Marianne Svašek, Marwa, Sweden, thanatosis produktion, THT21 CD (2023)
Initially this recording by Dutch-Czech vocalist / musician Marianne Svašek comes across as serene and straightforward, just right for easy-listening relaxation, and perhaps for many people it will be no more than that, but I find that the more I listen to it, the more mysterious and demanding it actually is. Svašek sings in the dhrupad style of classical Hindustani (north Indian) vocal music. This style of music is traditionally performed solo or by a small group of singers to the beat of a barrel drum with accompaniment by a sitar or a tanpura (a long-necked, four-stringed instrument). Songs sung by dhrupad singers are usually religious in theme and may be dedicated to praising particular Hindu deities.
Although “Marwa” was released as an album, it is actually a one-track recording in which Svašek performs an alap raga. In dhrupad music, the alap is usually the first part of a three-part song, but it can last as long as an hour before the main melody begins. The alap is slow and controlled, and consists of a set of recurring syllables, the intention being to emphasise the purity and clarity of each note sung with perfect pitch. There is no drum accompaniment, just the tanpura or sitar. As with much classical Indian vocal music, dhrupad music does not use harmony and only uses one single melodic line.
Svašek’s performance of the alap raga runs true to dhrupad music tradition; hers is a steady and gradual exercise in restraint that results in a tranquil and restful yet still intriguing work. There is an unearthly quality about it as well and at times the singer seems as much awed as we are by what she is singing. The improvisation betrays no egotistical impulse: the singing is good as a result of it adhering to what dhrupad music demands of it. At the same time, there’s no denying that Svašek has a distinctive voice with a clear, slightly nasal quality.
Listening to “Marwa”, I feel that time stops still and the whole world pauses, entranced by Svašek’s singing and the hypnotic tones of the two tanpuras (one played by Svašek, the other played by Vilhelm Bromander, with whom Svašek has collaborated in the past). My head feels very clear after hearing this album – that surely must be a recommendation in itself to others!