The alaap in Indian classical music is similar to the prelude in western classical music. It can be long but it extends a meditative calm as the artist slowly builds their interpretation of the mood of the raga (melodic framework for improvisation in classical Indian music) and prepares the audience for a journey into a personal musicscape. Each raga is one of the possible and aurally pleasing specific combination of seven notes but the Indian system leaves room for the artists personal and impromptu improvisation. This insightful parallel between the alaap and the prelude was drawn in the opening remarks on the final evening of Darbar festival by Benedetta Pinelli – the executive producer of Sky Arts- an organisation which has done so much in supporting and promoting this carnival of pure music over the last few years.

The big difference between the Indian and the western music system is the lack of notation in the former and the freedom to improvise. It’s a heritage that allows the artists a calculated and precise freedom to express themselves. The Darbar festival which is in its 17th year had been instrumental in introducing western audiences including the Indian diaspora to the nuances of this ancient classical tradition. In the process it has evolved to become the big benchmark of Indian classical music, launching the careers of numerous artists. What started as a tribute to much respected tabla teacher and educationist Bhai Gurmit Singh Virdee, has now morphed onto the definitive high watermark in the Indian music season, in the same way as Dover Lane or Sangeet Natak Academy did in the Indian scene.

The final evening in this year’s showcase opened with a short statement from founder Sandeep Virdee whose single-minded devotion to the cause of music has awakened a full generation of audiences to the sublime beauty and precision of an ancient musical tradition. Unlike the political affiliations or paid media connections that can often bedevil similar initiatives in the home country, for the Darbar festival only quality and talent serve as the criterion for the showcase. In this year’s line-up for example, in addition to established maestros such as Shubha Mudgal and Purbayan Chatterjee, we also had young masters such as the Wahane sisters, Sanskrati (sitar) and Prakrati (santoor) who performed on their first international tour at Darbar this year and another child prodigy who has developed into one of India’s finest tabla talents, Yashwant Vaishnava, electrified the audience with their performances

The first half of the double bill started with the quartet of Purbayan Chatterjee on sitar, Rakesh Chaurasia on flute, Satyajit Talwalkar and Patri Satish Kumar on the percussion instruments of Tabla and Mridangam respectively. Chaurasia opened with a languid evocation of the raga Behag with Kumar chiming in with his rhythmic beating of the mridangam. Kumar would later demonstrate why Virdee advised seat belts for the audience in his opening speech. Chaurasia’s flute soared and lifted the audience into a realm of flowing streams and blossoming flowers. Kumar’s mridangam beat a cosmic rhythm offering glimpses to experiences of other realities. Chatterjee joined in with his immaculate mastery of the sitar strings, expanding on the themes floated by the flute, often combining with a dexterous expression of beat cycles and note interpretations. Talwalkar’s tabla recited the sequences with electrifying flourish sometimes rising to a frenzied crescendo. At other times slowing down in playful exchange with the other artists. The quartet moved on to raga Desh and concluded their performance with some melodious Pahari compositions.

The second half opened with a vilambit (slow tempo) alaap on raga Chayanat by renowned vocalist Shubha Mudgal. The bandish (fixed melodic composition) for the vilambit is a traditional one with an unknown composer, one which has been sung for several centuries. She then moved onto a drut (fast tempo) with a bandish composed by her late guru pandit Ramashray Jha. The maestro with the luminous voice is at the zenith of her skills. The clarity of the aarohan (ascending scale of notes) in her exposition of the Chayanat is pure and can be compared to an auspicious offering to the gods.

As the magical evening drew to a close it was clear that the Darbar festival has succeeded in immersing its audiences in pure musical bliss and enriched their understanding of the sublime beauty and rigorous discipline of the classical Indian tradition. True to its word the Darbar festival this year has been thrilling, inspirational and soul stirring.

Written by Protima Chatterjee, Abundant Art

Eeshar Singh at the Darbar Festival: A Mystical Afternoon– Barbican, 15 Oct 2022-Review – Abundant Art

Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust (Darbar) | Indian Classical Music

When Eeshar Singh was first invited to play at the Darbar festival, he apparently declined. Prompted for a reason by the same Sikh elder now laughingly introducing Singh’s performance, the Bradford-born musician had related that this summer past he was getting married. Some of the white-British members of the audience around me guffawed. The Barbican’s Darbar festival is perhaps the most prestigious celebration of Classical Indian music in the U.K.; for most Indian musicians of Eeshar Singh’s age, performing at Darbar is a dream. However, upon hearing the same disclosure, the majority Punjabi-Sikh audience grinned. Whether you’re born in Amritsar or Leicester, every Sikh knows how all-consuming it is to get married Punjabi-style.

Despite his initial reticence to perform, Singh’s confidence and maturity with the santoor slowly had me entranced. His first raga, delivered solo, grew slowly in intensity such that I found myself slowly lulled into an unexpectedly meditative state. When Yashwant Vaishnav joined Eeshar Singh on the tabla, the addition of Vaishnav’s percussion even further intensified the rhythmic mysticism evoked by Singh’s santoor. The santoor is built like a harp and makes a pealing sound that rings almost celestial; the tabla, meanwhile, is a set of Indian drums that look deceptively simple and yet produce an incredible range of textures and sounds. Together, Singh and Vaishnav pulled me into another world. I understand now why the santoor is considered a divine instrument for Sufi mystics.

Sat in the auditorium, I was too hypnotized to think any interesting thoughts. Upon recovery, I reflected on how moving it also felt to be sat in one of London’s leading cultural institutions listening to a genre of music I associate with the Sikh gurudwara. Even more so, to be surrounded by other Punjabis, many like myself and Eeshar Singh, members of the British-Punjabi diaspora. And perhaps most moving was the visible presence of white-British musicians who were just as grateful to be sat in that hall listening to world-class music as me.

At the end of the concert, an impassioned Sikh cried out boleh so niyal, which is perhaps the most recognisable of the Sikh jaikara, or exultations. I’d only ever heard this phrase as the closing invocation of Sikh prayer, and indeed only heard the answering call sat sri akal murmured by members of a Sikh congregation. Besides being an integral part of Sikh liturgy, this powerful phrase is also expressed in moments of intense joy or fervor. In English, it translates to: ‘Shout aloud in ecstasy; True is the Timeless One.’ My ears were still ringing at the end of Singh and Vaishnav’s duet when I heard this spontaneous invocation to the Divine thundering out from the audience. The whole auditorium echoed as from every other seat came the ringing bellow of Sikhs answering the call. Eeshar Singh clasped his hands together; as for me, caught off-guards and intensely moved, I sort of trembled. It was perhaps one of the most religious encounters with my own faith I’ve ever experienced, surrounded by a British audience at a secular venue in central London.

It’s a strange thing when you grow up hiding what makes you different, and as you get older you begin the process of undoing and unlearning that shame. And then a few years into adulthood, to experience that rare unprompted eruption of pride for your people is still strange and shocking, because it comes not from deliberate deconstruction but from raw emotion. I feel very grateful that Eeshar Singh and his zealous audience of uproariously proud Punjabis could manifest that in me.

Review by Sophia Sheera

Sophia is a writer interested in migration, cultural citizenship, displacement and queerness with a focus on Central Asia and Northern India. Sophia is inspired by talking to the people whose stories are sidetracked by sensationalist headlines, and as such aspires to share those counter-narratives through political journalism.

Sophia’s latest review is here https://www.abundantart.net/review/national-gallerys-contemporary-fellowship-exhibition-opens-with-nalini-malanis-my-reality-is-different-at-the-holburne-museum-bath-7-oct-to-8-jan-review/

Image by Sukhpal Bhogal, Source-Darbar Festival

For more information:

Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust (Darbar) | Indian Classical Music

Welcome to the UK’s first full sensory music experience! This Black History Month, LexTempus VLT-001 has launched “The Greats” at Aures London, transporting you on a journey through the 50s to the 80s, exploring the social and political injustices throughout American history which shaped Black music and a culture that transcended across not only the nation, but the world. This immersive experience celebrates the legends of Jazz, Soul and Disco, using state-of-the-art technology, live dancers and tantalising cocktails from the venue’s mixologists – it is an experience which you must catch whilst you can!

At first, we are introduced to “Arya” – the voice behind the digital transport machine – who welcomes us to the sensory experience. This consists of visual, audio and touch calibration. The Haptic 4D seating pulsates to the beat of the music playing through the ultra-quality sound system, and the screen projects around the room, captivating the audience’s senses completely.

The first stop of the journey was Chicago in the 50-60s, introducing us to the vibrant jazz scene. Music played from the pioneers of Jazz, such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, and many more, accompanied by glimpses of the historical background which led to the creation of the music. The popularisation of Jazz music led to the development of new genres and allowed black people in America to express themselves in a way which they once could not do.

Next, we stopped in New York in the 60s and 70s, exploring the era of Soul music. This decade signified the strengthening of the Civil Rights Movement, the solidification of Black American culture and solidarity. Accompanied by dancers who told the story of the legend Curtis Mayfield, whose music incorporated the politics of the time, the show was revealing of America’s deep history but celebrated the feel-good music which erupted at the time. Timeless songs such as ‘Walk on By’, ‘Papa was a Rollin’ Stone’ and many more, had the audience moving to the music, signifying the influence this era of music has even today.

Finally (and my personal favourite), we entered San Francisco in the 80s where we enjoyed the music of the much-loved Disco Queens. This part of the show brought a great energy to the audience, as we danced to Diana Ross, Chic, Donna Summers and more. The experience was brilliantly unique – it served as a great evening out yet celebrated and reminded us of the importance of Black History Month.

Click here for more information and to book your tickets: https://www.aures-london.com/lextempus

Image by Aures London

Reviewed by Ridha Sheikh:Ridha is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. She is a graduate in History and Politics from Queen Mary – University of London. Ridha is excited to explore and share her strong passion for London’s art scene.

Ridha’s latest review can be seen here Beyond Bollywood – Peacock Theatre, Sadlers Wells Review – Abundant Art

Foot Note:

Performances of “The Greats” are displayed on a 12k floor to ceiling screen, and 270-degree immersive visuals. Visuals are brought to life by stellar live dance performances, choreographed by Veroika Koleva, and crystal-clear audio from a 34-point multi-level Pioneer Pro Audio Speaker system.

Voyagers can even physically feel the music with Haptic (Vibration) interface. Room Scent nebulizer by Ecoscent will refabricate the aromas of each destination.

Curated menu of era theme cocktails – created by the established mixologist, Liam Reed – will be served up throughout the journey, offering a tantalising taste of the times.

Experts in producing immersive events, Aures London sits on Leake Street beneath Waterloo Station. Proudly housing the best sound system and acoustics in Europe. Flight VLT-001 “The Greats” will board at Gate 18, where the historical, full sensory round trip begins.

Sam Davis and Robyn Collins are the creative team behind LexTempus and Aures

When I first heard that the National Gallery was awarding its Contemporary Fellowship to Nalini Malani, I was surprised. The Contemporary Fellowship invites an artist to make a new work inspired by the collection of the National Gallery and a second partner gallery outside London – in this case, the Holburne in Bath. For better or worse, I’ve always associated the National Gallery and the Holburne with centuries-old, canonical art; Michaelangelo, let’s say, against the backdrop of high neo-classical ceilings. By contrast, the work of Nalini Malani is anything but traditional: think multi-media installations discernibly informed by Indian politics, feminism and postcolonial analysis. Not, to my mind, the sort of art emblematized by a place like the National Gallery.

So, when I heard that the National Gallery was not only encouraging but actively commissioning Nalini Malani to enter in a creative dialogue with its revered collections, I was impressed by a gallery I had perhaps too staunchly dismissed as old-fashioned. I eagerly travelled up to the Holburne in Bath to see ‘My Reality is Different’, wondering how different Malani’s newest piece would indeed be to the Holburne’s permanent collection. I knew from the Holburne’s website that the installation featured high-res images of famous European paintings as well as Malani’s own digital animations, fusing the recognisable with the brand-new. I was excited to see what came of such a provocative synthesis.

Walking into the installation space, I was immediately taken aback by the uncompromising pace and tone of what I witnessed. Projections of Caravaggio’s most iconic works are displaced by flashing illustrations of black and brown women; blood-red streaks and prison-esque bars of green shoot across the walls. Familiar portraits of Renaissance masculinity are overlaid by anonymous, weeping bodies.

From the invisible speakers around us comes the voice of a modern-day Cassandra, prophesizing the fall of Troy. In Greek mythology, Cassandra’s burden is that no one will heed her warnings. What is Malani insinuating?

There are multiple layers to the installation Malani has created: the images of Renaissance art, Malani’s digitised animations, quotes that pop up and disappear, abstract flashes of colour. None of these layers are synced with one another, creating an endless cycle of variations and meanings to infer. Some In the audience expressed bewilderment at this frenzied pace of the projections. They were right to find it overwhelming, and potentially even distressing.

However, to me, the incomprehensibility of the whole piece was somehow fitting. Malani has taken a bunch of highly canonical works and projects onto them her own representations of the people silenced by that canon: women, people of colour, survivors of violence. In conversation later, Malani spoke of the ‘subaltern’ as the central figure that ‘My Reality is Different’ tries to locate. It made sense to me that the viewer sees no more than flashes of these unknown and unknowable figures, those whose labour surely enabled the creation of canonized masterpieces and whose stories have been willfully forgotten. Try as she might, Malani can’t tell us with the concision of verbal language which colonial structures financed their production, nor the real-life people whose beauty was consistently dismissed by colonial-European standards of beauty. There is no record of those individuals for us to excavate. Instead, Malani’s illustrations provide imaginative glimpses into what those forgotten stories might include, glimpses that invite the audience to continue that process of imagination.

Some viewers expressed discontent that Malani had taken the bold risk to project onto various Renaissance masterpieces her own avid expressions. For me, though, Malani’s palimpsest gestures not only towards the political economy from which those paintings came, but also the multiplicity of contemporary interpretation. Malani’s reality is different, she tells us; and this installation illustrates what it might be to look at 17^th century European oil painting through the eyes of a 21^st century radical female artist of colour. Someone else will see those same canvases with an altogether different perspective; and each interpretation constitutes a new layer of meaning, akin to the process of adding layer of installation upon installation.

We are no longer in a world where the only interpretation that matters is a white, male one, Malani seems to say. For me, Malani’s approach actually manages to bring Renaissance art to life, something I can’t say of traditional presentations of that particular artistic era. Far from desecrating long-worshipped frames, Malani reclaims them for herself, paving the way for future generations to do the same.

 Review by Sophia Sheera

Sophia is a writer interested in migration, cultural citizenship, displacement and queerness with a focus on Central Asia and Northern India. Sophia is inspired by talking to the people whose stories are sidetracked by sensationalist headlines, and as such aspires to share those counter-narratives through political journalism.

Image Credit: Nalini Malani My Reality is Different, 2022 Video projection © Nalini Malani

Footnote:

New video animations featuring famous paintings in the National Gallery and the Holburne Museum, Bath, have been created by Nalini Malani.

With a fierce commitment to pushing boundaries and experimenting and exploring the possibilities of the moving image, Nalini Malani has created a deep black exhibition space in the Holburne Museum, Bath, with one monumental artwork, My Reality is Different.

Encompassing over 40 meters of wall, the 25 striking new animations immerse the viewer in a panorama of nine large video projections, played in a continuous loop. These animations are based on an idiosyncratic selection by Malani from famous paintings in the National Gallery and the Holburne Museum.

The National Gallery’s Contemporary Fellowship is supported by Art Fund, with additional support from Dasha Shenkman OBE

The National Gallery Modern and Contemporary Programme is supported by Hiscox

For more information and tickets-Nalini Malani: My Reality is Different – The Holburne Museum National Gallery Contemporary Fellowship with Art Fund

£11 (£12.50 with Gift Aid) admission for the permanent collection and all temporary exhibitions, 18 and under FREE.

Sophia Sheera’s latest review can be found here Glamrou at Soho Theatre, 5-10 Sept 2022, Review – Abundant Art

Fashion, art, music and film come together in this stimulating and exciting one-of-a-kind exhibition celebrating pop culture of South Korea.

Upon entering you are immediately struck by content – video screens pop in bright colours, words in large fonts flash and fade, PSY’s Gangnam Style blares from speakers. This is an exhibition unlike anything at V&A before.

Hallyu! The Korean Wave is divided thematically, each section exploring a different element of Korean pop culture; fashion, beauty, art, music and film. However, the exhibit doesn’t just stick to the modern day – historic objects are juxtapositioned against costumes from recent films. The V&A does a fantastic job of blending striking installations with well-placed historically important articles. Each object here contributes to telling the story of post-conflict Korea.

The exhibition design guides you through the show perfectly, the clever use of shop-front-like display cabinets creating intrigue and interest along the way. A little further in, one particular highlight is the space ‘Setting the Scene’. Here, we focus on the success of Korean television drama and film – something that has definitely not gone unnoticed in the UK also. The objects in this space need no labels, as many are household names. We see a full recreation of the bathroom from Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite, family photos sit behind glass from recent hit Minari and three mannequins stand tall in costumes from the smash Netflix series Squid Game.

The exhibition concludes with ‘Global Groove’ an interactive installation made in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture Lab. Here, you can become a K-Pop star – learn the routines, copy the choreography and see yourself projected on the big screen. An innovative way of involving adults and children alike.

Hallyu! The Korean Wave is a fun and engaging exhibition, and certainly the first of its kind. The exhibition allows us to reflect on and revisit the amazing contributions to popular culture and creativity made by South Korea – a show not to be missed.

‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’, runs from 24 September 2022 – 25 June 2023 at the V&A South Kensington. Tickets are available here: vam.ac.uk. The exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism – Republic of Korea and  Genesis. With additional support from The Bagri Foundation and Netmarble Healer.B

Reviewed by Amy Melling –Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

Read Amy’s latest review Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics, Barbican Art Gallery (abundantart.net)

Yellowman directed by Diane Page and originally written by Dael Orlandersmith, maintains its relevance in a modern-day context, as it did when it was first adapted into a play in 2004. Set in South Carolina the story portrays how colourism prevalent within the communities, particularly within South Carolina, negatively impacted the lives of the darker skinned individuals such as the protagonist Alma (Played by Nadine Higgin). The “Yellowman”, lighter skinned Eugene (Played by Aaron Anthony) falls in love with Alma, and despite the prejudices in the society that they have been exposed to, they are adamant on being together. Yellowman essentially highlights how white supremacy has affected the black community internally, causing ostracism and discrimination from within a community where there should be togetherness.

From a young age Alma’s mother instilled her own hatred for her darker skin into her daughter, causing Alma to develop deep insecurities. She believes no man would ever love her, as she is too “dark and big.” Higgins perfectly portrays a burning emotion of tearing out of the skin that society says is ugly and unlovable and getting rid of an insecurity which plagues Alma’s life. Eugene and Alma meet as kids and become inseparable, gradually evolving from childhood playmates to teenage lovers, deeply and emotionally involved. The play highlights a theme of coming-of-age. Together the two learn to unlearn the social conditioning that has been imposed upon them by their families and the wider society.

With a minimalistic and rather bare set, the staging of the play is kept simple. What stands out is the raw energy of the actors with a realistic appeal. Both the powerful script and acting convey a range of emotions needed to connect with the story and its characters. The story combines lighter scenes of fun and carefree moments of growing up, as well as the deeper and thought-provoking moments of realisation, melancholy, and heartbreak.

Despite the fun moments in scenes where Alma and Eugene are seen hitting a cocktail bar together or are entwined in a loving embrace in their intimate moment of passion, ‘Yelloman’ is essentially a play of heartbreak and agony. What filters through, is two people in love, struggling to escape a generational trauma are trying their best to exist in a world that has told one of them, you are lesser or different! The second half of the play is a dramatic and poignant portrayal of this underpinning theme, ending in a crushing yet poetic climax.

Yellowman is playing at Orange Tree Theatre until October 8^th. Book here: https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/yellowman/book

Image Credit: Ali Wright

Reviewed by Lian Lakhope. Lian is a MA Global Media and Communications student at SOAS and a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Lian has written for several different publications, mostly about music, culture and film and she is enthusiastic about expressing her passion for creating art and media.

Carnal, experimental, affronting: Barbican opens Body Politics, a major retrospective of American performance artist Carolee Schneemann.

Born 1939, Schneemann was ahead of her time, often placing her own body at the centre of her work – something that, despite getting her kicked out of university for ‘moral turpitude’, would become a returning device in her practice. Schneemann was a visual artist, known for her experimental multi-media and performance-based works. Her practice resisted the male saturated New York painting scene at the time by exploring then taboo subjects such as sexuality, gender and the physical form. 

Body Politics is presented in chronological order, beginning with Schneemann’s expressive paintings. Even in her early works, we see Schneemann push the boundaries of the artistic mediums she selects; rapid, frenzied brushstrokes, egg shells crushed in paint, wires pulled taut over canvases. 

As the exhibition continues, the works push further. Some of her later, more well-known works such as ‘Up to and Including Her Limits’ and ‘Meat Joy’ take centre stage. Both, highly-provocative, nude performance works explore the body as a creative medium, a tool. They are fascinating and historically-important works. 

However, within this abundance of the artist’s works, these pieces, although physically revealing, say little of the artist from an emotional perspective. Instead, more is uncovered in some of the smaller works. ‘Mortal Coils’ 1994-95, sees 8 motorised ropes hang from the ceiling, slowly pushing their way through small piles of sand. The walls are covered with projections; refracted images of deceased friends’ faces and snapshots of ‘in memoriam’ obituaries from The New York Times. The work speaks of Schneemann’s succession of losses during the AIDS epidemic – the ropes drift in endless circles reflecting the cycle of life, death and grief. 

Body Politics is a deep dive into the life and work of Carolee Schneemann. Her work is powerful; distressing and touching in equal measure. Moreover, it is interesting to reflect on these works in the modern day – what is relevant, what is obsolete? Despite how the works have aged, Schneemann still remains a point of reference for many.

Reviewed by Amy Melling – Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics is showing at the Barbican Art Gallery, London, until 8 January. Tickets are available here.

Image Description: Eye Body 36 Transformative Actions for Camera

Foot Notes:

A day after the passing of Britain’s longest-ruling monarch, I was coincidentally offered the chance to meet a lesser-known Queen at the Soho Theatre. This irony was not lost upon the eponymous Glamrou, whose creator managed to incorporate Britain’s mournful circumstances into their one-woman drag show.

As the alter-ego of Glamrou, non-binary actor and screenwriter Amrou Al-Khadi comes across as remarkably British; yet, of course, this performer’s Muslim identity and Iraqi roots immediately distinguish them from other queens. Glamrou slips between polarizing binaries – she is both a girl and a boy, British and Iraqi, queer and Muslim. Most startlingly, perhaps, she is both a suspected terrorist and, swathed in a body-con Union Jack, she is also an English queen. In role-playing each of these social constructs through the provocative and equally constructed persona of Glamrou, Amrou Al-Khadi illustrates the complexity and beauty of living in a state of playful contradiction.

What I loved about this show is how Al-Khadi works with the tropes of drag to emphasise certain contours of their story. Glamrou gleefully revels in being centre-stage whilst also couching in her story in heavily acerbic self-deprecation. Narcissism and self-loathing are textbook indicators of trauma; as Glamrou, Al-Khadi works with these behaviours to survive retelling their story onstage. If various aspects of Amrou’s cultural heritage exist in conflict with one another, drag is the perfect medium to play with – and indeed satirise – that conflict. Everything Glamrou says is ironic, horrifically self-aware and gloriously self-obsessed; ultimately, though, both drag (and more widely, the tonality we call ‘camp’) is light-hearted in its theatricality. This brings with it a political force: if Glamrou can make fun of the contradictory constituents of Amrou’s identity, she is able to acknowledge and even make space for a whole community of people like me who never quite fit in. She doesn’t even need fancy words or a university degree to get the audience to understand: quite simply, she just makes us laugh at the messy picture she paints.

As a brown drag-queen, indeed a Muslim queer with a British accent, Glamrou provides a much-needed intervention into the commercialized form of drag that has hit the mainstream. Unlike RuPau’s Drag Race which is devoid of the political transgression that characterised the original 90s New York drag scene, Glamrou reinvigorates her genre with radical boundary-pushing. She sings in Arabic whilst thrusting her pelvis; she accuses the largely white audience of both racism and Islamophobia. She metaphorically frames rejecting Islam as a teenager with breaking up with a first boyfriend and makes puns on ‘Allah’ in her versions of 2000s pop songs. I’m wondering whether my editors will publish these few written examples of what Glamrou sung and screamed onstage.

That’s not to say Glamrou’s show was all about shocking the audience for no reason or eliding the very serious kinds of marginalization that Amrou has experienced life-long.

Midway through the show, Glamrou recounts childhood attempts at performing whiteness at the expense of their Iraqi heritage. For example, at Eton college where Amrou went to school, a teenage Amrou escapes relentless bullying by lauding British culture and painting themself a survivor of the barbaric Middle East. Amrou’s rejection of Islam and at-times hatred of Allah (as performed through song) are gut-wrenching, perhaps all the more so for yours truly because it resonated. Glamrou’s rendition of such scenes are hilarious; but each of these anecdotes are uncomfortable and even painful. For me, the strength of Glamrou’s act lies in how she carefully balances the various emotional responses that her words conjure: with startling candour, Glamrou enacts her writer’s attempts at self-erasure, whilst with calculated irony, she detaches herself from trauma through comedy.

What Glamrou does onstage is important and necessary: firstly, because spotlights with true bravado those who don’t ever quite belong; and secondly, because she makes not-belonging okay. At the same time, Glamrou urges us to hold accountable those who gatekeep certain spaces: quite obviously, that includes Eton boys, but perhaps more surprisingly is the culpability of the majority-white queer community. And yet I caught members of the audience shaking their heads with bemused delight, rather than despair; and therein lies the strength of creating a queen like Glamrou to tell your story.

Directed by Seif Abdel Salam with Musical Direction from Porscha Present.

Image Credit: Harry Carr

 Review by Sophia Sheera – Sophia is a writer interested in migration, cultural citizenship, displacement and queerness with a focus on Central Asia and Northern India. Sophia is inspired by talking to the people whose stories are sidetracked by sensationalist headlines, and as such aspires to share those counter-narratives through political journalism.

Foot notes:

Amrou Al-Kadhi is a drag queen, actor, screenwriter and author. Their memoir, Life as a Unicorn: A Journey from Shame to Pride and Everything In Between, was published by Harper Collins in the UK and the US and won the Polari First Book Prize and the Somerset Maugham award – it has received praise from Ian McKellen, Russell T Davies, Joanna Lumley, Kumail Nanjiani & Emily Gordon, and many others. It is also being adapted into a television show by Universal Studios and The Forge Entertainment – more info on this in due course.

As a screenwriter, Amrou co-wrote the final episode of Apple’s Little America, which The Hollywood Reporter called ‘the show’s pinnacle,’ and named as one of the best 10 episodes of television in 2020; this episode has also just won a Glaad award, with the series nominated for Best New Scripted Series at the Independent Spirit awards.

Amrou was also a writer on BBC America’s series The Watch, and has sold pilot scripts to FX Productions, ABC and BBC Drama. They have written many episodes for Channel 4’s longest running soap opera, Hollyoaks. Their first feature as writer/director, LAYLA, a contemporary queer Romeo & Juliet immersed in the warring factions of the gay community during Pride, is greenlit by Film4 and The BFI and is produced by Savannah James Bayly & producer of Sorry To Both You, Nina Yang. 

As an actor, Amrou has principal credits in Carnival Row (Series 2), Venom 2, Christopher Robin (Disney), The Souvenir 2 (Joanna Hogg), Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, and many others. Amrou has written & directed four short films, which have been broadcast on PBS, NOWNESS, BBC 4, BBC iPlayer, BFI-Player, Revry, and which have screened and won awards at festivals internationally, including the BFI London Film Festival plus more

‘For a lot of women from African and Caribbean backgrounds, their parents don’t encourage creative careers – but I think there are a lot of women and girls who do want to do creative careers. I want to inspire black women and say to them ‘you CAN make this a career. You can be a woman artist’. I hope that exploring the history of women in cartooning and having this conversation paves the way for other women cartoonists to share their work with the world.” Sarah Akinterinwa

Taking the cartoon industry to new levels, Sarah Akinterinwa is an editorial illustrator, character designer, graphic designer, fine artist, and the first black British woman to become a New Yorker Magazine cartoonist. She is the creator and artist behind the Black-British cartoon Oyin and Kojo and is based in London.

She’s currently exhibiting her work in a new exhibition at the Cartoon Museum in Fitzrovia alongside the ‘first professional female cartoonist’, a caricaturist and printseller in eighteenth-century Britain Mary Darly, so we took the opportunity to visit the museum whilst Sarah was there. Because Sarah is passionate about inspiring women to be artists, I asked Sarah what advice you would give to a young person wanting to pursue a career as a cartoonist. Her advice to any budding cartoonist is to draw every day, find your own style and rhythm, believe in yourself and be open to criticism. I thought after talking to her that I was pretty good at drawing at school, but nobody encouraged me to pursue drawing. Not my intimidating art teacher who complimented my work infront of the whole class and neither did my parents. Had they encouraged me perhaps I would have pursued it further. I found my own random way into working in the arts, but thought it would have been easier had I felt some solid encouragement from someone much earlier on.

For this thought-provoking exhibition, Sarah has created an exclusive collection of new pieces that share the stories of the people of contemporary London such as ‘The Next Generation’, ‘The Tired Server on Bond Street’, ‘The Busker in the Underground’, ‘The Influencer’ and ‘The Tourist’. Sarah’s work shares the same roots as Darly, capturing ‘her London in her time’, and the lives of the people around her. The show celebrates the diversity of London and inequalities that still exist and hopefully will inspire more girls and women to become cartoonists and share their reflections, as drawing cartoons is an incredible way to share stories. Cartoonists spend a lot of time making fun of people, but they also have the power to say things that are normally difficult to say through humour, irony and pictures and can highlight important issues. This made me wonder what I would draw and write to sum up my life at the moment. Or perhaps I could share something unjust or difficult to resolve that’s really bothering me at the moment in a cartoon.

One very important issue that was brought up during our visit is the topic of gender imbalance in the cartoon industry. It is common knowledge that white male cartoonists have monopolised the cartoon industry for ages and the Cartoon Museum themselves are addressing the gender imbalance of the cartoonists they exhibit currently (200 are men and 33 are women). We know that the U.S is ahead of the UK in addressing this balance and interestingly 60% of cartoonists in Egypt are women.  Perhaps someone needs to draw a cartoon to stress the gender imbalance and help women cartoonists be taken more seriously. Maybe this would prompt the magazine industry to step up and print more women cartoonist’s work. Let’s hope this new wave of female creators emerging continues on and on. As how can we identify with stories if we only have one type of person sharing them? And it’s not as if there isn’t enough space online to share cartoons.

A Dialogue exhibition (11 August – 13 November 2022) explores the work of Sarah Akinterinwa and Mary Darly through an artistic dialogue reaching back 250 years.

Ticket info: www.cartoonmuseum.org

Written by Jules Nelson who does marketing and operations for Abundant Art.

Premiering at the Peacock Theatre, Beyond Bollywood, is a colourful performance, taking the audience on a journey through Indian culture, dance and music, flaunting the vibrancy of Bollywood.

Written, directed and choreographed by Rajeev Goswami, Beyond Bollywood, is a story of a young dancer, Shaily Shergill, who aspires to continue her mother’s legacy in Germany as a traditional Kathak dancer. In search of inspiration and seeking to revive her family’s failing theatre, Shaily ventures out to India to explore Bollywood…and beyond. Upon her journey, Shaily encounters Raghav and Bhallu, who introduce her to the variety of traditional dances across India, including kalbelia, lezim, bihu, garba and kathak.

The performance was exciting and enthralling, it felt just as if I was watching a hit Bollywood movie. Filled with romance, comedy (and lots of music and dance!), this play is an extravagant display of Bollywood. The play also includes an element of fusion, between western and Indian cultures, expressed through the relationship which begins to form between Shaily and Raghav. As choreographers, they merge their ideas together through dance. It also explores the relationship between modern Bollywood dance and traditional folk dances.

Just like any typical Bollywood movie, there must be romance! The story of Shaily and Raghav is charming and exciting, emphasising how dance can bring people together.

A highlight for me, was watching Bhallu, Raghav’s best friend/sidekick, who embodied the typical comedic role which is central to many hit Bollywood movies. The style of humour was refreshing to see and gained many laughs from me!

The show was a visual sensation – I thoroughly enjoyed watching the various dance styles and dazzling costumes, tied together by the colourful backdrops and lighting. I was fully engaged throughout the show and had a great time in the audience! Beyond Bollywood adds a new flair to theatre and creates diversity; it was great to watch something so similar to Bollywood live, rather than on the screen.

I would highly recommend watching Beyond Bollywood to any Bollywood or dance fans. Or even if you just want to enlighten yourself to something new. The show is on until 3 September 2022, so be quick!

Find tickets here: www.sadlerswells.com 

Photography courtesy of Beyond Bollywood

Reviewed by Ridha Sheikh – Ridha is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. She is a graduate in History and Politics from Queen Mary – University of London. Ridha is excited to explore and share her strong passion for London’s art scene.