ID :
46112
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 18:20
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/46112
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Herbie Hancock, Zakir Hussain relive Dr King`s dream
New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI) Jazz legend Herbie Hancock
weaved his magic at "The Living Dream " concert here to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first visit of American
civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr to India.
As vocalists Chaka Khan and Dee Dee Bridgewater's
powerful voices reverberated with "We shall Overcome," the
high point of the evening was a jugalbandi by recent
Grammy-winner Ustad Zakir Hussain on the tabla while Hancock
and multi-Grammy winner George Duke glided over the piano here
late Monday evening.
Martin Luther King III, the son of Martin Luther King
Jr, who was present on the occasion said, "Music brings people
together. In our tradition, the freedom tradition, if Mahatma
Gandhi and Martin Luther King Junior were with us today they
might not have told us that we shall overcome but may be in
some degrees we have overcome."
"My father used to tell me that while he visits other
countries as a tourist, when it comes to India, he visits the
land as a pilgrimage. We share the tradition of freedom," he
said.
Hancock is part of the official US delegation led by
Martin Luther King III, which is retracing the steps of his
parents - Martin Luther King, Jr and his wife Coretta Scott
King in India, the land of the Mahatma Gandhi.
The jazz pianist, who is visiting India for the third
time, said "It is a great pleasure to be in India again after
2006. And more so when we are celebrating the meeting of two
great visionaries whose vision resulted in the first black
President to America."
George Duke and Zakir Hussain got a resounding
applause for the "Brazilian Love Affair" and Rythym and Blues
Singer Chaka Khan, who has won the Grammy 10 times performed a
special composition, "A night in New Delhi."
While the concert was inaugurated with Dr King's
famous "I have a Dream" speech playing in the background it
concluded with an attempt at a jazz version of "Raghupati
Raghav" which went offkey and had Zakir Hussain singing along
to help the musicians hit the right note for the 'bhajan,'
which was considered to be the Mahatma's favourite.
Grammy winner jazz vocalist and UN Goodwill Ambassador
Bridgewater dedicated the "Amazing Grace," a gospel number
that she said "spanned many decades" to the "memory of Martin
Luther King, Jr and Gandhi," a celebration of two of the most
important men in the 20th century who were responsible for
changing the cultures.
The select audience comprised among others Pandit Ravi
Shankar whose Institute of the Performing Arts students would
exchange lessons with musicians from the Thelonious Monk
Institute of Jazz, one of the co-organisers of the concert.
The concert featuring Hancock and others pre
sented by the ICCR would also perform in Chennai. PTI
weaved his magic at "The Living Dream " concert here to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first visit of American
civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr to India.
As vocalists Chaka Khan and Dee Dee Bridgewater's
powerful voices reverberated with "We shall Overcome," the
high point of the evening was a jugalbandi by recent
Grammy-winner Ustad Zakir Hussain on the tabla while Hancock
and multi-Grammy winner George Duke glided over the piano here
late Monday evening.
Martin Luther King III, the son of Martin Luther King
Jr, who was present on the occasion said, "Music brings people
together. In our tradition, the freedom tradition, if Mahatma
Gandhi and Martin Luther King Junior were with us today they
might not have told us that we shall overcome but may be in
some degrees we have overcome."
"My father used to tell me that while he visits other
countries as a tourist, when it comes to India, he visits the
land as a pilgrimage. We share the tradition of freedom," he
said.
Hancock is part of the official US delegation led by
Martin Luther King III, which is retracing the steps of his
parents - Martin Luther King, Jr and his wife Coretta Scott
King in India, the land of the Mahatma Gandhi.
The jazz pianist, who is visiting India for the third
time, said "It is a great pleasure to be in India again after
2006. And more so when we are celebrating the meeting of two
great visionaries whose vision resulted in the first black
President to America."
George Duke and Zakir Hussain got a resounding
applause for the "Brazilian Love Affair" and Rythym and Blues
Singer Chaka Khan, who has won the Grammy 10 times performed a
special composition, "A night in New Delhi."
While the concert was inaugurated with Dr King's
famous "I have a Dream" speech playing in the background it
concluded with an attempt at a jazz version of "Raghupati
Raghav" which went offkey and had Zakir Hussain singing along
to help the musicians hit the right note for the 'bhajan,'
which was considered to be the Mahatma's favourite.
Grammy winner jazz vocalist and UN Goodwill Ambassador
Bridgewater dedicated the "Amazing Grace," a gospel number
that she said "spanned many decades" to the "memory of Martin
Luther King, Jr and Gandhi," a celebration of two of the most
important men in the 20th century who were responsible for
changing the cultures.
The select audience comprised among others Pandit Ravi
Shankar whose Institute of the Performing Arts students would
exchange lessons with musicians from the Thelonious Monk
Institute of Jazz, one of the co-organisers of the concert.
The concert featuring Hancock and others pre
sented by the ICCR would also perform in Chennai. PTI
