Anish Garange
Nominated for : Involving children into producing music from
discarded articles.
Initiative - Helping change perception of Chhara community.
Nominated for : Involving children into producing music from
discarded articles.
Initiative - Helping change perception of Chhara community.
For five years Anish Garange has been training Chharanagar kids to play on the instruments made of discarded articles; he wants to remove the stigma of ‘born criminals’ on his community.The city is changing fast, but Chharanagar looks much the same. Many people play cards, roam the lanes all day and while their time away. Amid this, there is a small room from where one can hear music being played. You can’t ignore it for its rhythm.
It is Budhan Theatre where the Chhara kids, who, at some point of time used to loiter around, wasting their time, now learn and play on the musical instruments. These are not ordinary musical instruments. Made from equipment and articles used to brew country liquor (or hooch), these instruments blare out musical tunes that captivates anyone who hears it even as one is wonderstruck. All thanks to Anish Garange, the musician, the trainer and the “inventor-manufacturer” of the “musical instruments”.
The Chharas have for long been accused of indulging in crime and encouraging criminals. The British in their gazette termed them thieves and criminals, and the scar was never really obliterated as the police in independent India continued to carry on with the legacy handed down.
Though there is prohibition in Gujarat, many from the community have been booked for brewing or ferrying liquor. Garange, who works with Just Dial has been teaching music to the kids in the neighbourhood since 2008. He says, “The main aim is to remove the stigma on our community. We are often seen as criminals. I want people to know that we are not criminals. I want to send this message out through our music that, like others, we also have talent and there is an artist in every person born in our community.”
He started off with about 15 children and slowly the number grew to about 25. He meets the kids very week for rehearsals and the group has travelled across the country to perform. Its debut production -- ‘It is the music’ -- has been well received and has won for the group several awards, too.
The kids -- many of whose parents were involved in crime -- have performed at Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) and other places of repute across India. They have not only won praise for the music they produce but are slowly changing people’s popular but heavily biased perception of the community.
The group has an eight-year-old boy as its youngest member while the oldest is 19. They all have come to Garange on their own, attracted by the novelty and sheer fun that he has made it for them to learn music. “I do not have any formal training in music. But I found that the articles used in brewing liquor made amazing sound when they fell or someone hit them. It was then that I thought of using things like bottles, cans, bhatti (oven), thali (plate), etc, to make music,” Garange says.
Last year, Garange was called to conduct a workshop at Sabarmati Central Jail to teach music to women prisoners. “It was a challenge for me to train female prisoners as they had no idea of music. In future, I want at least two kids to go ahead in this field and make all of us proud,” he says.
Krishnakant, a 16-year-old Chhara boy, has been with Budhan Theatre for six years. He says, “I have acted in about 15 dramas till date. I never thought that the equipment used to brew liquor could make such good music. Also, it gives us a kick when we perform at other places and get appreciation which our community is not used to getting.”
Informally called ‘Chhara Rocks’ by people who have seen them perform, the group has travelled across the country, given more than 90 shows and won awards
It is Budhan Theatre where the Chhara kids, who, at some point of time used to loiter around, wasting their time, now learn and play on the musical instruments. These are not ordinary musical instruments. Made from equipment and articles used to brew country liquor (or hooch), these instruments blare out musical tunes that captivates anyone who hears it even as one is wonderstruck. All thanks to Anish Garange, the musician, the trainer and the “inventor-manufacturer” of the “musical instruments”.
The Chharas have for long been accused of indulging in crime and encouraging criminals. The British in their gazette termed them thieves and criminals, and the scar was never really obliterated as the police in independent India continued to carry on with the legacy handed down.
Though there is prohibition in Gujarat, many from the community have been booked for brewing or ferrying liquor. Garange, who works with Just Dial has been teaching music to the kids in the neighbourhood since 2008. He says, “The main aim is to remove the stigma on our community. We are often seen as criminals. I want people to know that we are not criminals. I want to send this message out through our music that, like others, we also have talent and there is an artist in every person born in our community.”
He started off with about 15 children and slowly the number grew to about 25. He meets the kids very week for rehearsals and the group has travelled across the country to perform. Its debut production -- ‘It is the music’ -- has been well received and has won for the group several awards, too.
The kids -- many of whose parents were involved in crime -- have performed at Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) and other places of repute across India. They have not only won praise for the music they produce but are slowly changing people’s popular but heavily biased perception of the community.
The group has an eight-year-old boy as its youngest member while the oldest is 19. They all have come to Garange on their own, attracted by the novelty and sheer fun that he has made it for them to learn music. “I do not have any formal training in music. But I found that the articles used in brewing liquor made amazing sound when they fell or someone hit them. It was then that I thought of using things like bottles, cans, bhatti (oven), thali (plate), etc, to make music,” Garange says.
Last year, Garange was called to conduct a workshop at Sabarmati Central Jail to teach music to women prisoners. “It was a challenge for me to train female prisoners as they had no idea of music. In future, I want at least two kids to go ahead in this field and make all of us proud,” he says.
Krishnakant, a 16-year-old Chhara boy, has been with Budhan Theatre for six years. He says, “I have acted in about 15 dramas till date. I never thought that the equipment used to brew liquor could make such good music. Also, it gives us a kick when we perform at other places and get appreciation which our community is not used to getting.”
Informally called ‘Chhara Rocks’ by people who have seen them perform, the group has travelled across the country, given more than 90 shows and won awards
0 comments:
Post a Comment