Sumitra
Guha's train
of performances, that are as much 'experiences'
as they are an attempt to propagate Hindustani
Classical Music, has led her all over
the Indian subcontinent and abroad that spans
Europe, North America, South-East Asia and
West Asia. Her first performance abroad was
in the Indian embassy in Kathmandu in 1990
which were followed by tours to Europe, North
America, South-East Asia & West Asia
to spread the music that she so loves.
For
the unlettered listener, especially abroad,
more than an initiation into a particular
form of music, Sumitra's performances are
an initiation into a realm of security. After
a performance at "La Touché" in
Paris in 1997; the French press claimed that
her voice fascinated the audience and described
her message as, "One that does not recognize
any linguistic boundaries, and which can
occasionally cause miracles."
During
her tours of Germany, it was claimed that
following her performance in Berlin on April
30 1994, there was a considerable drop in
the extend of riots that customarily attend
May Day in the area. Little wonder then that
Sumitra is convinced that music is an expression
of the spiritual aspirations of humanity.
This springwell of her inspiration is her
piety but for those not cognisent of this,
just her involvement in her music is compelling.
An example of the power of her music is the
fact that Zurich, in 1994 April, the hall
was so crowded that some members of the audience
had to sit on the stage. And in Zagreb, in
1994, her concert was attended by a record
1200 people, who gave her standing ovations
after the show.
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