True happiness is not at all expensive. It depends upon that natural spring of beauty and of life, harmony of relationship. Ambition pursues its own path of self-seeking by breaking this bond of harmony, digging gaps, creating dissension. Selfish ambition feels no hesitation in trampling under foot the whole harvest field, which is for all, […]
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Human beings are very unique in the sense that we are learning animals. We have a natural ability to both learn and teach, and that is called parenting. And being a child, the system of education is relatively recent, where you sit people down in classrooms and, you know, systematically teach them. But what’s happened […]
This month [December 2020] marks the 250th birth anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven. In ordinary times, Germany, Austria, and a good part of the world beyond Europe would have been ablaze with celebrations: as the opera composer Giuseppe Verdi, a man whose reputation in some circles would be just as great, remarked: “Before the name […]
The month of September offered an opportunity to celebrate the centenary of a successful lecture tour by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). It was organized by Dutch citizens with whom he shared a commitment to a cultural dialogue on eye-level. A Dutch press report highlights Tagore’s “silver voice” that conveyed his admiration for the songs of Bengal’s […]
In September 2020 Amsterdam remembers the 100th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore’s visit. It did not just made a deep impression, it caused a sensation. 1 2020 also happens the year when Amsterdam celebrates the 75th anniversary of liberation from nazi-occupation 2 while confronting the legacy of collaboration among some sections of society including local authorities. […]
For ten years this exhibition celebrated the sources of inspiration shared by Indian and Western artists; and at the same time, it traced the role of migrants from India via Suriname through songs, memorabilia, and documentary film footage. Concept and research: Ludwig Pesch (www.aiume.org) in collaboration with museum staff and Architectenbureau Jowa (www.jowa.nl). On display […]
Therefore I ask you to have the strength of faith and clarity of mind to know for certain that the lumbering structure of modern progress, riveted by the iron bolts of efficiency, which runs upon the wheels of ambition, cannot hold together for long. Collisions are certain to occur, for it has to travel upon […]
Text: Ludwig Pesch | Art: Arun V.C. The flute has played a key role in India’s artistic life since antiquity. This is evident from writings on dance-drama, mythology, sculptures and paintings. Its playing technique must have been highly developed for a very long time. Different names are used for it, for instance kuzhal (pronounced like “kulal” or “kural”) in Tamil speaking regions; and bānsurī […]
Manickam Yogeswaran ist ein in Indien ausgebildeter Sänger und Trommler. Seine klassischen Konzerte begeistern seine Zuhörer genauso wie seine Beiträge zu den Tourneen westlicher Ensembles wie The Shout (englische “Vocal Big Band”) und Dissidenten (“World Beat Fusion Band”). Er arbeitet mit Tänzern, Choreographen und Filmkomponisten aus ganz Europa und Indien (u.a. für Stanley Kubrick und […]
The mockingbird’s elusive complexity still sounds like a code waiting to be cracked. It may be harder to answer the question of what birds sing than why! Think of the power of mantras, Hindu incantations that on the surface are composed of nonsense syllables but when internalized lead the soul to higher spiritual states. So are the […]