Two 'global studies' events - coins and singing

    Two 'global studies' events - coins and singing this last weekend.

Dr. Sethuraman Suresh in Campbell Hall

 

 

    1) First on Thursday late afteroon, a lecture by Sethuraman Suresh on "West Meets East: Commerce Between Ancient Rome and South Asia," with slides.  Did it really take a year for the Roman merchants (Greeks earlier)  to travel by sea, overland, up river, across the Arabian Sea to Kerala, then climb up and over the Western Ghats (sailing around the tip of India was more dangerous because of ferocious pirates) to the area south of Chenai, buy cloth and spices paying with their Roman gold and silver coins, and then take the trip back? This was during the 100 or so years before A.D. and several hundred years after. Here's one sample of a Roman coin found in a south Indian archeological site, defaced to reduce its value in competition with the value of local coins. 

Roman gold coin

Tabla M Abhyankar and vocalist N. Bajekal in Old Cabell Hall

     2) The second event, on Friday afternoon, a colloquium or workshop, led and performed by Hindustani classical vocalist Nirmal Bajekal accompanied on the tabla by Mayuresh Abhyankar. After demonstration singing, Ms. Bajekal led us all to sing some basic ragas - what a new, first-time great experience.  Mr. Abhyankar also talked and demonstrated various beats and rhythm patterns on the tabla.  

     Listen to about 50 seconds of the Hindustani music. Or https://youtu.be/PqtKdar_Lxc

     I wish that I had been able to hear Ms. Bajekal’s Indian vocal ensemble Swaraprabha that evening in Cabell Hall. Click on http://music.virginia.edu/Nirmal-Bajekal

         At least I greatly enjoyed and learned from two of the 'global studies" events at the University of Virginia last week.