India meets the west on Jasdeep’s Anomaly tour
Having spent much of 2022 breaking new ground as composer, co-music director and soloist on Opera North and South Asian Artsuk’s acclaimed opera Orpheus, sitarist Jasdeep Singh Degun returns to the concert platform for a live performance of his celebrated debut album at Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton on Saturday, May 20.
Written and recorded under the mentorship of Nitin Sawhney and released by Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, Anomaly’s 12 tracks range from shimmering sitar solos to lush, string-laden cinematic excursions. The album places the sitar – the Indian stringed instrument dating from the Mughal Empire – in innovative and thrillingly contemporary settings.
Yet its roots remain in ancient raags, the melodic frameworks used in the improvised performance of Indian classical music, and in Jasdeep’s lifelong training in gayaki ang, a lyrical, expressive style of playing that mimics the human voice.
Like Orpheus, which brought baroque opera together with South Asian classical music, Anomaly is built on the Leeds-born virtuoso’s unique command of both Western and Indian classical traditions.
The formidable eight-piece band assembled for the date in Turner Sims’ intimate auditorium includes string, piano and guitar players from classical, contemporary and jazz backgrounds, and Kaviraj Singh (santoor) and Kirpal Panesar (esraj) from the Orpheus ensemble among performers from the Indian
tradition.
‘For me it’s really not a matter of different worlds meeting’, Jasdeep says. ‘It’s just me: as much as I’m steeped in Indian classical music, I’m a product of this country; I’m a British composer’.
The past year has seen his artistry rewarded with waves of acclaim for Anomaly and Orpheus, which packed theatres across the north and topped several critics’ end-of-year lists.
There was also an unexpected viral TikTok hit in the shape of Aapki Khushi, a highlight of the opera performed by the British Tamil singer Ashnaa Sasikaran.
Jasdeep is passionate about bringing younger artists like Ashnaa up with him, and improving the infrastructure for traditional Asian music in Britain.
‘Anomaly was my way of shining a light on Indian classical musicians in this country, and Orpheus has continued that.’
And his ‘Anomaly Associates’ initiative, which began as a WhatsApp group during lockdown, has evolved into a talent development scheme and a forum for mutual aid for his fellow musicians.
A consummate artist in a solo tradition, he is clearly also a committed and generous collaborator, an anomaly indeed.
He is looking forward to spending more time with his band as they perform Anomaly in the UK and Europe, with the focus firmly back on the sitar: ‘It’s my first tour with a run of consecutive performances – and a proper tour bus!’
Tickets £26. Go to turnersims.co.uk.