|
The hospitable face of India is to be found in her villages. Every village has its quota of tabla players, bullock-carts, tongas (horse drawn carriages) and qawals (street singers). Kamal insists that something be done about all of these. Tabla Wallah has already been written as a tribute to all tabla players and Kamal in particular. From Greg's early adventures as a boy in Ooty comes the recollection of driving a bullock-cart to the end of the drive leading into their house. The driver becomes Greg's friend and is remembered in the ballad My Friend. The appearance at intervals of little groups of lights each signalling the presence of an Indian village inspires 'Village Lights' or 'Gaon Ki Jyoti'. Once started the verses flow naturally building on the nature of village life. Village Lights is first performed by British voices in Hindi to great acclaim, and the experiment is repeated at the Inauguration of The Green Pennant Awards in London.
|