Kanak: a fusion of Indo-African music in Cape Town

IN A card game of thunee, a winning call of kanak exudes great jubilation and celebrates calculation abilities. Cape Town is in for a joyous musical treat this month with Kanak, which comprises a three-person Indo-African fusion band.

Vishnu Rampersad, who goes by the stage name Vishnu R, is an Indian classical and jazz fusion performer, composer and patent-holder of Navtar – a unique nine-string instrument that highlights micro-nuances of Carnatic melody and western harmony.

He is currently in residency in Cape Town and has partnered with UCT Alumni, bassist Sean Sanby, and percussionist Lilavan Gangen.

The group will undertake its first international residency specifically in Cape Town, exploring the intersections of Cape jazz, Carnatic music, African traditional music, and more.

The fusion group has another reason for choosing the name Kanak.

For them, Kanak stems from the idea of exploring the convergence of Indian and South African music.

The band said: “We wanted a name that represents the overlap between said cultures. Kanak ⁠stems from the Tamizh word 'kanakku', ⁠⁠a part of Konnakol (Carnatic rhythm language) used to show calculation of beats.

"This musical collaboration finds its roots in Onebeat, a US educational programme that connects musicians and artists around the world, hosting residencies and incubators. Through this, participants collaborate over a month in different and new ways, growing and stretching their arts and exploring different ways to collaborate." 

Vishnu and Sean met in 2021, during Covid-19 and when Onebeat was being held digitally and not in person.

Sean said: “After meeting Vishnu virtually and briefly working with him, I knew he was someone I wish I could meet in person. At the time, I was staying with one of my oldest friends, Lilavan, who I soon found out had met Vishnu years ago on a trip to India. Their family knew each other and Lilavan’s brother had been studying dance with Vishnu’s mother.

“Fast forward to 2024, when I was on tour with a musical and happened to be in India by luck and I was able to stay with Vishnu for about a week. After having an amazing time, we knew we needed to work on a project and create something together. One year and lots of work later, here we are." 

I was fortunate enough to be amongst an intimate audience last Thursday at the University of Cape Town, The South African College of Music  (SACM) lunchtime concert.

Being a fan of Carnatic music myself, I was drawn away by Vishnu’s Navtar and its distinct features paired with support by Sean on cello and bass, and Lilavan on western drums. It was encouraging that the group was enthusiastically supported by the mixed audience’s spirited applause and calls for more. I must note that this came especially after the group’s rendition of the famous Muthuswami Dikshitar composition, Vathapi Ganapathim.

Vishnu has had the support of Rhapsody studios on this tour, with director Georgie Jones being an essential part of helping to coordinate the tour. The group has been able to put together a full schedule between rehearsing the shows and giving Vishnu a chance to see and experience Cape Town.

Unfortunately, the tour is limited to Cape Town. There are a range of different shows around town. Upcoming Kanak concerts include: March 13 at Gorgeous George; March 14 at the Lourensford Wine Farm, March 16 at The Commons, March 23 at Trenchtown with a collaboration with the Nomadic Orchestra and March 26 at Seekart Sessions in Woodstock.

So what does the future hold for this trio. The group has quickly realised the need to take Kanak to India. Plans are in progress and dates will be confirmed soon.

To sum up, Lilavan said: “Distance has not stopped us working before so in the meantime we will keep exploring these musical conversations across cultural and international borders.”

Saranya Devan is a theatre-maker, dance performer and academic. She holds an MA in dance from UCT, and a MA in Bharatha Natyam from the University of Madras.

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