SATI

GODDESS INCARNATE

A MUSICAL EPIC | BOOK & LYRICS BY VAIBU MOHAN | MUSIC BY ZACHARY CATRON

In a rural village in India, an 18-year-old girl is burned alive on the funeral pyre of her deceased husband.

The townspeople all stick to the same story: the girl went willingly and was not only blessed by the Mother Goddess, Sati, but touched—she was chosen to do this.

Sati: Goddess Incarnate is loosely inspired by the true story of Roop Kanwar, the last recorded case of the practice of sati—widow burning—in India, and tells a story that is yet to be told: Roop’s story. A headstrong and defiant girl, Roop is constantly at odds with what is expected of her. But she discovers a magical connection with Goddess Sati during the holy Navratri festival and sends her village into a frenzy. What happens when the people who laud you as a goddess turn against you?

With a score drawing from Western Classical music, Carnatic music, and musical theater, Sati: Goddess Incarnate has a truly original sound. Full orchestrations include aerophones (harmonium, melodica, harmonicas), mridangam, kanjira, electric and acoustic strings, electronics, and a wide array or percussion to bring our magical story to life. Accompanying this are vocal techniques that take inspiration from Hindustani and Carnatic singing, as well as the extended vocal techniques pioneered in Western Classical music by composers like Joan La Barbara.

For more information, visit mohancatronproductions.com.