Rajamani
Central Market North, July 19 Filmmakers and photographers call it the golden hour, the period around sunset when low beams of sunshine cast honey-hued shades and dramatic shadows. Stealing the day’s heat with the evening’s cooling breeze, the golden hour is also summertime Texas’ best stage to begin live music au naturel; the outdoor deck of this gourmet grocery’s cafe is nestled beneath several large oaks and exudes a warm family vibe. Occupying nearly every table before showtime, the audience was an amalgam of shoppers, free-music seekers, well-heeled wine-sippers, and Rajamani regulars. A steel guitar nowhere to be seen, de rigueur Austin singer-songwriter music this was not. Rajamani chronicles and celebrates Indian folk and the sonic passage of the Roma people, who left India a millennium ago through the Mediterranean, arriving at Spain and flamenco. Touring via lute, Rajamani began a 10-song performance with the sarod (Indian lute), moving to the oud, and ending with flamenco guitar. An Austinite hailing from India, Oliver Rajamani is a musical triple threat — drums, voice, and strings — having played with Glen Velez; Tool’s favorite Indian percussionist, Aloke Dutta; Tina Marsh; and the Gipsy Kings. His backing trio here — Steve Marcum on djembe, Pubcrawler Sean Orr on fiddle, and founding New Bohemian/current Critters Buggin’ Brad Houser on bass — were also world-class. Pulling from last year’s local best Pakiam, the quartet’s two sets showcased several ostinato-based compositions, often with references to mystical love, including one by famed Persian poet Shams-od-Din Muhammad Hafez. If Rajamani’s music had to be described in one word, it would be spiritual, both in intent and result, his qawwali-meets-flamenco singing proof enough. This was in spite of occasional technical glitches and an easily distracted audience. In the end, Rajamani’s music furthered the Roma India-to-Spain voyage through Texas and beyond.This article appears in July 25 • 2003.