Notes on a Musical exchange

India by the Bay (IBB) is back in its fully live avatar. Kicking off on Oct 7, the eighth edition of the annual weeklong celebration of Indian art and culture in Hong Kong is offering a smorgasbord of book talks, musical theater, and culinary and wellness experiences to choose from.

Among the festival highlights is a music event epitomizing the spirit of cultural exchange that the IBB showcase is premised on. On Oct 11, as the curtains go up at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center's (ASHK) Jockey Club Hall, audiences will be treated to a rare fusion of music traditions from Europe, South Asia and East Asia. The Musical Bridge brings together sitar player Shubhendra Rao from India, Dutch-born, India-resident cellist Saskia Rao-de Haas, Hong Kong pipa virtuoso Belle Shiu Pui-yee, and Hong Kong-born, London-resident guitarist Tjoe Man Cheung. The ensemble also includes Indian tabla player Debjit Patitundi.

The concert comprises four sections - a sitar-Indian-cello duet with tabla accompaniment, a sitar-pipa duet composed by Rao, an Indian cello and guitar duet composed by Rao-de Haas, and a thrilling finale in which all the musicians perform together.

Rao and Rao de-Haas, who are partners in both their professional and personal lives, say they have always consciously used their music as a way of "uniting people". "Music is the only universal language that every living being on this planet can relate to," they add. "We do hope to bring a similar message of peace and unity to our Hong Kong concert."

Shiu, who is with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, says she is eagerly looking forward to the concert. "This is my first time playing Indian music on stage and collaborating with a sitar player," she exclaims.

Cheung sounds equally thrilled. "It is an exciting project and I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome of different instruments played by musicians from different backgrounds," he says.

Cheung has played with Rao during the pandemic. Recorded pieces by the two musicians were streamed simultaneously to bring about a fusion. The upcoming Hong Kong concert will be their first time performing live together. "I hope we can have a great performance," Cheung says. "I look forward to sharing music with Hong Kong audiences again."

Shiu hopes that The Musical Bridge will introduce audiences to some interesting new sounds created as a result of the fusion of musical elements taken from different cultures. "I hope to find out more about the possibilities of cross-fertilization of Indian and Chinese music," she says.

Watching how musicians respond to each other as they perform ought to be a major attraction of a show that's essentially a test of how diverse cultures can resonate with each other. It's possible to get the true measure of such musical vibes only at live concerts. As ASHK executive director SAlice Mong says, "Although we have continued the festival in a creative and innovative online format these past three years, nothing beats an in-person celebration."