Music knows no boundaries

Music knows no boundaries

The audience was taken aback when Landwehr, the marching band from the city of Fribourg, Switzerland, started playing Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, a popular Raj Kapoor epic song at a musical concert held at The Clarks Amer, Jaipur. The who’s who of Jaipur and the President of the State of Fribourg, Georges Godel, attended the concert. The orchestra group is in India to celebrate 70 years of friendship treaty between Switzerland and India, and the 70th foundation year of Clarks Group of Hotels. 

The Landwehr is the official music of the canton and city of Fribourg. Its first concerts were held in 1804. The 90 musicians, who form the orchestra today, are the latest in a long line of predecessors. The people of Fribourg have traditionally been singers and musicians, and the members of the Landwehr share that heritage. Under the direction of Benedikt Hayoz, the wind orchestra focusses on performing an extensive and varied repertoire. 

Works ranging from spectacular descriptive pieces to street music allow the musicians to showcase the entire spectrum of their technical and expressive skills. 

At the Jaipur concert, while the orchestra entertained the audience with the traditional music from Fribourg, it also introduced jugalbandi by combining a Kathak dance recital, which was presented by Gauri (Priscilla Brulhart), a Swiss Kathak dancer. The highlight of the show was the orchestra playing a few old classics from Bollywood.   

Sharing his views and experiences about working with the artists, creating music and future plans of the orchestra, Alain Deschenaux, president, Landwehr, says that Landwehr, or Landeswehr, is a German term used to refer to national armies, or militias and practically denotes a large-scale, low-strength fortification, and the same can be said about the band. 

Talking about the history of the group and how it was formed, he quips, “Landwehr was formed in 1804 as Corp franc to meet Napoleon Bonaparte’s act of mediation. Landwehr, today, is controlled by Conseil d’Etat, and promoting music is its first and foremost goal. Today, we have a team of 120 young musicians of which 80 perform on the stage.” 

Deschenaux says that music is the lifeline of the people of Fribourg. “All the members of the orchestra are independent musicians and earn their living through different professions. Their love for music brings them together to enthrall the world with their performances. Music is the language, religion and colour of the orchestra members and no boundary or wall can hold it back. Landwehr runs its own music school called EML (Ecole de Musique Landwehr) to give every young talent the necessary lessons to sharpen their skills,” he informs. 

The orchestra has constantly been expanding new musical horizons and training the musicians of tomorrow at their music schools. “As amateur musicians, we are brought together by harmony and friendship, with a vision of excelling in music,” says Deschenaux. 

Landwehr is the ambassador of Fribourg throughout the world and as an official ensemble, it has already performed at various religious ceremonies and historical events across the globe. “Outside Europe, we have performed in Iran, Japan, China, the USA, Canada, Argentina and Australia. We have travelled to Croatia to bring a peaceful note during wartime. We were the first international musical corps to participate in the large Columbus Day Parade on New York’s Fifth Avenue,” he adds. 

The band was also the guest of honour at an audience with Pope John-Paul II, the musicians of the Guardia degli Carabinieri and the Pontifical Swiss Guard. The Landwehr also took part in the festivities to mark the 700th anniversary of the founding of the Principality of Monaco, during which it was decorated by Prince Rainier III.

When asked what brings them to India, Deschenaux says that India is a fascinating country and the music is astounding in every nook and corner here. “We are here to share our experiences and learn from all the music gharanas. Musicians of India mesmerise their audiences with their music. We want to learn and also teach some of our music to you. We are also here to commemorate 70 grand years of the Swiss-India Friendship Treaty. We will be performing live at premium arts centres across India as part of the noble cause to help raise funds for Kerala flood relief and cancer-affected children,” he informs. 

There will be a total of five concerts in the 13-day tour. The Landwehr has already performed in New Delhi and Jaipur, and will be heading to Mumbai for their concerts. 


 

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