20/08/2026

LYFE

LYFE THURSDAY | AUG 20, 2026

25

█ BY ASHIQIN AHMAD

M USIC can communicate feelings that words sometimes cannot. For the mastermind musicians behind the Beyond Words concert, L. Shankar and Samuel J. Dass, that idea is not merely the theme of their concert but the foundation of how they approach collaboration. At the heart of the concert is an encounter between violin and sitar, two instruments with distinct tonal qualities and musical traditions. Rather than attempting to smooth out those differences, the musicians are allowing them to remain audible, using the contrast to shape their musical conversation. “The title ‘Beyond Words’ is really about the experience of music itself. There are certain emotions and experiences that you cannot always explain in words. You can talk about music but ultimately, you have to experience it. That is what makes music so powerful,” Shankar told theSun . Giving room to speak The concert will unfold in three parts, giving audiences the chance to experience the musicians separately before hearing them come together. The first 30 minutes will feature Shankar’s performance, followed by 30 minutes dedicated to Samuel. The final 30 minutes will bring the two together. Rather than having the collaboration dominate the entire evening, the format allows each musician to establish his own voice before the two converge for the final section. This structure also sets up the central musical contrast of the concert. The violin and sitar may occupy different musical worlds, but their differences are precisely what make their meeting interesting. “The violin and sitar have very different tonal qualities but that difference is also what makes the combination interesting,” said Shankar. “We are not trying to make the two instruments sound alike. Instead, we allow each instrument to retain its own character and see how they can respond to one another musically,” said Samuel. The emphasis, then, is not on making the instruments conform to one another but on allowing them to

Tabla virtuoso Prakash (left) alongside Samuel will bring together distinct musical traditions for the concert. disagreement. There were a few moments when we saw things differently but we resolved them like adults. At the end of the day, we are all working towards the same thing, which is to make good music,” Samuel said. For Shankar, the collaboration has also been an exercise in knowing when to lead and when to make space. “We have both learnt to give and take. Collaboration is not about one person imposing their ideas on another. You have to know when to give space, when to listen and when to contribute. That exchange has been an important part of working together,” Shankar said. It is a philosophy that mirrors the way the ensemble itself is being constructed. Each instrument retains its own identity but none exists in isolation. The result is intended to be less about showcasing individual musicians and more about what emerges when their different voices occupy the same musical space. Outside of the music box For audiences who may not be familiar with Indian classical music, Beyond Words could initially appear to be an introduction to a particular musical tradition. Shankar, however, is reluctant to place the concert within such a narrow frame. “I wouldn’t describe it simply as Indian classical music. Music is universal. You don’t have to understand a particular tradition or musical system to connect with what you hear. You can come with no prior knowledge and still respond to the emotion, the rhythm and the energy,” he said. That distinction is important. The concert does not require audiences to arrive with an understanding of musical theory or cultural history. Instead, the invitation is simply to listen. “It is not about expecting the audience to understand every technical aspect of the music. It is about allowing yourself to listen, to feel and to discover something new,” he said. In that sense, the title becomes less a description of the music but more a description of the experience it hopes to create. “Music is universal. It doesn’t belong to one country, one culture or one generation. When you strip everything else away, music has the ability to connect people and that is what we hope audiences will feel when they come to Beyond Words ,” Samuel said. Perhaps that is where the meeting of violin, sitar and the wider ensemble finds its purpose. The instruments do not need to speak the same musical language to be understood: they simply need to listen to one another.

Conversation between instruments Samuel says the Beyond Words concert allows each instrument to retain its own character and see how they respond to one another musically.

o L. Shankar, Samuel J. Dass give inside scoop on upcoming concert Beyond Words

react, complement and challenge each other. Seven instruments ensemble The final section expands that conversation into a larger ensemble, bringing together Prakash Kandasamy on tabla, Marco Alonso and Eliezer Enan on guitar, Shawalnaz Hussin on keyboards, Hadi Maswardi on bass guitar, Muhardiman Ismail on seruling and Paavendran Langkadaran on percussion. With so many instruments occupying the same musical space, the challenge is not simply technical. It is knowing when to be heard and when to step back. “With so many instruments involved, the important thing is to listen to each other. Every instrument has its own place and its own voice and the music works when everyone understands how to complement one another rather than trying to dominate,” Shankar said. That principle of listening extends beyond the performance itself. Bringing together musicians with different ideas and approaches can naturally lead to differences during preparation, but Shankar sees those moments as part of the process. “There hasn’t been much

Grammy-winning musician Shankar (left) and Malaysia’s Sultan of Sitar Samuel share the stage ahead of their upcoming musical collaboration. – HANDOUT PICS