‘Aham | mahA’
role: composer, producer, & live vocalist
Aham | mahA is a live music performance of two works: Soham Har Damru and Ramti Aave. They are performed to live and recorded music in both traditional and contemporary kathak.
Soham Har Damru is a stuti or invocation to Lord Shiva and his creative energy which manifests the world through the sound of his drum or damru. The damru, a two-headed drum, symbolizes the cosmic sound in Hindu mythology. When played, its vibrations represent the primal sound "Om," which is believed to be the source of all creation. These rhythmic sounds are said to generate the energy that manifests as planets, stars, and all life forms in the universe.
This work is an experience of kathak in its most traditional sense. In it is present storytelling through expressions the recitation and performance of intricate rhythmic compositions that kathak is famed for.
Ramti Aave or Her Playful Arrival explores surrendering to Kali's playfully destructive power to access the erotic. This work weaves the insights of the erotic by poet, author, and activist Audre Lorde to the symbolism of Kali to bring forth the notion that erotic transcends explicit sexuality, celebrating its profound and limitless strength in everyday experiences for personal and collective liberation.
The Sanskrit language lends itself to mystical-philosophical speculation on letters, words, and sentences which help us understand this reflective existence. One such word is AHAM (A-HA-M). The A represents Shiva Consciousness, the HA represents the power of Shakti, and the M represents Nara which is all of mankind. AHAM then is the flowing nature of Shiva consciousness, by the grace of his inherent Shakti, to the whole of manifested reality in the form of differentiated identities. This is the essence of who we all are. Similarly, if we send the word AHAM through a reflective glass, we get the word MAHA. MA-HA-A then is the flow of consciousness moving from Nara, through Shakti, back to Shiva.
This piece was conceived in Spring of 2023 and is a work in progress, headed by dancer & Bessie Award Winner, Barkha Patel. ‘Aham | mahA’ has been presented at venues such as 92NY, Chelsea Factory, and has received support from the New York State Dance Force to tour western NY to venues such as Reg Lenna Center, Rochester University, 171 Cedar Arts. Most recently, this work was showcased at The Egg PAC in Albany, NY.
