Featuring legendary singer Bireshwar Gautam as the androgynous courtesan Surayia, who performs at the borders of time, tradition and gender definition. The production is inspired by a Marathi novella, translated and directed by Sangeeta Dutta, and features superb live musicians and a short film exploring the history of the courtesan tradition in India.
The other musicians are Fazal Qureshi – tabla and kanjira; Taufiq Qureshi – percussion; Niladri Kumar – sitar; Abbos Kosimov – doyra; Ram Kishan – nagada; Dilshad Khan – sarangi; and Vijay Chauhan – folk drums. Part of EAST ‘08 – a world-class celebration of contemporary Asian culture in NewcastleGateshead.
Black & White is a soul-stirring musical trip down memory lane. This ageless music takes us through that nostalgic time, which we have left behind, and wish to relive. The performance is reminiscent of a stage musical where the singers act their characters.