Verses on war and peace
Remember the solace of poetry amidst the global lockdown? The feeling that shared words could transcend the loneliness and fear? The ArtMantram Trust attempted to evoke this feeling with the Glass House Festival, wherein poets from many parts of the world shared and celebrated poetry. It is ready to rekindle that spirit with the first inperson edition of the festival in Bengaluru on March 23 and 24 at the Bangalore International Centre.
This year, the Glass House, put together by a strong curatorial team, expands its scope with a focus on ‘Planet, Prosperity, People, and Peace’, the festival’s theme. Amidst a world fractured by conflict and turmoil, the festival creates a space where the power of words cannot only illuminate shared experiences but also spark vital conversations, inviting the public to be part of a larger dialogue and fostering a sense of global community.
“We found in that (lockdown) environment, we were turning to things like poetry to help us get through the moment, either writing or reading poetry,” says Yamuna Hari Singh, founding trustee of ArtMantram, about the inaugural festival. This year’s iteration builds on that legacy.
Over 100 poets of diverse backgrounds will take the stage alongside workshops and performances. Expect recitative and slam poetry, translations, regional language showcases, close readings, and more. Distinguished names like Annie Zaidi (who will be participating online), Ashwani Kumar, and Gayatri Majumdar bring star power. The festival’s heart, however, lies in its open invitation for poets and lovers of poetry from all walks of life to engage and become part of the artistic process, fostering a sense of belonging and global community.
“As a poet, I see poetry as a potent, condensed form. It can convey immense meaning in a short space like a telegram or the universe’s Morse code. Layers of thought, rhythm, and stanzas allow poets to communicate quickly and deeply,” says cocurator Rochelle Potkar, highlighting poetry’s power to cut straight to core themes affecting us all.
This commitment to meaningful dialogue shines through in the festival’s programming. Panels will address Gaza, incarceration, freedom of speech, and environmental activism. Art also plays a pivotal role, with artists and poets sharing stages and even dance performances alongside poetry readings.
The first Glasshouse Festival was born from a moment of isolation. This 2024 edition carries a similar weight. “The zeitgeist we see that affects us is the violence... There’s so much,” explains Yamuna Hari Singh. But in its expanded form, the festival offers something more – a testament to poetry’s ability to connect us across borders, whether physical or emotional.
As a hybrid event, including online sessions, poets worldwide contribute their voices – echoing the festival’s first pandemicera incarnation. “Poetry is a small form... What you can tell in poetry is like a telegram. You can tell so many things,” Rochelle says. These telegrams of verse explore the complex challenges of our time.
Beyond the festival weekend, ArtMantram Trust envisions a lasting legacy. They see the gathered material, the recordings, and the sparked conversations as seeds. “We want to make sure the thoughts and ideas sparked by the Glass House Festival keep echoing in people’s minds long after the two days are over,” says Rochelle.
The two-day festival at Bangalore International Centre is free to attend. For more information, visit artmantram.org or bangaloreinternationalcentre.org.
While watching the latest season of The Crown, the series on the British monarchy, singersongwriter Frizzell D’souza thought about Princess Diana and it inspired ‘Diana’, a collaborative song with pianist, keyboardist and composerproducer Derek Mathias that released on March 15.
Frizzell says she was coming from a place of introspection about the “rebel of the Royal family who went on to become a people’s icon”.
Derek shares more about the story behind the song, “Sometimes certain things happen to us which makes us feel like the situation is bad. Later on, we realise that it was the best thing that could have happened and that you had originally viewed it from a negative perspective.”
There is a sonic and narrative journey undertaken in the fourminute song, during which Frizzell uses ‘Diana’ to signify a character undergoing change — from struggle and suffering, to a complaint about innocence lost and finally, owning her new identity.
Frizzell says, “Then it goes, ‘I know I’m out of the burning woods. I’m breathing’.” The song comes with a music video directed by Prarthana Shetty that sees the artistes play a game of chess, portraying the roles of Diana and Charles III, “working their way towards check
Sing me a tune
mate,” as Frizzell, puts it.
The citybased artistes first crossed paths early last year at a gig series; by then, they both had made their own inroads into the independent music circuit.
Derek had released his jazz band’s debut album, Derek & The Cats in 2022, while Frizzell’s debut EP The Hills Know of You had also come out that year.
It was a mutual appreciation that built up to Derek and his band becoming part of Frizzell’s live act.
Described as jazzpop by the artistes, Derek was also influenced by the likes of Steely Dan and their album Aja, specifically the drumbeat that eventually sparked the idea of ‘Diana.’ The band later added layers of keyboards, saxophone, percussion, guitar, and bass.
If this was Derek & The Cats’ first track to feature vocals, ‘Diana’ also marks a different vocal approach for Frizzell in terms of harmonies and cadence. “I think their music itself pushed me to write differently,” she says.
It was not an easy place to get to, however. The singer recounts writing an initial idea for the outro to the song that no one on the project was happy with. “I rewrote the whole thing and when it worked, it clicked and you could see it on everyone’s face.”
With this collaboration out now, both artistes are pitching a doubleheadline set to venues. Derek says, “This is song is the perfect middle ground between Frizzell’s sort of sound and our sort of sound. So we’re planning to have these sets which show these two worlds.”
Diana is now out on all streaming platforms
This year, the Glass House, expands its scope with a focus on ‘Planet, Prosperity, People, and Peace’, the festival’s theme