The PAN M 360 team has a strong presence at the Festival international Nuits d’Afrique (FINA), with our contributors reporting daily on what they’ve seen and heard at the concerts presented in Montreal until July 23.
Lavanya Narasiah: Love and Light
Photo credit: André Rival
After seeing Lavanya Narasiah perform, you perhaps wouldn’t believe that she is a career medical practitioner. Indeed, she and her eclectic band performed with the grace and finesse of a seasoned group. But they are seasoned, having been playing together for many years, since Lavanya first conceived of this unique project almost ten years ago now. Their musical chemistry and their appreciation for this repertoire were evident, with smiles all around as they played.
From the moment Lavanya took to the stage at Club Balattou, as the band set up their instruments, she bonded with the audience, inviting them to light the ‘diyas’ at their table, wishing us love and light. It was in the warm amber glow of these candles that the music unfolded like a flower in bloom – the first set began with strums of kora as the duo of Subhir Dev on tablas and Daniel Bellegarde on percussion took us onboard a train that gently meandered along the hills of South India and West Africa. Narasiah herself was in fine form, her voice joyously gliding through the nuances of each composition, one could tell she savoured every minute on stage, and that her audience savoured every minute of being there.
Varun Swarup
Featured photo credits: Peter Graham
