Fernandes attained the PhD degree from the University of Music and performing Arts Vienna with the Title „The Konkani Song – Roots-Development-Documentation“. Since 2015 Fernandes has initiated a project called „The Quest for Passion“ which takes place annually in India, in which she incorporates musicians from Europe and India in dialogue and interaction with each other; but also involving talented youth discussing diverse artistic themes.

About Amina Anna Vamosi- Hungary:

Amina Anna Vámosi is a 24 year-old Hungarian flautist who began her music education at the age of 7. Ever since, she has been part of several TV broadcasts and CD recordings as a choir member, later on discovering her passion for playing the flute. Since 2012, Amina has been studying flute at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, having earned her Bachelor degree with distinction. In this time, she has been mentored by renowned Professors such as Barbara Gisler-Haase, Walter Auer and Wally Hase.

During her career, she has won numerous awards in both national and international competitions, also having had the chance to perform as a soloist, chamber musician and an orchestra member all around the world. Amina has shared stage with the likes of Daniel Ottensamer, Rainer Küchl and Albena Danailova (members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra). Moreover, she has performed at the precious Ravello Festival, as well as at the world’s biggest concert halls including Sala São Paulo, Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall and the Oriental Art Center in Shanghai.

In her academic career she has been awarded several scholarships and has also been the recipient of the Werner Tripp Memorial Fund. Being an active participant in various masterclasses has also been among her activities, working together with Peter-Lukas Graf, Andras Adorjan, Sharon Bezaly, Vicens Prats, Philippe Bernold, Sophie Cherrier, Susan Milan, Francois Leleux and Gerhard Hildenbrand. Lately Amina has expanded her passion to also encompass the field of music management, where she has been the Orchestra Manager of the Vienna Youth Orchestra since 2016.

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