On his second trip to India, Italian jazz composer Enzo Favata opens the first performance of his latest collaboration of Carnatic and European jazz in Mumbai
Enzo Favata (on saxophone) and group at a performance of his tour, Crossing
Over four decades of travelling, composer and musician Enzo Favata has come a long way from his home island of Sardinia, Italy. “It is a lovely place, and I hope to be back for Easter. We always celebrate with friends, food, and of course, choral folk music,” the 67-year-old saxophonist shares. For now though, he arrives in the city for a concert that will premiere his latest collaboration titled Sonic Ties at the NCPA tomorrow.
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Fabio Giachino and Enzo Favata at the Bengaluru sessions
“I had first arrived in Mumbai two years ago. This time, you will hear India in Enzo’s music,” he says. The reason behind his assured confidence is a diligent exploration of the form of Indian music that has driven this collaboration presented by The Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai and an Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai. Since breaking through in 1983, Favata has often found his way to Indian music, by choice or curiosity. Having performed alongside the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in a concert in Italy in 1991, the style was not an unfamiliar one. “I was a very young musician then. He had come to Italy in the 1990s for a music festival. We spent two or three days together. He really was a legend, no?” he asks in a sentence that flows with Italian staccato.
Yet, over the years Favata’s journey has shaped itself. “I explore sounds, but do not experiment with them,” he explains. The current exploration began during his last trip in 2023. “I was familiar with the code of Indian music. I often listen to it, having performed with musicians. My old friend Jan Garbarek and I would often sit and talk about Indian rhythms. The only concern is that traditional musicians, across the world, do not often waver from their structure or style,” he shares.
Singer Bindhumalini at a session. Pics Courtesy/Akila Venkat Instagram
This is where finding musicians like Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy and Varijashree Venugopal comes in handy. Having collaborated with the duo in 2023, Favata invited Bindhumalini to Italy for the folk festival he was curating. “I started with Carnatic music, but also studied Hindustani and folk music over the years. My interest is as diverse as the group that has come together,” shares Bindhumalini. The National Award-winner and composer of Tamil film, Aruvi (2016), was drawn to the idea of not being bound by the practice. “It was not the music, but rather the personality that drew us together. I realised that it is a diverse group put together, and all I had to do was to listen and respond,” she says.
In addition to the duo, the quartet also features composer Fabio Giachino on the keyboard and Pramath Kiran on percussion. While finding common ground is easy, translating it to a musical medium can be challenging. Favata admits, “Before you perform in music, you need to know. It is impossible to compose poetry if you do not know the tools of the language. Although I have never played this [Carnatic] music before, when I play it I can hear all forms within it.” The key is finding the melodic balance. “Once you have the key in music, you can open many doors,” he laughs.
Favata in performance
The quartet has been spending the last 20 days in Bengaluru, working on the compositions — the longest I’ve stayed in one city, shares Favata. After Mumbai, they will return to Bengaluru. “We are already conducting studio recordings, and the songs might be transformed into an album,” shares Bindhumalini. In that sense, Mumbaikars will have the first hearing of this new creation.
ON March 27; 7 pm
AT Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
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