‘India Jazz Up’ had an unusual trio presenting jazz in all its hues

Concert by Paolo Fresu, Rita Marcotulli and Trilok Gurtu at Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts.
| Photo Credit: Ferdinando Iannone

The Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts had an unusual trio of internationally known musicians performing at an Italian-Indo evening of contemporary jazz titled ‘India Jazz Up’ recently. It was hosted by the Italian Consulate in Bengaluru.

The music was elegant in its rendition and original in its composition. Conventionally speaking, contemporary jazz may not sit easy with the lay music lover, but the music by Paolo Fresu on the trumpet, Rita Marcotulli on the piano and Trilok Gurtu on a wide-ranging ensemble of unusual percussion instruments was unique.

Paolo Fresu , Rita Marcotulli Trilok Gurtu by Consulate General of Italy in Bengaluru – Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts – Foto Ferdinando Iannone©
| Photo Credit:
Ferdinando Iannone

Their jazz had tones of World music, with notes of Soul, Rock, even African beats, at times overtly Indian with Trilok on the tabla or other instruments. All of these were amalgamated into modern Jazz.

Paolo’s ‘O que tinha de ser’, might remind you of a lost love, with its tones of Blues and Soul (listen to him on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6diy4iNlQs) and yet its jazz is unmistakeable. Indeed, his ability on both the trumpet and the flugelhorn (he switches sometimes in the middle of a piece) was remarkable.

Paolo Fresu, Rita Marcotulli and Trilok Gurtu performing at the concert. hosted by the Italian Consulate at Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts in Bengaluru in 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Ferdinando Iannone

Infusing new styles

At one point, the drumming by Trilok with Rita Marcotulli’s and Paolo’s long repartees felt like listening to ‘shayaris’ that were longer than the usual Urdu couplets. Trilok sat on a Cajon, a stool-like percussion instrument, which a musician sits on and taps with his hands. For his composition ‘Water Song’, Trilok used, amongst a host of hybridised percussion items, an aluminium bucket with water into which he immersed what seemed, to me, like a steel frying pan being struck with a cymbal (Zildjian). Trilok’s percussion repertoire combines western drums, Indian tabla, African djembe and sometimes congas.

“All three musicians took just one day to practice and tune the instruments that were sourced by Prestige Srihari Centre ten days prior to the show,” said Manoj Singh, VP of the Centre.

Trilok’s percussion repertoire combines western drums, Indian tabla, African djembe and sometimes congas. He performed at the jazz festival organised by Consulate General of Italy in Bengaluru at Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts.
| Photo Credit:
Ferdinando Iannone

Trilok Gurtu is the son of thumri exponent Shobha Gurtu. Unable to find appreciation in his unconventional percussion beats, Trilok moved to Europe, collaborating with legendary artistes from the West such as John McLaughlin.

Rita fell in love with the piano when her mother introduced her to it at the age of five. She was drawn to jazz when she heard pianist Thelonius Monk. Rita has composed and performed with well-known jazz musicians such as Chet Baker and Richard Galliano.

Rita Marcotulli performing at the jazz festival hosted by the Italian Consulate in Bengaluru in 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Ferdinando Iannone

Both Rita Marcotulli and Paolo Fresu have known each other for long, but began to perform together recently. Professor of music and director of various international cultural institutions, Paolo, winner of several awards, has been playing the trumpet since the age of 11. He has performed worldwide with the most important names in Afro-American music for 30 years, and has made over 350 recordings in jazz, ethnic, contemporary and ancient music.

As the Italian Consul General in Bengaluru Alfonso Tagliaferri summed up, “Music is the easiest way to form cultural links”.