The Caucasian man in white kurta pyjamas in front of me is practically writhing in his seat. Champagne slopping around in his flute, he’s moved from a cross-legged position into one where both feet are planted on the ground, his shoulders and torso rippling as Nitin Sawhney and band bring their track “Homelands” to its crescendo. He isn’t the only one: The rapture is shot through the semi-circle of Sawhney’s audience at the Kila in Vana, Dehradun, this winter evening.
Sawhney, sitting on a high chair on a makeshift stage thrown over a drained pool, is on his own plane of ecstasy. To introduce the song, he’d told us half an anecdote about wondering why his parents – his father from Lahore, mother from Jalandhar – moved to the UK. “The real homeland is internal,” he’d said, “and until we realise this, we won’t find it.” That sombre note did not prepare us for the sheer joy the song carries. As Ashwin Srinivasan and Nicki Wells vocalise the seven notes of the Indian scale over a curtain of violin and tabla beats, Sawhney’s long fingers flutter expertly over an acoustic guitar, head bobbing along energetically, a giant grin on his face.
“Homelands” is the third song on Beyond Skin, Sawhney’s seminal 1999 album. Considered among the greatest records of the 20th century, it stood out for its syncretic mash of sounds and instruments from around the world – thumri meets country grooves, Bengali folk meets drum ‘n’ bass, rap meets Carnatic – as for its boldness and political acuity.
Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family
The Wedding Singers
Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.
The Fluidity of Cartier
Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.
A Princess with Passion
From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.
DEMNA UNMASKED
He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.