With a showman’s flair, director Roysten Abel has transformed a traditional Indian music concert into a dazzling theatrical event, placing 43 Rajasthani musicians in a whimsical ‘magic box’ structure.

Inspired by the windows of Amsterdam’s red light district, the individual curtained compartments are framed by carnival lights, opening one by one to reveal a solo musician, then another and another. The build-up of instruments and voices unfolds into a lush spectacle of melody, rhythm and song.

The Manganiyars are a caste of musicians from the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. Their repertoire ranges from ballads about kings to Sufi songs written by mystics and songs marking occasions such as birth, marriage, rains and feasts. This ensemble spans three generations of musicians whose exuberance and joy are a celebration of life itself.

Performances will be taking place at  8.30pm and 9.45pm.

The Manganiyar Seduction is also playing at the Seymour Centre. For more information, click here.
To view the Festival First Night 2010 Minisite, click here.

Photo: Wolgang Krichner