Ten-second takeaway
Get set to be awestruck by Iranian guitarist Maneli Jamal who is a one man show, but you’ll think he’s got back-up. Set destination to Windmills Craftworks this weekend.
Strike a chord
He’s lived in Iran, Belarus, Germany, USA and Canada, and has won hearts and awards wherever he has played. So naturally, we’d like to make a big fuss when Maneli Jamal is headed to Bangalore. Known to be a nomadic explorer, he weaves his experiences into his music, giving it an edge in terms of concept. Describing his unique sound as 'instrumental solo acoustic guitar using extended guitar techniques', Maneli says he's actually spent the last 10 years trying to fuse the musical styles of all the places he's visited into a progressive way of thinking about music. And if you just close your eyes, you’re likely to think that there’s more than one performer on stage. Layers and texture make up his tunes, and if you’re like us, then you’ll be a bit baffled at first because you’ll genuinely be wondering where the music is coming from. But once you get used to his visual style of playing, just let go and enjoy.
String attached
Tripping on his music all this month, we’re hoping he’ll play Six in Harmony which literally is six tunes in one. Another favourite is Nine Year Residence, as is his latest one, called Awakening. That one has still got us scratching our heads as to where some of those notes came from! If you don’t believe us, check out his Facebook videos here. Then don’t blame us if you can’t stop listening to all his songs on loop!
So, we’re thinking…
This guy is a real treat and his talent has to be watched in order to be appreciated. We’re huge fans and suggest you get to his shows too.
Where: Windmills Craftworks, 331, Road 5B, EPIP Zone, Whitefield
When: February 26 and 27, 9.30pm
Contact: +91 8880233322
Price: INR 500 (for standing) and INR 1,000 (for seating). Tickets are available here.
Find him on Facebook here.
Check out his website here.
Featured image via: Peter Graham
