Monte Music Festival

Music is heaven's official language,
It fills the body with peace, the mind with creativity,
The heart with love, the soul with complete union.
Music is the vehicle wherein humankind journeys
As one family of brothers and sisters without
divisions and barriers.

-Anon

Even before the first strains of the sitar began to sound, before the bow caressed the violin strings and voices broke out in symphony, I knew the Monte Music Festival would be unlike anything I had shot before. Bringing together two cultures in a common art form – classical music, set in a locale unlike any other – an ancient chapel, its courtyard overlooking the grandeur of nature and an old rugged amphitheatre, the festival was simply extraordinary.  .

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As a reportage photographer, I endeavour to bring out the essence of what I shoot. But how does one go about shooting music? How do I capture the mellow sound of a violin or the sweet strains from the strings of a santoor? For this, I realized I had to get to the very soul of the performers and yet be true to the essence on the performances. This is a fine balance for any photographer and indeed, was a challenge to a novice like me. The challenge was to capture the emotion of the artistes, the grace, the grit and the passion the as they made their music.

Following are a selection of images that seek to capture this emotion by playing along with the dynamism of the music that flooded the heritage venue.

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