Introducing a novel genre of music

The Alliance Francaise, Karachi, was host to a performance by a trio from France on Wednesday evening which presented a totally new genre of music. It was totally revolutionary; too slow and melancholy for jazz and devoid of the often erratic beats that mark today’s pop music.

It could well be considered an attempt to globalise music and free it of the trappings of race, nation or any ethnic group; a noble intention well in line with today’s worldly dynamics. The vocal numbers showed clear influences of music from South Asia including Tibetan music, the Middle East, and other parts of the globe not Caucasian in origin.

This certainly highlighted the talent and the individual prowess of the trio’s members. All the three artistes showed deft handling of their instruments. Matteo Pastorino was absolutely adept with his performance on the clarinet.

Julien Lahaye gave a good account of his expertise on the percussion instruments. He was an adept drummer. He handled the assortment of drums most deftly, which were unique, indeed. One of the drums looked more like a flower pot than a percussion instrument.

The vocalist /guitarist, Simon Degremont had a deep, resonating, melodious voice, reflective of feeling and emotion. The talent and expertise of the artistes accentuated the impact of the performance.

Perhaps, the Alliance Francaise will have to sponsor more such groups another few times for more music lovers in the city to have the chance to get acquainted with this latest genre of music.