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Musical explores tradition of Indian courtesan dancers
17/ 6/2008
A NEW production about the music and life of the courtesan tradition in India with its underlying sex and cross gender culture is coming to The Lowry next month.
The secrets behind the closed door of an old Indian house comes out in The Dying Song, which is also touring London, Gateshead, Cornwall, Brighton, QEH, London before coming to Manchester.
The Dying Song is about the almost extinct art of Baithak Thumri and follows the story of dancer Suraiya, conjuring up the mood and mystery of the lost world of the old Indian haveli and palaces in which the courtesans performed.
Featuring legendary singer Bireshwar Gautam as androgynous courtesan Surayia, the production was inspired by a Marathi novella, translated and directed by Sangeeta Dutta, and features live musicians and a short film exploring the history of the courtesan tradition in India called 'Tawaif.'
The Dying Song will play at The Lowry on 27 July. For more information call 0870 787 5780.
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THUMRI is a romantic vocal genre that lies between Indian classical music, theatre and folk traditions. It dates back across centuries and is said to have evolved through various strands including probably the Vaishnav movement of Krishna worship, story telling and dance, temple music and finally the royal courts and havelis of the landed gentry from Mughal times to the fall of Lucknow and beyond in the 19th century. This vocal style became the preserve of the Tawaif or courtesan. Thumri, with its themes of love, separation, reconciliation and devotion, is the feminine style compared with the masculine khyal and dhrupad.
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