Apr 28 2022 to Apr 28 2022 6:30 p.m.

EVENT HAS ENDED

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

If we were to identify the one defining element that qualifies us as alive, it would be our heartbeat. The rhythmic life force that keeps all of us going. And perhaps that is why we respond so instinctively to music – because its nature is that of life itself. Sometimes this rhythm can alter itself, making the heart beat too fast or too slow.

Taking inspiration from this very idea of playing with the structure of rhythm and breaking its predictable patterns, Aritmija is a Slovenia-based band, committed to exploring unusual musical arrangements. It skillfully combines traditional Balkan music with rock, jazz, flamenco, Indian classical, Sufi and folk.

Originally formed by two Slovenian musicians, Tilen Stepišnik and Šemsudin Džopa, Aritmija has performed in over 500 concerts and reputed festivals across Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, UK, Austria and Uzbekistan in the last 15 years. In 2016, Aritmija collaborated with two classically trained musicians from Mumbai, India – vocalist Sabiha Khan, and tabla player Vinayak Netke, resulting in a unique new sound palette for the band. Tilen’s and Šemsudin’s masterful chord-play on the guitars, elevated by the emotive power of Sabiha’s vocals and Vinayak’s exquisite rendering of the tabla, blended together in many intuitive compositions that created magic on stage.

The collaboration continued during the winter of 2016-17 with a short Indian tour in Mumbai and Jaipur. This was followed by a month-long summer tour in Central Europe in 2017, with concerts in several reputed music festivals. True to its open-ended improvisational style of creating music, the band was joined by accomplished guest artists in many of these shows. The momentum continued strongly through 2018-19 with winter and summer tours in India as well as in Europe, which included their innovative Morse Art Project, a combination of music and painting where the patterned signal durations of morse code form the base of their compositions, unfolding on stage with artful interpretations of the codes on canvas. Such cross-cultural collaborations not only result in the creation of fresh new music, they also set a fine example of global solidarity in troubled times, relevant now more than ever before.

With a rich ensemble of high-octane instrumentals, complimented with soulful Indian vocals, Aritmija blends different styles and genres, experimenting with an inclusive approach and adding layers to its compositions which speak to a universal audience.