Jham! is an engaging and entertaining new dance and music work that will be created by Nina Rajarani MBE and Y Yadavan. Inspired by the notion of live improvising, this new work will bring together two superficially different, but fundamentally related, vocal forms – the rhythmic, syllabic, vocally percussive South Indian style of solkattu, which is often an accompaniment to dance performances as well as a vocal style in its own right; and the immediately familiar modern style of beatboxing, most often associated with hip-hop dance and music.
The title, Jham!, is one of the syllables used in solkattu, and also alludes to the idea of a musical jam – an atmosphere of improvisation and collaboration, the musicians and dancers working off one another to produce something new and exciting. This upbeat, playful and energetic work will highlight the rhythmic play between the ancient and the modern.
Touring from Summer 2013, this will be a full-length work of 90 minutes, including an interval. However, adaptations of varying lengths will be created from as short as 20 minutes so that the work is accessible to a variety of platforms including festivals and showcases.
A work which will be informal in character will have, as one of its adaptations, a version suitable for outdoor performances.
A truly original experience for audiences of all ages, full of surprise, skill and imagination, Jham! will be of particular appeal and relevance to young audiences.