MUMBAI: India’s first body percussionist, Bharat Verma, who hails from Udaipur has been mastering the craft for seven years. We at Radioandmusic were quite keen on interviewing him and getting some more information on body percussion.
While body percussion is a fun and creative form of art explains Verma, he further elaborates, “You will have to know basic rhythms, for which you can learn either tabla or some musical instrument. Once you start learning, you will get addicted to it. To master the art, one will need at least six months or one-year training. You have to use your hands, f to know its pressure and how you are applying it.”
Majorly, Verma has observed that this form of art has not been much appreciated by the audience, “Artists dislike it when I perform body percussion in front of them. But, there have been a bunch of people, who have started appreciating me. I am going to schools and colleges to promote body percussion. In the beginning body percussion was not even there, moreover even types of body percussion have not yet come into the market.”
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While he is a choreographer, Bharat owns a studio and tries to give at least four to five hours daily for body percussion. But the fact that this genre is not developed in India happens to worry him as he explains, “I am not having any work related to body percussion, and hence facing financial crisis. But I am also a choreographer and this helps me earn my living.”
Bharat Verma is also the founder and director of Heartbeators Dance Studio, but his recent performance at the third season of The Voice India on StarPlus stole hearts. He gave a scintillating performance – a combination of percussion and vocals. Bharat’s performance gained such admiration that coach Adnan Sami attempted body percussion while AR Rahman played the piano. It was at this moment that India witnessed its first body percussionist. On this Verma added, “They both were legends and I was doing body percussion with them. AR Rahman sir saying a wow was a green signal from him.”
Verma also feels that a movie on body percussion would spread awareness about this genre.
Well, we hope Bharat’s story on and to promote body percussion reaches the right ears.
