The Manganiyar Classroom is coming to WOMADelaide in March and we interviewed the director recently.
Some background about the performance:
The Manganiyar Classroom (India) a 35 boy choir aged 8 – 16.
- Features a theatrically inspired staging where 35 boys aged 8-16, all inheritors of threatened musical traditions – battle hilariously with the rigid conformity demanded of the classroom but where a joyous and exuberant musical celebration triumphs.
- With sublime voices matched by their onstage attitude, the children of The Manganiyar Classroom rebel against their teacher, spontaneously creating beautiful music before your eyes. The result is a joyous theatrical experience that will captivate and delight – but it’s also a stirring protest against the prevailing education system in India.
- The Manganiyar are the Muslim communities in Sindh, Pakistan and in the desert of Rajasthan, India: famous for their classical folk music and are the groups of hereditary professional musicians, whose music has been supported by wealthy landlords and aristocrats for generations.
- The Manganiyar kids stun you with their talent – each of them a repository of song, dance and rhythm. However, at the end of the performance, there is a painful recognition of how they are doomed to be carriers of a tradition, forgotten to be included in the programs of ‘progress’.
- With The Manganiyar Classroom, Roysten is on a mission to raise money and awareness to create a unique, state of the art and alternate educational institution for the children of poor artists.
- “Over the last two years during my interactions with the bright kids I encountered 7 years ago I experience something very shocking. These bright kids had lost all the spark they had and a veil of glumness had descended over their faces. I realized what the education system in the villages was doing to these first generation school goers. It was time for the Manganiyar Classroom. Thank you Gayathri and Bhoomija for co-producing this.” – Roysten Abel
- This he hopes would enable them to have a range of choices from being a world class musician to a nuclear physicist if they wish to. He is already in touch with leading educationists in India to realise this dream and make it a reality.
In my interview with Roysten Abel who is the director, he highlighted that this would be the first time that they would all be doing the show outside of India. Therefore the children are very excited and look forward to taking in the sights of Adelaide including the Adelaide Zoo.
Lots of kids auditioned for this production. The director looks for all different type of personalities and loves seeing all the different personalities come out to play. He likes a schooling where he lets the children really be themselves so their natural personality does come out.
Roysten hasn’t had a chance to look at the WOMADelaide program but is excited to see other acts playing while at the festival.
Having heard the passion in Roysten’s voice about this production and seeing video footage, we think this is one thing not to be missed if you are heading to WOMADelaide. Its definitely on our to see list.
Here is an extract of their performance: https://www.
No Comments