Enchanted evening
By Nighat Mir
With the full moon out that night, the Italian ethno jazz band, Luigi Five, in attendance with Fuzon, enthralled an audience at the old Katrak Bath at the KPI Grounds in Karachi.
At the heart of it all was the cause - raising funds to construct and maintain schools of the Citizens Foundation. Karachi's laid-back movers and shakers turned out in full formal attire, and they were not disappointed. The credit goes to the Italian Consul-General Bruno Pasquini for the evening titled 'Magic Mystic Night'.
The ambience created by architect Shahid Abdulla and designer/artist Imran Mir set off the evening's proceedings with Luigi Five playing experimental jazz numbers. In the meantime, the organizers, were heard making frantic calls for Fuzon to make their appearance on the venue, and which they did but only after making many hearts flutter with anxiety. The relief was quite apparent when Shafqat came on stage with his band members. What followed was an exhilarating, feast for the ears.
Here, a brief introduction of the Luigi Five. Luigi Cinque, composer, author and director, and an interpreter of multiculturalism and the crossover of languages, has been a continuous presence both as a music composer in new music of a classical tradition, rock and international jazz and is a Professor of Performing Arts and Literature in Rome. He began the evening's performance at the KPI with his experimental ethno jazz numbers. Later, Lucilla Galeazzi, singer, writer and researcher, enthralled all with her warm voice rich in typical elements of Italian folk music.
Andrea Biondi wove his spell with an improvisational fare. A qualified musician who has studied under the guidance of Italian master musician, Gainluca Ruggeri, Biondi has participated in several international music workshops. He also plays with the Italian Chamber orchestra conducted by Salvatore Accardo, with whom he has made two records, Serenade for Violin Strings by the famed Leonard Bernstein.
Biondi, an award winner of the International Jazz Music Festival in Colleferro, has played at the Barbican Centre in London and has particular interest in playing contemporary music with John Cage and the American Movement of Minimalism. He has been playing with Luigi for the past three years.
Gavino Murgi is a jolly chunky sax player who provided some heart-stirring high notes to the evening. Murgi also provided a rare insight into the vivid sounds that are peculiar to his region, Sardinia, alternating the tenor and the soprano sax and particular use of voice that had some scratching their heads as to how he did it. A guest was overheard saying: "He (Murgi) has some device fitted in his throat."
Fuzon got the corporate shoes tapping, grudgingly at first and then with genuine gusto clapping to the tones of Deewane and a few other compositions before the sets of musicians fused together for a very brief session, to the disappointment of many.
All in all, it was an evening well spent followed by dinner. Special mention here of the flower arrangements at each table courtesy Fareed Virani who answered an SOS from programme coordinator Tasnim Jaffer. It was after a long time that Karachiites were treated to a first-class international quality music concert.
