A humanitarian ‘Night for India’
It’s been 33 years since the Concert for Bangladesh advanced the premise that pop musicians could and should use their talent and marquee appeal to serve a humanitarian effort. Similar efforts followed: Farm Aid, Live Aid, Band Aid, the Toronto SARS Benefit, etc.
On Saturday at the Wiltern LG, another high-profile benefit, “One Night for India,” joins the list. The charity event supports the fight against the emerging HIV/AIDS crisis in India.
The lineup includes percussionist/producer Karsh Kale, multi-talented Nitin Sawhney, singer/tabla player Tina Sugandh, Perry Farrell (of Jane’s Addiction), singers Michelle Branch and Reggie Benjamin, American Idol’s Kimberley Locke and violinist Lili Haydn, among others.
Sawhney (who has composed for Cirque du Soleil and mixed for Sting) writes music that blends Asian and Western sounds. Percussionist Kale (of Tabla Beat Science) combines Indian sounds and textures into atmospheric soundscapes.
Kale sees the blendings as an important stage in the integration of East and West sounds: “It’s an interesting time. You’re hearing a lot of sonic influences -- tabla beats and bhangra beats mixed with dance beats, samples of Bollywood strings. In one sense that’s kind of an exotic flavor, the sound of the moment -- ‘Let’s visit Asia for a second.’ On the other hand, it’s been building for a long time, first with visionaries like Bill Laswell and Philip Glass and now with young people who freely mix cultural elements.”
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One Night for India, Wiltern LG, 3760 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 6:30 p.m. Saturday. $33.50-$98.50. (213) 388-1400 or www.onenightforindia.com.
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