WIN TICKETS! See Pratibha Singh Baghel in a world-premiere music session

Returning to staging its East-West musical collaborations, Inner Circle Entertainment (ICE) has announced two new creations, Symphony of Love and The Inner Circle Sessions.

The musicals take place in Cape Town on January 27 and in Johannesburg on January 29.

Both concerts feature actress Pratibha Singh Baghel, one of India’s most versatile and popular singers.

Symphony of Love, to be staged at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town, features Baghel live in concert with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) and backed by a 10-member international band featuring some of India’s leading musicians.

This world premiere event marks Baghel’s first visit to South Africa and is a confluence of the rich musical traditions of India and Western classical music.

The concert will present audiences with a collection of popular old film classics, current Bollywood hits, and ghazals (lyric poems). The music will be directed by Indian flautist, Ashwin Srinivasan, and the CPO conducted by Brandon Phillips.

Blessed with the ability to sing a range of genres, including hits of the greats such as Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Jagjit Singh, Mehdi Hassan, and Ghulam Ali, Baghel will appeal to all ages and anyone who appreciates uplifting music.

“The Cape Town Philharmonic is ‘the orchestra for all’, and we pride ourselves that we are pioneers in adapting to different genres, crossing over effortlessly to accommodate all cultures, and broadening our musical horizons.

This is not our first venture into Indian music, and we look forward to adding the music of a superstar like Pratibha Singh Baghel to our oeuvre,” said Louis Heyneman, the CEO of the CPO.

Dr Marlene le Roux, the CEO of Artscape Theatre Centre, remarked on the upcoming performance, “Artscape has the pleasure of hosting Inner Circle Entertainment again – it stretches our boundaries and immensely expands the experience of our audiences.

“Inner Circle Entertainment is bringing another wonderful artist from India. We are excited to host them and be introduced to the quality of productions that are synonymous with Inner Circle Entertainment.“

“Artscape is home to everyone, and we are again humbled and appreciative of the efforts made by Nisaar Pangarker and his team to host this production with us.

“We look forward to this experience and are excited at the prospect of embracing cultural collaborations.”

Up close and personal

In another creation, Baghel and her musicians will wing their way to Johannesburg’s Lyric Theatre for a special once-off performance on January 29.

Unplugged and acoustic, this intimate experience will bring fans closer to the star, as her spellbinding vocals embrace and offer them an escape from the rigours of daily life.

Pangarker, whose creative vision is expressed in these productions, said: “From the moment I saw Pratibha perform, I was mesmerised and knew that one day I would bring her to South Africa so she can share her talent with appreciative audiences here.

“Being such a multi-talented and entertaining performer, her skills deserve to be showcased to the fullest, so we decided to craft two shows.

“Both performances, however, demonstrate how the universal language of music can truly connect us to our higher selves and each other.

“It is an absolute pleasure to produce these shows, which I look forward to sharing with South African audiences, those who are already fans of what we do, and those looking to explore new experiences. I am confident that this will be the finest presentation of this genre of music that local audiences will experience. They will not be disappointed.”

The musicians accompanying Baghel on this musical journey are themselves musical legends and international stars.

The band comprises Akhlak Hussain (harmonium), Arshad Khan (esraj, an Indian stringed instrument), Ashwin Srinivasan (bamboo flute), Darshan Doshi (drums), Manoj Kumar (dholak, a two-headed hand drum), Ojas Adhiya (tabla, two small drums of different sizes and shapes), Sangeet Haldipur (piano), Sanjoy Das (guitar) and Sheldon D’Silva (bass).

South African multi-percussionist, John Hassan, will join the band only for the Cape Town performance.
Symphony of Love and The Inner Circle Sessions are conceptualised, produced, and presented by ICE, which has a successful track record of presenting musical giants such as Zakir Hussain, Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Jagjit Singh, Maher Zain, and many more in South Africa.

ICE is a pioneer in East-West musical collaborations and has produced many world-first productions featuring collaborations between Indian and Middle Eastern music, jazz, and Western orchestral music.

Event details:
• Symphony of Love, January 27, Artscape Opera House, Cape Town at 20:30.
• The Inner Circle Sessions, January 29, the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City, 17:00.

Book at www.ticketmaster.co.za. For more info, see their Facebook page – InnerCircleEntertainment – or Twitter – @InnerCircleLive.

COMPETITION – ENTER NOW! 

Two readers have the chance to win double tickets to the Johannesburg show on January 29.

• To enter, send the answer to the question below to benonicitytimes@caxton.co.za by January 20 at 11:00.
• Include your full name and a contact number.
• The winners will be selected in a lucky draw and notified by email.
• Winners will be put in touch with the production’s PR agency to organise the collection of the tickets.

Question: Where is The Inner Circle Sessions taking place in Johannesburg?