A Penchant for Playing with Glass
25 Friday May 2012
Source: The Hindu; Author: Sowmiya Ashok; Photo Courtesy: M. Karunakaran
Opposite the Palavakkam mosque on East Coast Road, a narrow lane runs past Nayab Stores, a specialist in Basmati rice. Yet, behind the counter that is lined with packets of vermicelli and spices, a man named H.M. Fazlullah, is a specialist in his own right. Better known by his artist name Fazlur Rehman Kanchwala, this 70-year-old man continues to uphold the tradition of a rare art form called ‘Kanch Tarang. ‘Sitting in a half- kneeled position, Mr. Fazlullah, holds two thick glass slabs in each hand to demonstrate the notes which he says mimics the notes of the tabla. The dimension of the glass slabs is what sets the rhythm. “For a single rhythm, a very thin instrument is enough”
