Centre culturel Kabir
en collaboration avec

Université McGill

est fier de présenter un programme de trois jours sur Kabir

Centre culturel Kabir, en collaboration avec Université McGill, est fier de présenter un programme de trois jours sur Kabir, un grand poète mystique, qui vivait au quinzième siècle dans le Nord de l’Inde, et qui est toujours populaire et influent dans le sous-continent d’aujourd’hui. Une figure qui provoque et stimule et qui ne peut être associe avec aucun symbole religieux, il est admiré par les hindous, par les musulmans, par les Sikhs, par les hommes laïques et par les athées.

Exposition du film: Had Anhad (Avec et au-delà des frontières),

La cinéaste, Shabnam Virmani sera sur place pour répondre aux questions. Shabnam Virmani est fondatrice associée de Drishti Media à Ahmedabad et est actuellement ‘artiste en résidence’ à Shrishti College of Art and Design à Bangalore.

Film, en Hindi avec des sous-titres en anglais, 103 mins., Couleur, Premier prix, One Billion Eyes Documentary Film Festival 2008.

Kabir, hindou par naissance et élevé par des parents musulmans, ne reconnaissait jamais des frontieres entre ces deux religions. Le film voyage avec des chansons et des poèmes à travers les frontieres hostiles entre l’Inde et le Pakistan pour trouver des milliers des réponses pour la question : Qui est le dieu Ram, invoqué par Kabir?

Date: Jeudi, 12 mars 2009
Heure:18h00
Lieu: Birks Heritage Chapel, 3520, Rue Université, Montréal.
Admission: Sans Frais
Information: ((514) 695-3264, (514) 931-0942, (514) 586-3148
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Réunion-débat : Kabir – Mots, sons et images.

Participants : Linda Hess, Université Stanford, Sajida Alvi, Université McGill, Shabnam Virmani, cinéaste, débat modéré par le professeur Davesh Soneji de l’université McGill.

Date: Vendredi, 13 mars 2009
Heure:16h30
Lieu:Senior Common Room, Birks Building, 3520, Rue Université, Montréal.
Admission: Sans Frais
Information: ((514) 695-3264, (514) 931-0942, (514) 586-3148

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Concert ‘En quête de Kabir’

Prahlad Singh Tipanya, qui vit dans un village à Malwa dans la province de Madhya Pradesh en Inde, est interprète extraordinaire de la poésie de Kabir. En mars 2008, il a reçu, en Inde, le prix prestigieux de Sangeet Natak Akademi. Il sera accompagné (voix et instruments tels que Dholak, violon etc.) par Vijay Tipanya, Ambaram Tipanya, Ajay Tipanya et Devnarayan Sauraliya. Le professeur Linda Hess de l’université Stanford fournira des explications des chansons.

Date: Samedi, 14 mars 2009
Heure:19h30
Lieu:Ball Room, New Residence Hall, Université McGill, 3625, du Parc, Montréal.
Admission: 20$, 15$(étudiants / aînés), Rabais de groupes disponible.
Information: ((514) 695-3264, (514) 931-0942, (514) 586-3148

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Commentaires reçus de nos spectateurs :

La soirée fut magnifique…
Comme ça n’arrive pas souvent, le parfum de cette évènement est longtemps resté dans mon cœur et j’espèrerais avoir plus souvent l’occasion de revivre des moments aussi agréables!

Et on doit vous accorder cela…vous savez recevoir!!! Très agréable de partager quelques samosas en votre compagnie avec le délicieux thé tchaï!

Ce fut pour tous mes amis et moi (nous étions 6) une formidable soirée qu’on se rappelle avec plaisir!

Je vous prie de me tenir au courant de tout autre évènement organisé par vous.

Esther Hardy

We love the quality and organisation of the programmes. There is variety and standard in the choice of events. So far in my 35 years of stay in Montreal I can rate the Kabir's programs in top 5% for the excellence. I appreciate the international aspect of the music and performances.

In quest of Kabir' was very educational about the music and I do appreciate the simplicity and the philosophy behind the film, music and the musicians. Well organized.

Ranjana Jha

Here are a couple of my comments regarding the "In quest of Kabir" event
that was held recently.

1. Overall, the program was very informative about who Kabir was and what he preached.The film was very good except for its omission in not showing the high status that Kabir enjoys in the Sikh tradition. Kabir enjoys more respect and reverence in Sikhism than in the Hindu and Muslim traditions. This was
a choice of the film maker therefore not much can be done to correct this imbalance. This is a mere comment about the film and nothing related with what the Kabir Cultural Centre needs to take into account for improving future programs.
2. The musical evening was too long. The singing part should have been 60 minutes each half with 30 minutes interval. 3. The songs were well sung but they were all in the same tune which made the evening somewhat monotonous. Perhaps, a printed handout with the poems in English would have helped everyone in the audience to understand the content of the songs. I found the dialect of the the Malwa region completely unfamiliar which added further to the difficulty in fully enjoying the songs.

Hope these remarks are helpful for the future planning.

Manjit Singh

4)

I'm happy to offer my comments, which I must point-out, are based, only on the music evening (Kabir songs) at the McGill Residence.

Needless to say KCC has brought rare and high quality programs. KCC's contribution to Montreal community has been unmatched.

"In Quest of Kabir" - is an empowering title as Kabir is the main inspiration for the founding of the KCC. Dedicating a series of activities to the saint himself was an opportunity to be re-inspired by his poetry so rich in wisdom, humanity and love for human life.

I believe Kabir's quest was a quest for social justice, which he achieved through the prism of poetic beauty. We did hear a glimpse of it that night.

The singers were excellent, their singing was superb, voices powerful and the audiences were captivated. I loved the fact that the singers wore simple costume with a colorful saffa. For once, glittery silk kurtas were shelved.

As much as I was pleased with what I heard, I was also disappointed with what I didn't hear. Bulk of the songs presented was devotional and spiritual appealing to the inner soul. The singers eclipsed the social and critical writing that Kabir so profoundly crafted, which deprived the audiences of the diversity and range of Kabir bani. That is a shame because now is the time we need to remember Kabir for what he truly was.

The translation was out of place. They should have summarized the essence of the songs in no more than two lines and let the melody do its job. Better still, they should have narrated historical moments of Kabir's life that prompted him to write what he wrote, which would have allowed the audiences to realize that Kabir in fact was a poetic response to history of his time.

Given the knowledge base of the two translators, I am disappointed that they couldn't be more creative in interpreting kabir.

I came home, put on a Kabir cd that Arvind had given me, heard some of his songs attacking fundamentalism, ridiculing religious backwardness; read parts of Bhishm Sahani's play Kabira Kada Bazzar Main - I felt closer to Kabir's vastness.

That said, I liked the evening despite my some of my critical comments - I look forward to the next event.

BTW - you must check Ville de Montreal website for grants - go to sub-sections cultural diversity, arts, festivals, interculralism etc.

Rahul Varma