Did YOU visit the Paraguayan Harp Concert?

For that matter, do you know when Paraguay earned its independence? And from whom did they win their independence? Don’t worry; even ‘Know-All’ did not know this fact, till he visited the Paraguayan Harp concert which took place in Calcutta last week.

I am a great believer in destiny. Some people would consider it just a coincidence that when I visited ICCR auditorium to watch the dance recital of Rabindranath Tagore’s dance drama, Chitrangada, performed by a friend, I noticed the information standee of a performance of the Paraguayan Harp, by Ismael Ledesma to celebrate 200 years of independence of Paraguay from Spanish rule. Not me. Now, we Calcuttans are always bending over backwards to proclaim our inclination for all things cultural. But, I am not aware of any performance of the Paraguayan Harp, which has taken place in Calcutta before.

Extremely curious, next day I showed up at the designated hour at the ICCR.

Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America with its capital in Asuncion. Small in size, with a population of mere 6.5 million people, it has 2 official languages, Spanish and Guarani. Both languages are widely used. Interestingly, 95% of the population is Mestizo or mixed (European and Native American). This, thanks to the rule set by the first Paraguayan president, Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia in 1814, which forbade colonial citizens from marrying each other, and allowed them to only marry blacks, mullatoes or natives! Paraguay has recently experienced one of the fastest economic growths in the world.

The most popular instruments of Paraguayan music, Ledesma informed the audience, are the Paraguayan Harp and the Spanish Guitar.

The Paraguayan Harp is made from wood and usually has 38 strings. It has an exaggerated neck arch and is played with the fingernail.  But, the interesting fact revealed by Ledesma, was that the Paraguayan Harp traces its origin to India!

Paraguayan music needs to be classified into 2 parts.

Paraguayan Polka or Danza Paraguaya( Paraguayan Dance), a style of music developed in the 19^th century. It is different from European Polka, as the former combines both ternary and binary rhythms, which give it a peculiarity.

Guarania is a style of music created by the musician Jose Asuncion Flores in 1925, with the purpose of expressing the character of the Paraguayan people.this is accomplished by the slow and melancholic rhythms of the songs.

The Guarania enjoys great popularity in the urban areas whereas the people in the countryside prefer the faster paced style of the Polka or the combined genre of “Purahei Jahe’o”.

Ledesma started after a round of introductions from the Paraguayan ambassador to India, Genaro Pappalardo. The music was mellifluous and Ledesma had the audience spell-bound with his versatility. For those who have never heard the Harp played before, it is something of similar to the Indian Santoor or the Jal Tarang. But, the tunes played by Ledesma were a mix of tunes, of which some were Paraguayan folk based and some his own creations. But, the common factor in both was their ability to mesmerize the audience.

He was able to imitate sounds of nature, like the chirp of a bell-bird, which sounds like a bird or that of a waterfall, with equal aplomb! He even imitated the sound of a train and the various noises made by a bus.

Or, for instance the piece called “Happiness in January” which he composed during winter in Paris, which according to him gets very melancholic during that period.

Ledesma, besides being a Harpist par excellence, also showed his sense of humour, while interacting with the audience. “It feels like home here in Calcutta. The buses here are just like the ones we have back home in Asuncion. Also, most people here are of my height, so I don’t feel short!” The audience laughed out loud to show its approval.

After the hour long performance, the audience felt like chanting the Pepsi slogan, “Dil Maange More”.

The little man from Paraguay had won the crowd over, with his child-like smile, humorous quips and stunning performance.

The only disappointment of the evening…. The organizers were selling CDs of Ledesma’s music outside the auditorium. I rushed to the counter and asked the price. “Its only Rs.799 for a CD” I got the reply. Alas, I the great patron of credit cards had only Rs.600 cash in my wallet.

With no ATM in the vicinity, I sadly started walking towards the Maidan Metro Station, to take the next train home.


Footnote: Information about Paraguay and Its music is sources from www.wikipedia.org and the pamphlet provided at the concert.