New Delhi, September 23, 2011: The year of Germany in India commenced today amidst much fanfare and rhythmic resonance as India’s star percussionist Sivamani and Germany’s solo percussionist Christoph Haberer came together for an open-air concert titled, ‘Infinite Rhythms’, at New Delhi’s Nehru Park.
The fifteen-month programme series “Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities” was jointly inaugurated by Minister of State of the German Federal Foreign Office Cornelia Pieper, German Ambassador to India Thomas Matussek, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) Peter Löscher and Lt. Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna. The event was organised in close cooperation with SPIC MACAY and NDMC.
This year, Germany and India celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations. The two nations enjoy a strategic partnership since the year 2000. Over the next 15 months, “Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities” will showcase the entire spectrum of the Indo-German strategic partnership in the spheres of politics, business, culture, education, science and research.
With a thematic focus on “StadtRäume – CitySpaces”, the programme series across India will reflect on the implications of rapid urbanisation and challenges posed by the fast changes in cities of both countries today. Issues like mobility, energy, sustainable city development, architecture, cultural spaces, education and urban art will feature prominently, touching genres such as performing and visual arts, science, education, technology and business, etc.
Youtube upload: Sivamani and Christoph Haberer live at Nehru Park, New Delhi.
Representing the strong support that German business provides to this project, Peter Löscher, Chairman of APA and president and CEO of Siemens AG said, “The words “infinite opportunities” that aptly carry the motto of our project say a great deal about why this year is so meaningful for so many of us. We aim that the fifteen-month celebration helps to enhance and further develop strategic partnerships between our countries, strengthening business ties, cultural links, and personal connections. A partnership also with “infinite opportunities”. for the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), these relationships are of particular relevance. APA wants to help the relationship between Germany and India grow even more in the years to come and also build stronger partnerships, and contribute to innovation and sustainability here in India.”
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Matussek said, “With the year of Germany in India, we want to breathe life into our strategic partnership. We are setting up an exchange of ideas: people to people, Indians and Germans. German hightech and Indian brains will find solutions to the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation. With the Urban Mela, a cluster of hightech pavillions, we will create a buzz in seven of India's megacities, with a highly attractive programme directed primarily at the young, urban, youth. This is the biggest presence that Germany has ever staged in India and it clearly showcases the potential of Indo-German cooperation. We will provide an all-round impression of our economy, research, education, culture and society: a 360 degrees panorama of Germany!”
Adding to the celebratory spirit, Minister of State Pieper said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be here and inaugurate the year of Germany in India. Our two countries have been reliable partners in all fields of bilateral cooperation for six decades. The year of Germany in India is not only a fifteen-month celebration, it is also an opportunity to explore new fields of cooperation.
The centrepiece of the project is the “Urban Mela”, a set of cutting-edge multi-purpose pavilions, designed especially for the year of Germany in India by renowned German artist Markus Heinsdorff. The pavilions combine state-of-the-art steel and textile technologies from both countries. The Urban Mela will first be setup in Mumbai on 11 November 2011 for 10 days and then travel to Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and New Delhi until November 2012. It will host interactive presentations by various German corporations and organisations on topics and solutions related to “StadtRäume – CitySpaces”.
The year of Germany in India has been inaugurated simultaneously across seven Indian cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata—on 23 and 24 September 2011 with various concerts and events. The weekend in Delhi will also feature one of the key projects of the programme series - Future Dialogue - A science and business conference hosted by the Max Planck Society and Siemens AG on September 24th focussing on Sustainable cities: Mastering the challenges and opportunities of rapid urbanisation.
The project is being initiated by the German Federal Foreign Office, the Goethe-Institut, the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project is managed by the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi. Amongst the corporate partners of the project are companies such as Bajaj Allianz, BASF, Bosch, Deutsche Bank and Siemens.
About Sivamani
Sivamani, schooled in both the Carnatic rhythmic tradition and western jazz drums, is truly a global percussionist. He has played around the globe with some of the best international artists and is also a part of world music outfits such as the Zakir Hussain World Drums Ensemble, SILK, Asia Electric & Shraddha. Sivamani inherited his rhythmic talent from his father S M Anandan, a well-known drummer in the South Indian film industry, under whom he started his training. He was adept with his drumsticks at the age of 7. By 13, he had a professional music career with recordings under Carnatic and light music legend S.P. Balasubramaniam. Sivamani is widely recognized as one of India’s best drummers and has been honoured with the prestigious title of ‘Kalaimamani’ by the Tamil Nadu state.
About Christoph Haberer
Christoph Haberer is a percussionist - or in the vernacular of his South-German Alemannic dialect, the “Drümmele Maa” (drumming man) - as well as a composer. Born in 1951 in Donaueschingen, Germany, he has performed with renowned jazz artists and has been working on projects with percussionists of various styles such as Dou Dou N’daye Rose, Trilok Gurtu, Carlo Rizzo or Robin Schulkowsky. In the early 1980s, Christoph Haberer founded the ‘Drümmele Maa’ trio, which laid the foundations for his own creations and compositions. In his latest solo project POLYRITMIA, Christoph Haberer performs live on stage with acoustic drums and electronic percussion, synthesizers and samplers. Being fascinated by polyrhythms from the very start of his career, almost all the pieces of this program are based on this structure.
