Classical Guitar Augmented

Drawing Inspirations for Guitarists from Guitarists… A Bangalore School of Music (BSM) Monthly Issue, Vol.1 (8/15)

An Initiative By Poireinganba Thangjam (Len) Faculty of Guitar, The Bangalore School of Music (BSM)

© All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or emanated in any form without prior written consent from the Author or Company. Foreword:

Dear Guitar Enthusiasts, it gives me great pleasure to share these thoughts with you. First and foremost thought I give my compliments to Mr. Poireinganba Thangjam (Len), our Guitar Teacher, on taking the initiative of starting "Classical Guitar Augmented", a monthly Newsletter "Drawing Inspiration for Guitarists from Guitarists". Second thought, Len's conversations with Carle Costa and all the future artists will be recorded for the benefit of every Guitarists to deeper levels of thinking, deeper knowledge and to be inspired by great icons as Carlé Costa, as a beginning to further insights for the development of yourselves as Musicians. Third thought, the Music School will be supporting this initiative in every way and I request the same from each of you dear readers, guitarists and all other musicians of different instruments too. Congratulations Len!

Mrs. Aruna Sunderlal Founder & Managing Trustee The Bangalore School of Music

Introduction to the Issues:

Classical Guitar is sculpting the Indian landscape tenderly as the strings from many countries across the world bring in the colours of harmony. It's here right now and we're canvases of our own artistry living these slices of moments! With windows of opportunities opened up by Avik Saha and Biplaw Singh (Calcutta Classical Guitar Society) and The Calcutta International Classical Guitar Festival and Competition held annually since 2010 the world has started turning it's eyes towards India. Master guitarists along with classical guitarist-buskers from around the globe gather up here and share new ideas about music influencing each other. Now the force is even stronger with the inception of the Indian Guitar Federation (IGF) and the efforts of Veda Aggarwal to strengthen the ties between all classical guitarists in India. Another creation of Harmony through melodies that will someday lead to an endless Masterpiece in time with younger generation after generations pick up the trail and walk this ethereal musical path.

This first issue, and eventually all future issues, will present an Introduction and Interview of one Composer/Guitarist or Performer who journeyed beyond the past and speaks a musical language for the future, featuring a Composer or Performer who helped expand the classical guitar repertoire musically & technically. And with this talks there is a hope that it will bring a union personally with the artist on a deeper level for our own healthy development as musicians of the era. I hope you gain from each and every artist that will be featured on the series and surely suggestions are always gladly accepted. My information can be found after the interview and I'd surely love to get feedbacks and criticisms to help improve this small project.

Regards from, Poireinganba Thangjam Artist Introduction

Carlé Costa, Argentina

For our first issue, we've decided to write on Composer/Guitarist, Carlé Costa from Uruguay, Argentina and who currently lives in Berlin, Germany since 2006. I had also personally requested an interview with him and anticipated for hours for his reply to which he agreed heartily. Quoting the Classical Guitar Review, “Carlé Costa is internationally considered to be a unique and exquisite guitar performer. He is a poetic and innovative composer, and with his own particular style is renovating the guitaŕ s language.” He has given recitals across the globe in Sweden, Switzerland, India, Bhutan, Peru, France & Germany to name a few where he and incorporated these techniques in his performs his own compositions along with compositions. other master- pieces. Carlé Costa was born Parallel to his artistic activities, Costa in Uruguay in 1959, and grew up in developed a treatise to communicate new Argentina. His studies of classical guitar concepts and spirituality in music, started at the age of 13 years with the awaking the creativity of young musicians. Italian teacher José Smirldo. He He gave courses, seminars and master- continued his studies in the National classes in conservatories and universities Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires of Argentine, Peru, Chile, Sweden and where he studied under Horacio Ceballos. Germany. He organized with others Later he studied contemporary guitar with important guitarists the “Campus of Miguel Angel Girollet, and also took Contemporary Guitar” (2002 to 2005) classes in Composition, Electro- who inspired the documentation film of Acoustics, Music Analysis, Philosophy of Javier de Silvio “Guitarra Adentro”. He Music and Chamber music, with created and gave the artistic direction of Guillermo Graetzer, José Maranzano, the “International Guitarplayers- Vadim von Struckhoff, Mario García Composers Festival in the Cordoba Acevedo, Pedro Chiambaretta, Helmut Northwest” (2001 to 2005). Lachenmann and Ivo Malec. Carlé Costa, with his compositional work, Costa was a pioneer in interpreting and his quality to perform the guitar, and his teaching contemporary avant-garde unusual and deep vision about art, is music. In 1986 he recorded his first album considered at the moment one of the most for the label Circe of Buenos Aires, with a important referents of the new generation selection of contemporary compositions of artists. (Brouwer, Tsilicas, Obrovská, Labrouve, Gervasoni and Costa). The recording was (Reference & partially edited from: highly praised by both critics and Classical Guitar Review, Jan. 20, 2010) contemporary music specialists. In his own compositions he developed and created extended techniques for the guitar In Conversation with Carlé Costa with Poireinganba Thangjam (Len)

I have had earlier conversations with Mr...... Carlé Costa personally in 2010 briefly and chatted online since 2012. To introduce, So after a few conversations and some let me just write up my first chat with him failed plans of his return, I expressed my back in early 2012 and then straight away views on an informal interview of him for get to the present interview - where I our little guitar article to which he most realised I had grabbed and scratched the kindly agreed. Presented on deck right skin of one of most philosophical, here is our communion. spiritual, emotional and poetic master- musicians of our era; while he was Len: Can you describe a bit about your meditating! A personal feeling for me that early years of life and guitar playing, your can be comparably retold as a spiral influences and surrounding environment elevation with nervous injection. Carlé that made you a guitarist (something had the most innovative, philosophical more personal than the information I mind that could relate music straight to could read online)? your soul and keep you yearning for more. I wish this conversation could have been Carlé: I am not a guitarist, I am a done eye to eye but straight away was musician, I am an artist (I worked and still impossible for me at this moment. I hope I am working hard to be), and I love the all growing musicians will get to learn guitar, as part of me and part of my body, from this conversation as I do and keep a way for my conscience, and a path for growing. Here's how it began... joy. I don't know really how the guitar came to me (or me to the guitar), (It) was Len: Hello Sir, I listen to your Guitarra an amount of “coincidences” and Elemental almost every day since I bought synchronisations. It seems like it was not it at the Calcutta International Classical part of the family plan, but the Universe Guitar Festival, 2010. The more I listen, made an incredible conspiracy to bring us the more I get deeper into your music. together. You have been the biggest inspiration in my love for guitar music and composition. Len: How do you compose your music "Inipi" has given me lots of courage with and from where do you draw your humility. I'm also in love with "Corazon, inspirations from? horizonte frio", "El Amor de la Nube y la Carlé: This is a too vast question, difficult Montana" and practically every piece of to answer in a good word or even lineal. music on the CD. Thank you, sir, for the Some music came in a way, some others in beautiful music you create. other ways. You must discover your own Carlé: Dear Poireinganba Thangjam, way to achieve the incredible landscape of thanks a lot really for your so touching music, and accept it too. Some music are words... you are blessing with such a there, in your hands. Seems like its in the sensibility and capacity to enjoy the music air around you. Some others comes to (and the world, for sure), with love and your mind, a little part of it, or sometimes delicacy. It is an honor for me to have fans like a whole remembrance, not the details, in that quality! Well, I hope to return the whole atmosphere or colour or there soon and continue sharing music texture... like a dream, difficult to and creativity! describe.... Then you try to catch it, and it is another thing ... but even then, again. The way you listen is your way and somehow it works ... Nature is the master, identity... Then, be free and enjoy it. then in the Observation of nature and its processes, the silence, the movements of Len: Who are your inspirations and each element, you can learn the important influences? things of music ... but it needs a kind of critic part of you to make a Balance Carlé: Very vast question too. But I will between this Physical Learning, and the try an approach to an answer. There are Intelligent part of you, who produce some many kind of inspirations and levels of parts to concepts and make some kind of inspirations. Some times are direct “evaluations” of your learning and making experiences (as rituals, or concerts, or ... seems like a “negative” part (too much exhibitions, or films), others are of this part can stop you and your commissions, and you are inspired for the creativity) ... as all in life, it is a kind of proposed instruments and possibilities.... Balance and Measure. Or the qualities of a performer . Dreams sometimes. Ideals. Or pain (as Grave por Len: How would you explain modern Gaza), political situations, or simply the guitar music, in this case, your music as sound who invite you to follow it, and opposed to earlier guitar music? Or, if I discover new possibilities. Influences are put it another way, how would you explain so many as stars in the night... And each the flow of your music to a young student influence in the life (I spoke only about who's listening to you for the first time musical influences) is so important to knowing it's beautiful but couldn't relate build the present who immediately run to fully to it? the next present..... But well, I can tell you some musicians who impressed me Carlé: Music speaks itself, and the deeply, and are some kind of horizons who synchrony you can establish has to do invite you to come: JS Bach, Heitor Villa- with your level of conscience, and of Lobos, Claude Debussy, Kryztof course your sensibility and freedom. Who Penderewsky, Erik Satie, David Sylvian, can say “I am absolutely related fully” to Atahualpa Yupanqui, Hildegard von some music? What does it mean? The Bingen, Dmitri Shostakovich, Morton understanding of music is not a lineal Feldman, Charlomagne Palestine, path to know it, is absolutely Guillaume de Machaut, WA Mozart, Multidimensional, and as the music itself, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gyorgy Ligeti, exceed the logical process and form: this George Harrison, Robert Fripp, Gustav dimension of the music, who is possible to Mahler, Alfred Schnittke, and more of “describe” as measurable patterns and course.... systems. It is the more superficial aspect of a kind of organic, transcendent and Len: Now, this is just a thought running complex being who take form in a on my mind while you mentioned Robert perceptual and temporal process, take life, Fripp and your composition “Im Reich des bring spiritual and intelligence movement King Crimson”, I can't help but relate to us, awake our conscience, and Frippertonics and your avant-garde disappear again in another world .... compositions where you took a classical guitar in its common standard and lifted it Then, my only advice could be: Be Free to so high beyond it's limitations in your own Listen, Don't Judge in advance, Open your style and without electronic effects. What Ears and Soul, Open your Mind, and let did you ask yourself on “how” to make the music take you. And if it invites you to that happen? splash again in, make it, once and once Carlé: I very much like the style and what are your thoughts on the necessities development of Robert Fripp along his of playing together (duos, trios etc... and life, how he experiments in different different instrumentations) directions (not only Frippertronics), and how (it) is possible to see the “musical Carlé: Strange question. I am a composer identity” or “musical body” of his way to not only a guitarist. And always, other play, a kind of organic mix of geometrical instruments and their literature and ways designs (very physical in the guitar) and a to connect with musical language was and sensible heart. In the case of the is a permanent inspiration. It makes wider Fripppertronics, I like very much the the ways to think of the guitar language essential of minimalistic music, the way to too, to extended the possibilities of the oppose statism and changes, and it was guitar. But use for the imagination, the (Frippertronics) one of the first musical range of possibilities of another style I heard in this way (and Brian Eno, instrument is so natural as it is to breathe. whom I forgot to mention before, so inspiring for me along his musical life...till Len: If you could refer it for technicality the present). Perhaps today I am not so in and ideological improvement of young synchrony with this part of Fripṕ s music, performers? but I am really thankful I listened to it in those moments of my life. It was very Carlé: Playing with more people is very provocative and inspiring. important, because we are social beings too. First of all, to work about rhythm Len: In 5 Haikus (2009), I felt a touch of together, then the different functions in a Toru Takemitsu. Was he an influence here musical texture. But more deeply, to move as you're dealing with a Japanese core? together, to breath together, to balance our understanding as one mind: more and Carlé: Not really. Zen art was a more more becomes a spiritual experience, close influence, especially drawings. And simple and transcendent activity. In the the elegant and deep acceptance of case of playing with more instruments, emptiness in this art/philosophy... there are simple challenges that are very interesting for a guitar performer: not to Len: I wouldn't want to discuss Zen for ask for a more discreet way of playing of the present moment because there'll be the other instruments, but to grow up the too much again on the plate. So, we'll just power of the sound of the guitar (without go on to the next set of my questions then? using amplification), elaborating a You also composed a minimalist piece for technique to be in the level of other piano called "Visiones sobre la nueve traditional instruments. Learn from these Rocas" early in 1989. Do you compose for instruments the natural way as they speak other instruments too? music, the articulations, the kind of use of energy, the way they said Carlé: Yes. I composed (a commissioned “lines” (melodies), the way they attack work for a contemporary festival) a duo chords, the impulses, the sustains, and for Guitar and Harp. Another commission more.... This is a way of enlightenment of the last year was for Recorder and and enrichment in musicality. You Voice. I composed for Voice and Guitar. mentioned “ideology”. This is a very risky And now I have a commission for a String word, especially in the field of music. And Orchestra piece. I think all is ideological in some way, but more transcendent than a simple concept Len: That's wonderful! I hope we could or idea. But if you feel always that you are listen to it very soon. So bringing these the more important musician in an instruments together and the guitar too, ensemble, and always you want to be the Len: I understand, and right now I'm in “prima donna” ... well, this is a symbol of awe over your words. It totally makes your immense Ego and your ideology, of sense and I could relate the ideas of Jiddu course, is that of a capitalistic and selfish Krishnamurti, the philosopher who said mind and you'll have nothing to do with so in different terms while on the topic of playing in an ensemble (written music or the balancing of time among confusion. improvised): Here nobody is more Now, I'm almost through with my important than another, each function is questions too. What I'd like to ask you important and must be played with all the now is: What gives you Balance for your respect and soul. Even, of course, the Creativity? accompaniment, it is a very complex and subtle art to do. In the case of improvised Carlé: To contemplate the world, to music, it is very important to understand respect myself, and to move on for a better when you lead or when you must follow, world for all people. When I am not or sustain others ... is ONE being and not (emerged) enough in silence to really a summitry of "ones" or this must be to Listen, I am not in balance, (it) is a play together. signal... then I try to respect myself and fall till I get back my sensibility, and Len: What's your own practice approach continue… and how do you balance your Time between composition, practice of your Len: Could you describe briefly the inner pieces and other pieces as well? experience of a composer/ performer?

Carlé: Well this is different for each Carlé: I think not, it is not possible to person. I think is very important to know describe... how to describe what you do the own limits and difficulties, and each when you breath? It is a natural and one must work hard in this direction ... integrative movement that brings you because just there lay an important energy and life. treasure, a source of new possibilities. But to balance the time when you are not only Len: That summarises it totally, I guess. a performer it is not easy ... and the dance By the way, what do you think of small I think is to go in one direction and then project like Classical Guitar Augmented? in the other, and try to connect both too (I What suggestions/advice would you like like very much to play, but to compose to give me to expand it? too, and to improvise, and to teach too. I think I need this areas are always Carlé: I don’t know the details about your parallels... But photography and to paint project “Classical Guitar Augmented”, the too... and Tai Chi Chuan) ... because now, area of work, the goals; the only thing I what is important to practice? Only the know from you is that it is a kind of Blog/ technical skills? Or our way to listen? Or Interview Newsletter. The Title sounds to watch? Or how to move? Or our good, suggest a kind of “development” for creativity? Our understanding of what we the classical guitar… a purpose! are playing (own or from another)? I think “Augmented” is a word you must fulfil it is a spiral of searching ourselves and our with new concepts, “New Blood”, with a bests in all directions, searching the musical horizon more farther than the integrations of all this dimensions ... to classical guitar but, “from” the classical build us as artists .... Because I think this guitar. Make it a passage through the is the real dimension of True Art: The classical guitar just like a crystal to let the light pass off and bring new visions about Spirit (and not the aesthetic, which is only a kind of temporal and relative concept). the light itself. Then again, new visions about the crystal to understand itself: to expand (augmented?) its self conscience. the sound, other articulation fancy, more (My use of light is a metaphor of music, colourful and powerful too). Not reducing sound, ideas, silence and the soul) more to this fantastic gift to a mediocre imitation of guitarists before your time. Len: Thank you so much for your Playing the same music always can be a suggestions and it’s very much true I’m waste of time in your own life and for the writing this for as a Guitar Newsletter for audience too who relates to just specific The Bangalore School of Music. It'll be instruments are uncultivated and are featured on my personal Blog too. Also, similar to drug addicts who listens to the I’m in network with other Organisations same music in the same way - a perverse who’ll be publishing it on their webpages virtualisation of a vital activity and grow too. There are some interests showing up up in a fictitious or vague art . Ignorance around for this. Now as a closure for this will kill us if we make nothing. My best ceremony of words with you, what would regards. you like to add? Len: I’ll keep thinking about this Carlé: I’m concerned about the behaviour interview contemplating it for a while of guitarists and the risk when the exploring myself through it. Thank you instrument is too centred in it’s belly very much for your valuable time and button and superficial things like never sharing precious jewels of ideas for the ending discussing about techniques, too article. It’s a treasure trove for all artists focused in decadent literatures, for and I hope they grab whatever they can example. I would want the purpose to be from this conversation just as I did. Thank consequent with Music through the guitar, you. that is, to understand the nature of this beautiful instrument and its wonderful possibilities but in a more subtle and deep way to use it for musical ART (with another consistence in August, 2015

Carlé Costa can found online at:

www.carlecosta.com.ar

www.myspace.com/carlecosta

www.youtube.com/user/ newguitarmanagement

Poireinganba Thangjam can be reached through:

www.facebook.com/ngarimetpa Poireinganba Thangjam [email protected] Founder & Chief Editor, CLASSICAL GUITAR AUGMENTED