Root Sounds

Root sounds

THE UNIQUE LAYA PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER ARTISTES FROM COASTAL BELTS OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA TO HELP TSUNAMI VICTIMS.

A unique project that followed the path of the devastating December 26, 2004 tsunami along coastal and surrounding villages in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Myanmar and Maldives, the Laya Project brings together music from all these regions. It’s music of and by the people of these coastal communities. Envisioned by the Chennai-based world music label/film production house EarthSync, the Laya Project is dedicated to the tsunami survivors. t2 speaks to Yotam Agam, CTO, EarthSync. How was this huge project conceived? What was the prime impetus? The Laya Project was conceived right after the 2004 tsunami. The prime objective of this project was to explore the music and beauty of these communities. The Laya Project is a personal and collective musical tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, a celebration of the spirit of sound. What does the music on this twin-CD collection reflect? The production creates a composition that mixes and enhances the original recordings and embarks on an inspirational visual and musical journey crossing borders, while preserving the music of the people. It essentially reflects roots music — folk, tribal and native forms of music. How is this project going to help the tsunami survivors? We have tried to address the cultural aspect of these communities. Laya Project provides a platform for music forms and musicians of these communities. Finance is a necessity, but these cultures need to be nurtured as well. Capturing the flavour of the people and region was an important part of this recording. How did you go about it? The international EarthSync team travelled for two years through the folk communities in the tsunami-affected regions. The musicians are the people of coastal and surrounding communities, recorded on-location. The recordings were then mastered and enhanced at our in-house studio. The entire production took two-and-a-half years to complete. Was it difficult keeping the non-mainstream approach steady all through the production? We took a conscious decision not to use popular artistes for publicity. Most of our artistes are common fishermen from coastal areas affected by the tsunami, where music is a part of life. Who were the Indian artistes you featured? Sufi singers from south India, tribal percussionists like the Tappatam and Tudumbattam groups from Tamil Nadu and a few Carnatic classical musicians. What has been the reaction from listeners? We have had a very good response; people really enjoy the experience and the blend of folk, classical, electronica and high-energy percussion. Are there any plans to showcase this music live? Yes, in fact, we have a live show which has flowed out of the Laya Project. We call it Laya Project Live, which features over 20 artistes on stage. The team has travelled and performed in over five shows both nationally and internationally. We also have an annual world music festival in Chennai that stages both national and international folk artistes.  ARKA DAS   As appeared in t2, The Telegraph, July 2008