EK SAFAR

„Relax and enjoy!“ – that’s how Jasper van’t Hof concludes his liner notes on the trios‘ CD „Ek Safar“. That’s true as true can be: listeners savor an hour of full sounds, which seem not to be from this world. A tabla weaves a carpet with its sonorous, rich sounds, on which piano and clarinet can fly.
All three musicians participate in developing melodies, which never become a goal in themselves, but instead take a place directly in our hearts. They are the emotional starting point for a journey through various styles and worlds of music. Of course, the Indian influences are the basis; there’s a reason why the music falls back on traditional ragas that gently lead into the modern. But you cannot avoid hearing that all participants have a wide-range of experience that goes far beyond restricted borders of style. And which enables them to detach almost unnoticeably from compositions and explore the sounds freely associated behind the notes.
The often forced term „world music“ has a special significance for Ek Safar: it not only covers the shared exploration of new forms of musical expression, but also participation in a common project on absolutely equal terms.
Anti-authoritarianism as principle in music, which can certainly succeed: this is the proof.
The music of this CD serves too as the soundtrack of a film, which will be released and shown at international festivals in 2013: „Where is my tent?“ by Zubin Sethna. It is a very personal, associative documentary in which the director searches for tent that he once donated after a severe earthquake in Pakistan. It should be very interesting to see (hear) what effect the music has in connection with pictures from Asia…

Soumitra Paul (Tabla)

* 1963 Kolkata

Soumitra Paul begann das intensive Studium der Tabla im Alter von 10 Jahren unter der Anleitung seines Guru Ustad Sabir Khan der Farukhabad Gharana und befindet sich zur Zeit unter der Führung Sankhar Chatterjees.Von der Bangiya Sangeet Parishad der Universität Calcutta in Indien erhielt Soumitra Paul den M.Mus. Masterabschluss und arbeitete danach sowohl als A-Grade Künstler für All India Radio als auch für das indische Fernsehen Doordarshan TV New Delhi. Er hat ausserdem an vielen prestigeträchtigen Musik-Konferenzen und Festivals in ganz Indien als auch in Europa als Tabla-Solist oder Begleitung teilgenommen und mit vielen bekannten Musikern gespielt. Zur Zeit lebt und arbeitet er in Berlin.

Soumitra Paul has started his study of the art of tabla at the age of ten under the guidance of his guru, Ustad Sabir Khan. Presently he is under the guidance of Pandit Sankha Chatterjee of Farukabad Gharana. He has participated in many prestigious music conferences and festivals around India and has travelled widely for his performances in abroad. Soumitra Paul performs both, as soloist and accompanist, and by now has performed with many wellknown artist in India and the western world. He was invited to lecture at the University of Paris and has also conducted master classes at the Birmingham Conservatory in UK. He is a graded artist in All India Radio and Television Delhi. Currently he is living and working in Berlin, Germany.

Heiner Stilz (Klarinette)

* 1979 Tübingen

Heiner Stilz studierte Saxophon in Stuttgart und Krakau. Er experimentierte mit unterschiedlichsten musikalischen Stilrichtungen, von klassischer Musik bis zu elektronischem Jazz und Independent. Seine Arbeit führte ihn auf die Bühne oder ins Studio mit den Stuttgarter Philharmonikern, der Big Band und dem Sinfonieorchester der Stuttgarter Musikhochschule, Dublex Inc., Baja, Randy Brecker, Richie Beirach, der LE Big Band, und für Filmproduktionen von WDR und RBB.

Heiner Stilz studied saxophone at the music academies in Krakow/Poland and Stuttgart/Germany. Since the early 2000s he has been buzy exploring different styles of music, from classical to electronic jazz and indie rock, never worrying much about borders, always looking out for musical meaning. He has performed with and for the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, Big Band and Symphony Orchestra of the Stuttgart university of music, Dublex Inc., Baja, Randy Brecker, Richie Beirach, WDR and RBB movies, LE Big Band among many others.

Nicolas Schulze (Piano)

* 1979 Einbeck

Nicolas Schulze studierte Jazzpiano an der Staatlichen Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart. Stark beeinflusst von der freien und raumlassenden Spielweise eines Paul Bley, finden sich in seinem Stil auch Filmmusikeinflüsse wieder. Arbeiten für RBB, ZDF, 3Sat, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Theater Rampe Stuttgart, Junges Theater Göttingen u. a.


Nicolas Schulze has studied jazzpiano at the music academy of Stuttgart/Germany. His work is infused with deep interest in free music and improvised structure against the background of classical music traditions. He also works as a composer for theatre, cinema and television.