(MENAFN) In a recent performance with his quintet in India, internationally acclaimed jazz musician Igor Butman commended India for its steadfast commitment to fostering amicable relations with Moscow, not only at political and economic levels but notably as a thriving hub for cross-border cultural exchange.
Backstage in Mumbai, Butman shared his insights with RT, emphasizing the pivotal role that art, and particularly music, plays as a powerful tool to facilitate understanding among people of diverse cultures, colors, and backgrounds.
According to Butman, art has the potential to unravel the beauty of dialogue, allowing for the resolution of issues that, in his opinion, are often magnified unnecessarily. Born in the USSR in 1961, Butman's journey from the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston on a scholarship in 1987 to the vibrant jazz scene of New York City, where he collaborated with luminaries such as the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kevin Mahogany, George Benson, Gino Vannelli, and Wynton Marsalis, underscores his global perspective on the unifying power of music.
Expressing his respect for the Indian people and their leadership, Butman specifically lauded India's avoidance of succumbing to the prevalent "cancel culture," a challenge increasingly faced by Russian artists in certain parts of the world. He asserted that just as musicians do not cancel politics, politicians should refrain from canceling music and art, emphasizing that these forms of expression serve as indispensable tools for fostering mutual understanding.
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