Sangata

Writing together a Franco-Indian adventure

Some write travel diaries. As far as Thierry Pécou is concerned, his wanderings turn into musical scores.

Le Figaro, 2018

Sangata means sheer connivance. This word of Sanskrit origin reflects what took place on stage in 2019. Three distinguished young Indian artists, Rishab Prasanna, Bansuri flute, Ragini Shankar, Indian violin, Amaan Ali, tabla, and Thierry Pécou, accompanied by two of his Ensemble Variances musicians, Anne Cartel, flute, and Carjez Gerretsen, clarinet, embarked on an intercultural musical dialogue of great depth and sheer joy marked by fusion and dialogue between Hindustani classical music and Thierry Pécou’s writing.
Not only is the enthusiastic audience captivated and moved by the soft and enticing moods, the exhilarating moments created by the rhythm of the tabla, a blend of impromptu sequences and portions as established in Thierry Pécou’s music score, but the enthused artists themselves feel there is still much more to come.

Sangata#2 or the step forward

Sangata#2 or the step forward that leads to a truly joint creation by Thierry Pécou and Rishab Prasanna. The young Bansuri flutist, who comes from a Hindu family from Benares boasting of six generations of musicians, and was recently hailed in the press as ‘A radiant flute all the way from India’ (La Croix, July 2019), will be combining his creativity with Thierry Pécou’s creativity, to give rise to a music that will be undoubtedly stunning, undoubtedly humanistic, but which, above all, will be pervaded by the friendship that binds the French and Indian musicians. This program will be a concert-length unique creation, a moment where the present shall become a present of sharing.

Duo Sangata

Two magicians with a bansuri flute and a clarinet as their batons: Rishab Prasanna and Carjez Gerretsen, both as intense in the expression of their virtuosity as in the evocation of a note suspended in silence...
This encounter between orality and writing, modality and harmony, horizontality and verticality, takes you on a musical journey and offers an alternative approach where emotion is the only guide.

Videos

Interview

Thierry Pécou was interviewed by Gabrielle Oliveira Guyon broadcast on France Musique on 22 March 2024.

Contemporary disc of the week

Sangata is the "Disque contemporain de la semaine" broadcast on France Musique on 24 March 2024.

Audience feedback

We thoroughly enjoyed the evening, enchanted by the rythms and melodies from both the continents, the virtuosity of the two musicians of thierry Pécou’s ensemble and the stirring and moving performance by the three indian musicians, the way they were attentive to one another could be seen in their eyes.

Nelly Jourdan, February 2019

The music resonated with us. It was superb. I loved it. Thank you for this fine experience!

Zahia Benallel, for the Espace citoyen de Petit-Quevilly, February 2019

Heartfelt thanks for this utterly fascinating musical composition. A big applause.

Nelly Jourdan, February 2019

Reviews

Inventive and surprisingly familiar music, Sangata offers both hedonistic and profound pleasure. It deserves the standing ovation it received from the public.

Le Monde, 2018

Each of his ragas weaves the same magic and draws the audience into an exhilarating swirl.

La Croix, 2019

Pécou’s music, seductive and inventive, and exudes a feeling of altruism, is ideal for an intercultural encounter.

Sud Ouest, 2019

Staring off as an opportunity, the fusion of cultures ended up becoming a remarkable performance.

Rouen Mag, 2019

The cast

Guest artists

Ragini Shankar violin
Rishab Prasanna bansuri flute
Amaan Ali Khan tabla

Ensemble Variances

Anne Cartel flute
Carjez Gerretsen clarinet
Thierry Pécou keyboards

Informations

Co-production Alliance Française de Delhi / Ensemble Variances / Kalasetu.