Interview with French musician, Emmanuel Simon, in Kolkata
Media India Group takes you on a musical journey with French musician Emmanuel Simon. This multi-faceted artist is based in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, where he studied Bengali percussions, notably tabla, for many years with the late Pandit Shankar Ghosh. He explains how tabla is still vibrant there, part of an everyday life, not only in its classical form but also mixed with modern influences, in cinema or fusion music. Simon, also a film music composer, studied and practices many different genres, from Western classical and modern music to Afro-Cuban jazz. He has been performing in Europe and Asia, and tours India with his Latin jazz band, the Latination, promoting its unique and relatively unknown repertoire in the country. It includes Salsa, Rumba and modern jazz among others. Simon is definitely the right person to meet when you talk about World Music. Enjoy the vibes.