Virtuoso Qais Essar is transporting the sounds of Afghanistan to Melbourne Recital Centre on Wednesday November 6 with his masterful playing of the rabab.
Channelling influences of Indian and Afghan folk music into the world of classical music through a modern lens, Qais Essar is gearing up to transform Melbourne Recital Centre’s Primrose Potter Salon into a sonic portal of music as diverse as it is unique.
You’re invited to come along for this musical journey that traverses time, nations and the sound spectrum – a journey that Qais says he’s “very happy and excited” to take listeners on, in what will be his debut performance at the venue. Taking some time out of his mammoth Revolutionary Love Tour, Qais chats to us from San Francisco. Touring through 45 cities, the musician acknowledges feeling physically exhausted from the intense run of shows, but adds, “my heart [is] full.”
Qais Essar
- Wednesday November 6
- Melbourne Recital Centre
- Tickets here
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A portal to alternate worlds
Qais says he’s looking forward to “returning to Melbourne and to have the privilege of performing for you and yours very soon, bringing the ancient sounds of the rabab and the portal to alternate and parallel realities.”
Drawing from both Afghan and Indian folk and classical traditions, Qais navigates the blending of these distinct yet related musical forms seamlessly. He’s able to do so, he says, because “Afghan classical music is a sub-branch of North Indian classical music. We paint pictures using the same palette.”
The notion of painting a picture through sound is a beautifully apt metaphor to describe the way that Qais commands music. Through his playing of the rabab – a lute-like instrument of Afghanistan – he illustrates not just a moment or a scene, but a whole world of colour and texture.
“The rabab is a sign of resilience”
“The rabab, now more than ever, is a sign of resilience,” Qais says in light of Afghanistan’s ongoing music ban. “Not only to lift our voices but the voices that have been silenced back home.”
The home that Qais is referring to may be Afghanistan, but the transportive portal he opens up in his music feels neither bound by country lines nor language. “I honour my rooted tradition,” he says, “but I want to make new traditions and evolve the music and culture.”
“With the rabab, I serve as an ambassador for my people, taking our music all over the world and exposing a new demographic of people that can appreciate the culture and implement it into their lives, to sing the songs of our people.”
It isn’t just through live performances and international concerts that Qais is sharing his music with the world, but also through the silver screen. A composer as well as an instrumentalist and producer, Qais has created music for a range of films, such as the Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner.
Music for an intimate setting
While Qais has played his fair share of large-scale performances, like that at SXSW and The Kennedy Centre, he says that the Primrose Potter Salon provides the ideal space for audiences to connect with his music. “This music is best in a small, intimate setting, so I’m very excited at the opportunity to perform at the Salon and to share the music as it was originally heard.”
Playing alongside Qais on Wednesday November 6 will be the Melbourne-based Tabla player Pranav Ramji. Qais and Pranav performed together in Melbourne on Qais’ first Australian tour. Afterwards, Qais realised they had “great chemistry”. “I’m looking forward to performing with him again,” Qais adds.
For Qais, this performance is ultimately all about extending his world of music out to you, beckoning you to explore it. “My hope is that people leave a performance with the rabab in their heart, and hope it serves as a portal to explore the instrument and culture further,” he says.
Go on a journey with Qais
This upcoming performance at Melbourne Recital Centre is shaping up to be a significant one. Come along on this journey with Qais through space and time, wander through worlds and discover the music that connects each of these separate parts to form a whole.
You can also listen to Qais’ newest album Echoes Of The Unseen, an exploration of the limitless possibilities of the rabab, and an enticing taste of what will be in store for the performance on Wednesday November 6.
Get tickets to see Qais Essar at Melbourne Recital Centre here.
This article was made in partnership with Melbourne Recital Centre.
