Arifa comes to Bengaluru from beyond the seas

Jazz has long left the confines of New Orleans with strains of vibrant music spilling out of street corners, riverboats and rooftops, coming to roost in far-flung cities of the world. Arifa, a quartet based out of the Netherlands, is testament to the all-encompassing nature of jazz.

Members of the quartet — Sjahin During (percussion), Zhivko Vasilev (kaval), Bence Huszar (cello) and Franz von Chossy (piano) — are from as diverse backgrounds as the instruments they play. Sjahin During founded the group in 2010 and this year, sees the release of their fifth album, Danubian Voyage. They are in India as part of their album release tour.

The kaval, the Balkan flute favoured by Zhivko Vasilev, and the percussion set used by Sjahin, featuring instruments from different countries, complements the opening line on their site, ‘A bridge of sounds between the Orient and Occident’.

Though Sjahin was initiated into the world of Western classical music in Turkey, he fell in love with the pulsating rhythm of drum beats as a teenager and moved to Cuba, Istanbul and Iran, to study percussion instruments. “Of late, I have been inspired by Indian percussion instruments. I believe it’s the most ancient and advanced rhythmical language existing,” says Sjahin. “I’m trying to learn as much as possible and translate that knowledge to my own music and instruments.”

Arifa quartet
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Sjahin first came to India 17 years ago, to perform at the Jodhpur RIFF and though he has come to the country for other projects, this is the first time for the quartet. Following their performance at Jodhpur and Bengaluru, they will perform in New Delhi before moving on to Belgium. “Franz and I have worked together for nearly 20 years, while my association with Bence began about 12 years ago. Zhivko is the newest entry to our band which has had other members in the past; he came from Bulgaria to study jazz in the Netherlands.”

Franz grew up in Germany and Bence is from Hungary. The delightful mix of their cultures is apparent in the quartet’s music which transcends boundaries.

The Arifa Quartet from Netherlands will perform at Alliance Francaise on October 11. Tickets at the venue and on Insider.