This month's Spotlight is on Abhinaya SCIO, which this year celebrates two decades of promoting South Asian art and culture in Glasgow and surrounding areas through dance and music, along with public performances. Initially focused on Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form, they've expanded their offerings to include music classes, integrating these closely related arts. Tamil language courses are also offered. Check out their weekly sessions in Glasgow and East Kilbride.
Image by Mian Tariq
Sapta Swara started as a fun experimental music project during the Covid lockdown, initiated by Mr. Navis Binu of Abhinaya SCIO. It offered young people a chance to stay busy and productive when everything was on pause. With 15 enthusiastic young folks on board, they dove into creating music online from the comfort of their homes under the skilled guidance of musicians from India. These experts arranged the music in the traditional South Indian way. The goal? To get students practicing and eventually put together a music video.
Over time, this little project blossomed into a bigger music school, supported by YMI, offering weekly in-person sessions and fun group activities. Since Abhinaya SCIO usually teaches Traditional Indian dance, adding music has really spiced things up. The cultural music intertwines with Bharatanatyam dance, which is a big part of what over 100 students at Abhinaya learn. It's a cool way for these young people to stay connected to their cultural roots, all under the watchful eyes of experienced instructors.
Image by Mian Tariq
When the music project kicked off, it attracted lots of interest from both kids with a few years of experience to total beginners. Mrs. Catherine Walker stepped up to teach music to the newbies. With her solid background in teaching pupils at mainstream schools, including those with complex learning needs, she was a perfect fit. She didn't just teach them instruments; she also led them to perform at big concerts. One of these was at a lively event by the Glasgow Indian Community in Kelvingrove Park, which pulled in a crowd of over 1500 people. She also led performances for Deepavali and Christmas events and managed a group of 18 young musicians at Abhinaya's own showcase Nritha Sangamam (Dance Gathering) on April 14th at the Tramway. This served as a platform to showcase talents from both Music and South Asian Dance to a fully packed audience. The core idea is to offer the kids goals like these performance opportunities as motivation while they learn and bond as a group. Abhinaya's Artistic Director, Esther Sunija, believes that setting goals, like performing at a prestigious venue like the Tramway, drives fast learning and pushes participants to excel.
"Six of our participants at the Tramway had never touched an instrument until about two months before the show this April. Two of them couldn't even read music or any musical instructions before joining us. None of the keyboard or piano players had played with other instruments or had a chance to perform before coming to Abhinaya. What was tough in January and February turned into a walk in the park by April. The skills and sense of achievement from playing together are massive. Everyone upped their music game, their listening ability, their teamwork, and social skills, then they showed it all off to the community."
Music Teacher
Esther, who has been teaching Bharatanatyam for the last 20 years, knows her stuff when it comes to Thallam, a concept in Indian classical music that's about rhythm and structure. She hired Mr Amit, a professional musician, to create arrangements for the classical part of the Music that goes with traditional Indian dance.
A Carnatic music maestro from India came on board to help with musical setups and teach Carnatic violin, super important since Western and Carnatic music styles interpret notes differently. Abhinaya also collaborated with Ms. Arthi from The South Indian Cultural Society of Scotland for vocal layouts. This music journey wasn’t just for musicians but also aimed to sync tunes with dance moves.
Image by Mian Tariq
The response after the show was super positive. Students and parents were really grateful for the top-notch musical experience, especially staged at a well-known spot like the Tramway. With backing from YMI and the help of seasoned musicians and tutors, the project was a hit.
Looking forward, Abhinaya is keen on growing this program with continued support from YMI by teaching more south Asian instruments, offering more performance opportunities, and continuing to collaborate with diverse cultural groups.
By giving young folks a chance to learn and practice music from their own culture, the organisation is keeping traditions alive and kicking. They're all about making music education more accessible and affordable, especially for young people from BAME communities who might not have easy access to local expertise or resources. The team is really excited about the positive impact this could have on young lives.