Multi-award winning Indian playback superstar Javid Ali sings songs in many languages, from Tamil and Urdu, to Bengali, in addition to Hindi. But that is just the beginning of this singer and actor’s versatility. During any one performance, Ali will enthrall audiences by lending his evocative, multi-lingual melodious voice to songs representing a wealth of different genres. On his recent shows in the New York area, Ali magically moved from the romantic “Ek Din Teri Raahon Mein;” to the classic “Jashn-e-Bahaaran,” to the soulful and spiritual “Arziyan” and “Kun Faya Kun,” while still leaving plenty of room to spare for high energy tunes like “Nagada.”
Supporting his rich abundance of sounds during the course of a dynamic two-hour and thirty-minute concert was an equally far-ranging light show created by Roosevelt Dsouza with a rig anchored by 20 COLORado PXL Curve12 and 16 Color STRIKE M fixtures from CHAUVET Professional.
Arranged om a straight line across the downstage deck, the COLORado motorized battens played a variety roles in the design. At times, they were used to direct intense colorful beams upward in a diagonal line that effectively blocked the upstage area from view. The effect was to create a sense that Ali was closer to the audience, engendering a sense of intimacy between the singer and his fans.
At other times, the COLORado PXL Curve12 projected distinct columns of color across the upstage deck to create a blow-through effect on stage. Moving the output from his battens in sync with the other lights on stage, Dsouza created a rhythmic pattern that flowed seamlessly with the music. Other COLORado PXL Curve 12 fixture were positioned behind the drum riser to add a sense of depth to the stage.
“The PXL Curve was outstanding for eye candy,” said Dsouza. “It played so many different roles in the lightshow and gave it the flexibility needed to keep up with Javid Ali’s music.”
At some points in the show, the COLORado PXL Curve 12 units were turned off to make way for intense, fast-moving lighting and video eruptions upstage. Contributing to these looks were the rig’s Color STRIKE M motorized strobe washes.
“The Color STRIKE Ms were dynamic and intense,” said Dsouza. “I used them for color and strobing throughout, as well as for big bursts of light during some of the more pumped up songs.”
There was a good representation of “pumped up songs” at Javid Ali’s New York shows, just as there were many soft, sentimental and ethereal pieces – such is the magic of this enchanting singer whose music makes itself right at home, wherever it travels.
Further information from CHAUVET Professional: www.chauvetprofessional.com
