The sound of ‘Ubuntu’: African rhythms and Indian traditions unite at Ruhaniyat festival in Pune

Maswana says that Ubuntu is astatine the bosom of African culture. “Despite our divers backgrounds and traditions, Ubuntu unites us. For Volley and me, who travel from antithetic places and taste groups, euphony and Ubuntu person go the threads that weave america together. That’s 1 communal worth we besides noted successful India,” helium says.

Nchabeleng adds that theirs is simply a collaborative show that merges the sounds from the Northern state of South Africa and the Western Cape province. “Dumza is known arsenic an Afro Jazz artist, and I americium a percussionist and specializer successful African indigenous instruments. Together, we promote unity and peace,” says Nchabeleng.

Ruhaniyat, organised by Banyan Tree Events of Mumbai, is simply a euphony festival that draws from the treasure trove of works of saints, mystics and spiritual traditions worldwide. Most of these number arsenic “intangible taste heritage” that person been passed orally done generations and implicit millenniums. The line-up astatine this year’s Ruhaniyat successful Pune includes Sivasri Skandaprasad, a versatile property whose achievements see proficiency successful Carnatic euphony and Bharatanatyam.

In January 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted connected X that a rendition by Sivasri “beautifully highlights the tone of devotion to Prabhu Shri Ram. Such efforts spell a agelong mode successful preserving our affluent taste heritage”.

Another renowned creator astatine Ruhaniyat is Mir Mukhtiyar Ali, a people and Sufi vocalist from the semi-nomadic Mirasi assemblage of Rajasthan. Singer Nandesh Umap invokes the feminine unit done his performance, portion the Nizami brothers bring their quintessential qawwali to Pune.

The African troupe has been listening to immoderate of this euphony connected their travels successful the country. Maswana and Nchabeleng person been visiting India for the past fewer years.

“The acquisition is ever the aforesaid – warm, welcoming and friendly. It volition beryllium my archetypal show successful Pune, though,” helium says.

Musician Volley Nchabeleng.

Nchabeleng grew up successful a philharmonic household truthful it is not casual to archer erstwhile helium started playing. In 2000, helium decided to go a nonrecreational musician. “The colonialism and oppression that South Africa experienced, has affected the worth of our indigenous philharmonic instruments and euphony successful general. I effort my champion to beryllium an ambassador of African instruments,” helium says.

Maswana, too, started performing astatine a precise young age, astatine his grandmother’s hut. “She taught maine to sing, creation and archer stories, and the value of it all. I ne'er studied euphony formally, but learning from elders and artists who loved and respected the trade is simply a blessing,” helium says.

“I’m thrilled to beryllium performing successful India, arsenic it presents a fantastic accidental to collaborate with section artists. This aligns perfectly with the tone of the Ruhaniyat festival, which celebrates originative speech and collaboration. For each show, we stock ideas and make thing peculiar and memorable for the audience,” says Maswana.