The Soulful Mix of Flamenco, Folk, and Gypsy Magic by Kunal Om

It was an evening of spirited singing, dancing, lively percussion and an overall well-assembled show. It was performed to a full house at the Studio at the NMACC complex, Mumbai.

The dance styles of Flamenco and Kalbelia are rarely witnessed in Mumbai. Throw in yet another style, the Kathak and it is an exotic threesome. Add Flamenco guitar, percussion, a Sufi singer and a large group of Rajasthani folk singers and musicians to this and you have a heady mix of artistic riches.

Yet, with all these diverse art forms converging in one show, it was not a fusion concert. It was more like a well-cooked gourmet dish where each ingredient added to its overall taste. At the end, we felt well-fed with this esoteric fare.

“Fusion” is a much-maligned term used in contemporary art forms.

The intent is to signify the use of two genres of music or dance in one performance. The word fusion actually means the coming together of two metals in a molten state at a very high temperature to create a third metal with enhanced – but unique properties.

In the arts, Fusion is quite often just a juxtaposition of two different cultural art inputs which are superficial at best, in combination. They are as often as not held together by a common percussion sound. But here, we had a concert representing two components of music and dance which have a deep-rooted history of common origin; the Flamenco from Spain and the folk music of Rajasthan.

This was ostensibly a “fusion” concert but, in reality, was a perfect coming together of two related music and dance streams. Their blend was a very good example of how two diverse art forms complemented each other to create a magnificent experience for the audience. 

The Spanish dance and music form of the Flamenco owes its origins to the music and dance of wandering gypsies from Rajasthan. It is a historically established fact that around four centuries ago, gypsies from Rajasthan travelled to Central Europe, and along with other gypsies, mainly from Romania, travelled to the region of Andalusia in Southern Spain. In a cultural interchange in that region, the Flamenco was born from Rajasthani song and dance. The gypsy community also worked as blacksmiths and the constant hammering on the anvil created the beat for the Flamenco- now depicted by use of castanets and the overt clicking of heels. Flamenco actually means from the flame’, much as in metallurgical ‘fusion’!

The evening began with Kunal Om dancing some traditional flamenco steps, the Bulerias and the Cana, and the Soleas por Bulerias, a slower form of the Bulerias. This was blended with some traditional, almost 100-year-old songs from Rajasthan, sung with the known flair and exuberance of the desert people. This combination seemed natural, like the coming together of long-lost siblings in a Bollywood film!

A stunning flamenco guitar solo from Neil Mukherjee followed next. It was called the Grainia, a style from the Granada region of Spain. 

The core of the Flamenco and the Rajasthani blend was then performed. Traditionally sung songs – a hundred years old, Morni Bagha Maa and Aaoji Mhare Desh were sung with pure gypsy flamenco campfire singing, dance and hand clapping with gusto. It all came together quite naturally.

Kunal Om has also worked in the past with a Kathak dancer and is no stranger to this dynamic pairing. Using his Flamenco dance skills, Om perfectly offset the rhythm and grace of Nidhi Prabhu’s Kathak moves. This collaboration was notable for the brilliance of its choreography.

The blending of the rhythmic sounds from dancer Nidhi Prabhu’s 

ghungroo with the clicking of Om’s Flamenco wooden heels, was the background around which the dance moves were designed. It was evident that a great deal of work had gone into perfecting this duet. It came off as a natural, seamless blend of these two different dance and art forms. The masculine flamenco and the feminine Kathak were one Yin to the other Yang. 

The dancing of the Kalbelia by Asha Sapera in her colorful flowing attire with mirror embroidery added to the prevailing synergy. She was very supple and graceful in representing this traditional Rajasthani dance form. The accompanying voices and sarangi by the langas added to the performance. The finale brought together all the performers where Om invited the very willing audience to join in on the chorus.

For the audience there was a clear view of the stage and, combined with the superb acoustics of the theatre, it enhanced the enjoyment of a perfectly put-together event from Om and his brilliant troupe. We need more shows displaying such skill and creativity.