Lamar’s Department of Theatre and Dance spring concert: Dancing at the ‘Periphery’
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Last updated 4/11/2013 at Noon
Industrial Carillon, Lamar University’s new-music ensemble, will present the final concert in the 2012-2013 “Living Composer Series” at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 22, with Hindustani music master Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami.
A distinguished Hindustani artist and teacher of sitar, tabla, harmonium and voice, Nizami has toured internationally and performed for three U.S. presidents, Queen Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela.
“It was important to me to invite Ustad Nizami to perform at the Industrial Carillon concert because our students are not at all familiar with this type of music,” said Nick Rissman, director of the Industrial Carillon and associate professor of music at Lamar. “That has always struck me as odd since I came to Beaumont because we have such a thriving Indian population. Part of our mission of Industrial Carillon is to educate both the community and our students about world music.”
A 17th-generation musician, Nizami is dedicated to preserving and passing on his art through performance and instruction. He masterfully presents a vast array of musical styles, including classical Indian, Ghazal, Geet, Qawwali, Bhajan, Pakistani folk and Sufi music. Nizami’s repertoire includes a variety of classical and folk styles, including authentic renditions of the ancient mystical songs of Rumi, Khusro and Hafiz passed to him by his ancestors.
“This concert is going to appeal to most audiences because it is amazing music from an incredibly rich tradition,” said Rissman. “It has a good beat. This music is tonal, with very elaborate melodies. Hindustani music has the potential to be very rhythmic, exciting, exhilarating and joyous. Or, it can be soulful and elegiac.”
The Industrial Carillon was established to entertain, enlighten and challenge listeners with new, diverse concert music representing a variety of styles and cultures. The “Living Composer Series” is presented with support from Mobil Oil Federal Credit Union.
The concert will take place in the architecturally striking atrium of the Mobil Oil Federal Credit Union at the corner of Delaware Street and Major Drive in Beaumont. Because of the unconventional nature of the venue, audience members are asked to arrive early because the doors will be shut at 7:30 p.m. as the concert begins.
Admission is free. For more information, visit lamar.edu/music or call 409-880-8144.
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