Kanika Pandey, (Vocals) Arun Ramamurthy (Violin) Samir Chaterjee (tabla)

The second set of the Ragas Live Festival 2013 featured vocalist Kanika Pandey.

Kanika belongs to the new generation of musicians who believe in developing and evolving a personalized musical idiom while still maintaining the authenticity of the Hindustani classical music.  Kanika has a rich and mellifluous voice and a very eloquent style of singing. She carries with her a rare artistic blend of Kirana and Banares gharana. Her training is very evident in her shruti shuddha swara, gradual unfolding and development of the raga, combining the poetry and its expression into singing. Her music emerges not only from her own virtuosity and versatility as a performer but also from her intellectual and diligent eclecticism as a student of Hindustani classical music. Besides maintaining the technical aspects, Kanika also gives a lot of focus on the aesthetics and the mystical/spiritual aspect of Hindustani music, thus resulting in a unique style that is technically fine and yet very soulful and aesthetically appealing.

The 2013 Ragas Live Festival, was 24 hours of raga performed live in the studio by over 50 world class artists.  It was  broadcast throughout New York City WKCR 89.9 FM-NY and worldwide at www.wkcr.org.   The first set was a beautiful jam session by members of the Brooklyn Raga Massive, represented by Max ZT (hammered dulcimer), Eric Faser (bansuri), Camila Celin (guitar) , Sameer Gupta (tabla) and Ben Stuart (tabla).   These great musicians jammed on the Raga Kirwani.  Engineered by Ahmet Ali Arslan.

23 more performances to come!

This episode came from a WKCR broadcast a year after the passing of  the master drummer Frisner Augustin whoose Troupe Makandal has brought Vodou ceremonial drumming to the world.

It features a recent live performance from La Troupe Makandal recorded at the Afro-Roots Series at the Space at 9 Bleecker. Guests Morgan Zwerlein from Troupe Makandal and producer of the Afro-Roots series and good friend, Kevin Nathaniel joined me to explain about the man and the magic of Vodou drumming.

This is from his obituary in the New York Times:

Mr. Augustin had an encyclopedic knowledge of the rhythms of vodou (the word is the Haitian Creole spelling of voodoo), in which more than 100 spirits are represented and summoned, each by a distinctive rhythm…

La Troupe Makandal has performed for both Haitian and world-music audiences. When it brought abridged vodou ceremonies to public stages, the rhythms were so traditional and intense that unplanned spiritual possessions sometimes took place in secular spaces. The troupe also performs choreographed programs devoted to Haitian history and culture. It has made four albums of traditional Afro-Haitian music: “A Trip to Vodou,” “Èzili,” “The Drums of Vodou” and “Prepare.”

Hugh Masekela is the most well known jazz musician from Africa.  His first big hit was in 1968 and he has sold millions of albums, won multiple Grammys and worked with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Dizzy Gillespie. Fresh off a tour with Paul Simon, he and his band are super-refined, with perfect vocal harmonies, deep grooves, and inspired improvisations.    Masekela is considered a legend of South African Music and the apartheid struggle, but that’s not how he see’s it.

I got to spend sometime backstage with him and now so do you!

Here’s one quote from the interview:

“I never had a career, I had an obsession with music.  And my obsession with it, and maybe a little gift that I had, threw me into the area, but my aim, even when I came overseas, was to learn and to study and everything else is a coincidence.  But I didn’t plan to make it for myself.   If you look at anybody who is out there to make it for themselves they self-destruct.  They become very big and then they self-destruct. As long as you’ve got the “me” thing in your head you’re doomed.” - Hugh Masekela

Sunny Jain at WKCR – Photo by David Ellenbogen

To celebrate the release of their new album Shruggy Ji, (currently #1 on iTunes World Music Chart) NYC Rado Live is going back to the archives to share a 2009 live radio performance by Red Baraat. Red Baraat is the first and only dhol ‘n’ brass band of its kind in the States, melding the infectious North Indian rhythm Bhangra with brass funk and expressing the human spirit through improvisation and a powerful, live, raw sound.  Comprised of dhol (double-sided, barrel-shaped North Indian drum slung over one shoulder), percussion and horns, this NYC-based group plays fresh originals, as well as traditional Punjabi songs and Bollywood numbers with a modern touch.

Baraat is Hindi for a marriage procession.  In North India, it is a tradition on the day of the wedding for the groom to travel to his bride’s home on a magnificently decorated horse, surrounded by an entourage of family and friends.  Led by a dholi and/or a marching band, this joyous celebration naturally induces dancing and singing and is inseparable from the energy and excitement of the musical festivities.

Sunny Jain’s famous Dhol at WKCR – Photo by David Ellenbogen

The line-up when we broadcast this show was:

Sunny Jain                        Dhol, drumset, percussion, vox
Rohin Khemani                   Tavil, percussion
Greg Gonzalez                   Drumset, percussion
Arun Luthra                       Soprano saxophone
Mike Bomwell                    Tenor saxophone
Sonny Singh                      Trumpet
MiWi La Lupa                    Bass trumpet
Dave Smith                      Trombone
John Altieri                       Sousaphone

Sonny Singh at WKCR – Photo by David Ellenbogen

Jeffery Kandel and David Ellenbogen  produced and engineered the original broadcast.

Taylor Kuffner

This is not your grandmother’s Gamelan.  Gamelan are the mesmerizing orchestras of giant gongs and other metal percussion instruments from Indonesia.   Taylor Kuffner’s  Gameletron project combines the instruments of the Gamelan with robotics, creating an incredible immersive experience.    He came to WKCR to share his own recordings he made throughout Indonesia highlighting rarities in the genre including ensembles made of bamboo, iron and beyond.

Grammy Nominated, BBC Award winner Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya is widely recognized as one of the worlds greatest guitarists. A prodigy, he first performed on-All India Radio at the age of 4. He has since amazed audiences worldwide performing with such luminaries as John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Jerry Douglas and Dereck Trucks. 

NYC Radio Live, Bread and Yoga, Rageshree Music, and
HarmonyOm teamed up to create a  benefit concert for the victims of Hurricane Sandy 

Featuring the legendary slide-guitarist from India

Pandit Debashish Bhattarcharya
with
Subhasis Bhattarchaya / Tabla
and Introducing – for the first time in New York, his daughter Anandi Bhattarcharya / Vocal

Guitarist Rez Abbasi brought his burning new trio of John Hebert on the bass and Satoshi Takeishi on the drums to WKCR before their new album -Continuous Beat- is released on November.

Here’s his words on the trio: “I wanted to excite the listener with a new guitar trio experience. One that retains the warmth of the established trio sound but also employs electronics in order to expand the timbral pallet, especially for the melodies. Ultimately, this approach not only gives clarity to the solos but also keeps the listener’s aural sense stimulated.” More info on http://www.reztone.com/

Recorded on Friday, October 12th in WKCR studios. Engineered by Ahmet Ali Arslan.

Oumar Konate and Dramane Toure

Oumar Konate performs live at the WKCR studio joined by guitarist Dramane Toure, bassist Mohamed Ag Mohamed, and percussionist Mahalmadane Abbanassane.  We were lucky to catch these gentlemen on their way to perform at Lincoln Center.  Earlier in the summer they had been touring and recording  with Tibuktu’s Khaira Arby, the “Nightingale of the North.”

Like Abdoulaye Alhassane of Podcast 49, Oumar was born in Gao in Northern Mali an area where all music has been silenced by extremists this year, we’ll hear an interview with him about that along with his manager, the producer and music critic, Christopher Nolan.   For more music recorded by Oumar check out Podcast 19.

Indian Classical vocalist Manoj Govindraj sings 2 compositions based on Raag Megh, accompanied by Swarup Swaminathan on harmonium and Sai Shyam Mohan on tabla.

Here’s what Manoj says about the performance: “Raag Megh -also called Megh Malhar- is a seasonal Raag, sung typically during the rainy season. That’s the reason why the compositions which are based on this raag are worded according to the rainy season. I’ll be presenting 2 compositions: one in a 10 beat rhythmic cycle, which we call Jhaptaal, and this is going to be in middle tempo. The second composition will be in a 12 beat rhythmic cycle, which is Ektal. It will be in a faster tempo. Both of the compositions have words, which talk about the rainy season and the feeling that everyone gets when the rains come after the heat of the summer.”

Manoj found his calling in music early on in life. He began his formal training at the age of seven, though his initiation was even earlier when he was all of three, singing bhajans while on a pilgrimage to Shirdi. By the time he was eleven, he was learning Hindustani music professionally under the tutelage of Mrs. Vineeta Tembe. His mentors include Mr. Prabhakar Karekar and Mrs. and Mr. Prem.

A rank-holder and a gold medalist from Mumbai University, Manoj completed his Master of Fine Arts in Hindustani Classical Vocal Music in 1999. He was the recipient of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi scholarship Hindustani music at post-graduate level in 1998-99. He has won several awards, the most prestigious one being the Sur Singar Samsad Award in 1995 for light vocal.

Manoj has been teaching Hindustani classical and light music (vocal and harmonium) at the Academy of Indian Music, South Plainfield, New Jersey, since March 2004. His repertoire includes Hindustani classical (Khayal), semi-classical (Thumri, Dadra), bhajans, ghazals and old film songs in Hindi and Marathi.

Manoj has conducted several lecture demonstrations on topics including “The Thaat Series” [conducted in 5 sessions, introducing Thaat System in Hindustani Music], “Music Appreciation”, “Introduction to “Hindustani Music” at Keane University, NJ, and other institutions.

Recorded July 21st at WKCR studios.

By Banning Eyre | April, 2007 [guitar player mg]
Abdoulaye Alhassane Toure has brought string-picking wizardry from the desert towns of West Africa to the nightclubs of New York City. Born in 1963, in Niamey, Niger, to a Sonrai family from Gao, Mali, he passed his youth in a multi-ethnic neighborhood surrounded by Peul, Bambara, Sonrai, and other peoples, and as he put it, “They all played music.” Local radio filled his ears with the sinuous, bluesy strains of desert folklore and the melodious bombast of Mande griots. When his parents returned to Mali, Toure recalled, “They came back with cassettes by Ibrahim Hamma Dicko, Fissa Maiga, and Ali Farka Toure, who sang in a language we understood, and I was incredibly inspired by the originality of this music.” Toure’s musical gift became obvious when he started hanging out in the Niamey nightclub where his uncle, Johnny Ali Maiga, led a band.
“Johnny Ali Maiga played folklore, like Ali Farka Toure,” said Toure, “But he also loved rock. His group was on the radio in Niamey, and it sounded like the Malian music I was listening to at home, but sung in Zerma, the national language of Niger.”
By the early ’80s, Toure was playing guitar and flute, and his first band incorporated electric guitar, bass, drums, and brass, and merged regional folk styles with international pop. When the group took first prize in a national competition, Toure became a full-time musician. By the late ’80s, he was leading Super Kassey—the first Niamey band to travel abroad and record in a modern studio.
Before long, Toure was working as a guitar instructor at the European-run Center for the Education and Promotion of Music. In 1992, Toure teamed up with singer/flutist Yacouba Moumouni to create Niger’s most successful roots pop band to date, Mamar Kassey. Mamar Kassey’s two electrifying CDs, Denke Denke (1999) and Alatoumi (2000) showcase Toure’s guitar mastery and formidable arranging skills. The music is rooted in tradition, but molded into brisk arrangements that include key modulations and bursts of solo improvisation.
“Improvisation existed in Sonrai music,” explained Toure, “but in another form. In our ceremonies, there’s an original melody that is played by the kurbu [a 3-stringed lute]. When the energy rises between the players and the dancers, the kurbu player leaves his melody, and follows his heart. But if you tell that kurbu player to work with a modern group and ‘improvise,’ you have to explain to him what it means.”
Mamar Kassey’s travels eventually brought Toure to New York City, where he now lives and performs with his current band, Deep Sahara. Toure can cradle an acoustic guitar and fingerpick his way through desert trance grooves, and he can also take up a flatpick, and wail on electric—edging desert folklore into the realm of blues and rock. One day, he plans to return to Niger to set up a studio and form an international touring band. For now, Toure is merely one of the most riveting African guitarists to be found in the United States.

Tomchess is a Multi-instrumentalist/Improviser/Composer. He plays Reeds, Western Flute, Arabic/Turkish Ney flute, Oud, and Guitar. He also has a history of using electronics /sampling/live-sampling/loops/fx. He has performed with Drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson’ Decoding Society, Butch Morris’s Sheng Skyscraper, recorded with Tenor players Dewey Redman, Pharoah Sanders, Morrocan Sintarist Hassan Hakmoun and Butch Morris. He has also led a guitar trio with Drummer Phil Haynes and bassist Drew Gress called Seven Times a Year. He has studied Middle/Near Eastern and West African musics, spending time in West Africa playing and performing.

He  says:”…My inspiration is drawn from my evolving realizations of love and life; listening to an inner convergence, the rhythms of life, nature/city sounds, my experiences as a human being and artist and listening to music from all parts of the world. The deeper I listen, the more I hear unity/universals in how sound is used and celebrated, as well as differences. The World is chock-full of beautiful and multi-colored infinitudes of expression through sound. Music embraces within it the means to overcome and transcend religious, political and social boundaries as a powerful transformative vehicle. Its also simply just alot of fun. My playing is an expression of my past experiences re-coded into a vision through the present co-emergent moment towards beneficial future possibilities; its an expression of celebration.

Shane Shanahan with Yo Yo Ma and Colin Jacobson

Shane Shanahan has cultivated his own unique and highly sought after sound by combining his studies of drumming traditions from around the world with his background in jazz, rock and Western art music.   His interest in other cultures has lead to extended visits to Turkey, India, and Tajikistan, among others.  Shane’s rare set of diverse skills is what attracted Yo-Yo Ma when he was forming the Silk Road Ensemble.  In the summer of 2000, Shane was invited to Tanglewood where he played an important role in the formation of the group.  Ever since, he has been touring around the globe performing side-by-side with Mr. Ma as an original member of the award-winning Silk Road Ensemble.  Shane’s playing can be heard on all three of the ensemble’s top-selling recordings for the SonyBMG label and the two most recent albums feature his arranging skills, as well.  These arrangements have brought ecstatic audience to their feet in the top concert halls of North America, Europe and Asia. Shane can also be seen and heard on Mr. Ma’s Grammy Award winning holiday CD/DVD release “Songs of Joy.”

He is also a member of frame drum master Glen Velez’ Handance Ensemble and cellist Maya Beiser’s Provenance project.  He has performed and/or recorded with Philip Glass, Alison Krause, Sonny Fortune, Fantasia,

Chaka Khan, G. E. Smith, Simon Shaheen, Jamey Haddad, Cyro Baptista,

Anindo Chaterjee, Sandeep Das, Shahram and Hafez Nazeri, Alim

Qasimov, Kayhan Kalhor, Howard Levy and Steve Gorn, among others.

Kiran Ahluwalia (vocals),  Rez Abbasi (guitar), Nitin Mitta (tabla). Ragas Live Festival #24

11 pm-12 am during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Expressing her muse through ghazals and Punjabi folk songs, Kiran Ahluwalia explores the language of the heart with beautiful artistry and smoldering intensity. Born in India, raised in Canada, and now living in New York City, her enchanting and seductive music has garnered glowing praise from critics around the world. Her’s is “a voice destined to enchant more than one generation” (fROOTS) and she possesses “a deep spirituality and tranquility that borders on the mystic” (Sing Out Magazine). But most of all, Kiran Ahluwalia is a unique and inspiring performer and composer, who’s legion of fans continues to grow with every captivating performance and each new recording project.

Born in Karachi, Pakistan, removed at the age of four to relocate to Southern California, schooled at the University of Southern California and the Manhattan School of Music in jazz and classical music, as well as a pilgrimage in India under the tutorial of master percussionist, Ustad Alla Rakha, Rez Abbasi is a vivid synthesis of all the above stated influences and genres.

Making New York home for the past 18 years, Abbasi has developed a unique sound both as a composer and an instrumentalist and is considered by many to be one of the foremost modern jazz guitar players the world over. He has honed his skills with performances through out Europe, Canada, the U.S., Mexico and India. He has performed and recorded with many jazz greats including, Grammy winner Ruth Brown, Peter Erskine, Kenny Werner, Barre Phillips, Tim Hagans, Marc Johnson, Billy Hart,  Marvin ‘Smitty’ Smith, Gary Thomas, Rick Margitza, DaveDouglas, DD Jackson, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Tony Malaby, George Brooks, PanditRonu Majumdar, Pandit Kadri Gopalnath, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, MarilynCrispell, Greg Osby, Howard Levy and a host of others.

Arun Ramamurthy (violin),  Akshay Anantapadmanabhan (mridangam), Nitin Mitta (tabla). Ragas Live Festival # 23

8-9 pm during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Arun Ramamurthy is a gifted violinist who is making his mark in Indian Classical and World music in the United States. Disciple of Dr. Mysore Manjunath & Sri Mysore Nagaraj, he has become one of the most sought after violinists in the US.  Arun has carved a niche for himself in the Indian Classical music scene in NYC as a versatile musician, playing together with artists from both Carnatic and Hindustani styles.  Born and raised in the US, Arun utilizes his Carnatic training to collaborate with western musicians, recording & performing with artists from various genres. Arun released his debut Carnatic CD “Geethanjali” with percussion stalwarts Thiravarur Bakthavatsalam and Giridhar Udupa.  His newest project, the Arun Ramamurthy Quartet, presents fresh arrangments and improvisations of classic Carnatic compositions, including some original music.  Arun curates the innovative series, “Carnatic Sundays” at Cornelia Street Café in New York City, a concert series dedicated to presenting Carnatic music to wider audiences. –arunnj25@gmail.com

Vivek Rudrapatna (violin),  Sriram Raman (mridangam). Ragas Live Festival # 22

5-6 pm during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Vivek Rudrapatna is a seasoned Indian Classical violinist who has played a central role in the Indian Classical music circles of the tristate area and New England for over 10 years.  He began study of the violin under Ms. Jennifer Curran, a passionate music teacher in the New Jersey Public Schools who taught him Western Classical technique and guided him from elementary through high school.  Around the same time, he was fortunate to discover the Carnatic Violin under the guidance of Mysore Sateesh, an inspired violinist from the prized “MSG” lineage.  Since 2001, he has performed as both a soloist and in collaboration with many talented local and international artists in a variety of prestigious venues including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Egg in Albany, and the Sanders Theatre at Harvard University.  Over the years, Vivek has honed his skills under the guidance of renowned artists such as Anantha Krishnan, the Mysore Brothers, and Dr. L. Subramaniam.  Vivek’s long standing interest in world fusion led to the creation of his successful college group “Saptaswara”, a melting pot of Gypsy, Bluegrass, Western, and Indian music.  In his other life, Vivek is an MD/PhD candidate at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Shanti Shivani (vocal),  Peter Fagiola  (pakhavaj). Ragas Live Festival # 21

11 am-12 pm during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Shanti Shivani is one of the few Western pioneers bringing the sacred traditions of Nada Yoga and Dhrupad, the most ancient style of Hindustani classical music, to the West. She brings a wealth of vocal, meditative, movement and experience to her classes and performances. She had the great fortune to be accepted as a paramparastudent of the premier family of the Dhrupad lineage, the Dagar family. Her first teacher was Dr. Ritwik Sanyal before continuing her studies with his gurus, the late rudra veena maestro Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and his brother Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. Their family has been passing on the Dhrupad tradition for nineteen generations. Her studies with Ustad Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar enriched her understanding of Nada Yoga.

Samarth Nagarkar (vocal),  Anirban Roy Chowdury (tabla), Andrew Shantz (harmonium). Ragas Live Festival # 20

8-9 am during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Samarth Nagarkar, a hindustani classical (North Indian classical) vocalist, is a disciple of Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar and Pandit Dinkar Kaikini. A former scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata, he was head of the K. K. Kapoor Sangeet Research Academy, Lucknow as Founder Faculty. Pursuing a full-fledged career as a performing vocalist, Samarth is hailed as one of the most promising young artistes of today.

Oded Tzur (saxophone),  Naren Budhakar (tabla). Ragas Live Festival # 19

10-11 pm during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Saxophonist Oded Tzur is rapidly gaining international acclaim for his
groundbreaking musical work. He is considered by many to be the first
saxophonist in the world to have developed a complete method for performing
North Indian Classical Music on the saxophone, single-handedly creating a
revolutionary approach to the instrument. Odedʼs innovative technique, known
as “Ampis” (A Middle Path In Saxophone), had already been presented in
prestigious institutions such as the 2011 British Saxophone Congress, Trinity
College of Music, London, The Copenhagen Rhythmic Music Conservatory, The
Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, and The Rotterdam Jazz Academy.
“If a curtain were to be drawn in front of him, no one could tell which instrument was
being played” -
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia

Naren Budhakar was born in Pune, India, and was first exposed to classical music by his father who was a violinist. From his cousin Shashikant Purandare he learned Delhi style percussion and began performing at a young age. He was initiated as a disciple by Tabla Maestro Ustad Shabbir Nisar. Naren has been performing and teaching both in the U.S. and abroad, lending his percussion skills to various forms of world music. He is on the faculty of the East-West School of Music, where he teaches monthly Tabla classes and performs regularly.

Eric Fraser (Bansuri Flute),  Naren Budhakar (Tabla). Ragas Live Festival # 18

9-10 am during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival performing  Raga Nat Bhairav

Eric Fraser (bansuri flute) is an exponent of a unique “vocal” style of North-Indian flute playing.  A disciple of Pandit Gopal Roy, Eric’s flute playing tells the story of his “gharana” (lineage).  With it’s depth, strong distinct tone and vilumvit laya (slow tempo), this rare approach to bansuri flute invites listeners into serene contemplation and rich aesthetic landscapes.  Eric is a 2010 Fulbright senior research scholar for Indian music, and has enchanted audiences with the sound of his flute in India and the USA.

Amali Preemawardana (Cello),  Trina Basu (Violin),   Perry Wortman (Bass), Sameer Gupta (Tabla). Ragas Live Festival # 17

1-2pm during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival

Karavika draws from the rich classical & folk traditions of India, Europe and North America. Their debut album, Sunrise, features original music inspired by the rhythmic complexities of Indian Classical music as well as collaborative arrangements inspired by old film and folk music from South Asia.

“a diversely melodic, often hypnotic original sound that occasionally reaches toward Appalachian rusticity or a brisk Celtic mood… Whether quiet and reflective or joyously energetic, the melodies are as bright as the musicians’ tone: this is music for celebrating or getting lost in” – Lucid Culture

Jay Gandhi (Bansuri)  Nitin Mitta (Tabla)  Ragas Live Festival # 16

6-7pm during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival performing Raag Puriya Kalyan in Jhaptaal & Teeentaal followed by a Pahadi Dhun

An outstanding disciple of the world renowned bansuri maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Jay is an avid performer with a remarkable artistic maturity and depth. With performances spanning the globe, he has been lauded for his musical sensitivity and expressive sound. His music reflects the training he has received from some of the greatest living masters of the North Indian Classical flute. Initially trained under Pandit Ronu Majumdar, Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao and Pandit Raghunath Seth, he is truly blessed to presently be studying under the living legend of the bansuri, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, at Brindavan Gurukul in Mumbai, since 2006. In addition to his solo performances, he has also had the honor of providing accompaniment on bansuri for some of the most highly esteemed Hindustani Classical musicians of today, all of whom have given him invaluable guidance towards his musical growth. They include Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Nayan Ghosh, Pt Ronu Majumdar, Pt Raghunath Seth, Pandit Vidyadhar Vyas, Pandit Ramakant Pathak (pakhawaj), Smt. Kum Kum Sanyal, and Smt Sangita Lahiri. (vocalist). His musical pursuits are not limited to that of the Indian sub-continent and he has grown up with a great love for the music of the African diaspora and America’s classical music – Jazz as well. In 2004, he completed an Individual Major in Jazz Performance at Oberlin College/Conservatory of Music (Ohio), studying privately under such Jazz luminaries as the saxophonist Gary Bartz and trumpetist Marcus Belgrave. He has since collaborated extensively with many noted Jazz musicians including composer/Jazz pianist Courtney Bryan and trumpetist Lech Wierzynski. A recipient of the prestigious American Institute of Indian Studies Senior Performing Arts Fellowship, he currently splits his time between New York City and Mumbai, India.

Nitin Mitta is one of the most accomplished and distinctive tabla players of his generation, with a reputation for technical virtuosity, spontaneity, clarity of tone, and sensitivity to melodic nuances.

Apart from being a dynamic soloist, he is a highly sought after accompanist who has performed with some of India’s most celebrated Hindustani classical musicians, including Pandit Jasraj, Dr. Prabha Atre, Pandits Rajan and Sajan Mishra, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and Ustad Shahid Parvez, as well as many Carnatic musicians, such as Lalgudi G.J.R Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi.

Nitin has also made a mark as a versatile collaborator in other spheres. He recently joined forces with 2010 Grammy Nominee Pianist Vijay Iyer and electric guitarist R. Prasanna to produce a studio album titled Tirtha that blends elements of contemporary jazz with the North and South Indian traditional ragas and compositions. Another collaboration with R. Prasanna can be heard on the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning documentary Smile Pinky. He has also performed and toured with singer and Juno Award nominee Kiran Ahluwalia.

Born in Hyderabad in 1975, Nitin received his early training in Hyderabad from Pandit G. Satyanarayana. Blessed with raw talent, he gave his first solo tabla performance at the age of ten. During his studies he won many accolades, including first prize in the All India Competition held in Calcutta. To expand his repertoire of tabla compositions, he sought the guidance of Pandit Arvind Mulgaonkar of Mumbai, one of the most highly respected mentors of his generation.

Under Mulgaonkarji’s tutelage, Nitin not only broadened his tabla vocabulary, but sharpened his understanding of how to bring the material to life in performances through interpretation, improvisation and respect for the dynamics between instrumentalist and rhythmic accompanist. Both of Nitin’s gurus are disciples of the late Ustad Amir Hussain Khan Saheb, legendary doyen of the Farukhabad Gharana.

After moving to the United States in 2002, Nitin received a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on Arts. He was a member of the faculty at the Learn Quest Academy of Music in Waltham, MA. He maintains a busy schedule of performances and tabla workshops, traveling throughout the U.S, Europe, Canada and India. He has performed at several prominent venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Weill recital Hall/Carnegie Hall, the UCLA Royce Hall, the Indian consulate in New York, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C, the Music Academy in Chennai, and the Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

Indrajit Roy Chowdhury (Sitar) and Sanjay Ranjan Pal (Tabla)

Performed 6-7am during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival

Indrajit Roy-Chowdhury is a disciple of the sitar maestro Pandit Subroto Roy-Chowdhury.  Groomed in the Veen-kar style of the Senia Gharana, which maintains the Dhrupadi origins of Indian Classical music, Indrajit strives to innovate while keeping a firm connection with the past.  While completing his undergraduate studies at Duke University, Indrajit received the Bennenson Award for the Arts to further his study of Indian Classical music.  Since then he has taken the profession of a full-time sitarist and has performed on stages across the world including such prestigious venues as Gyan Mancha (Kolkata), Hammerstein Ballroom (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.) and has had his
concerts telecast by Doordarshan (Indian National Television).  During the 2010 Fall semester Indrajit was a visiting faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and taught the University’s sitar course..

3 am – 4 am from our Ragas Live Festival.

Ustad Ikhlaq Hussain Khan is a virtuoso sitarist from a centuries-long line of influential musicians of the Delhi Gharana, dating back to the very creator of the instruments ‘sitar’ and ‘tabla’ in the early 13th century, Sufi Saint Hazrat Amir Khusrao.
While his lineage is known for their proliferative work in the field of tabla and rhythmic expression/composition, Ikhlaq’s grandfather, Ustad Ahmadi Khan, was the first to choose a different instrument, sarangi. In turn, Ikhlaq’s father, the eminent Ustad Imdad Hussain, chose to devote his musical life to sitar. Ikhlaq’s immediate family was relocated to Pakistan during partition, and still resides in Karachi.
Ikhlaq Hussain, now a resident of New York City, was granted permanent residency in the U.S. on the basis of his extraordinary music ability; a category reserved for individuals with unusually exceptional talents. This has been a testimony to his virtuosity. Ikhlaq Hussain has followed in the footsteps of his forefathers, captivating audiences worldwide with his highly artistic sensibilities and skillful playing.
Ikhlaq plays in the Gayaki Ang (or vocal manner of playing). It is perhaps the most difficult form of playing the sitar. It involves ‘sytematic use of pitch deflecting technique, where by pulling the strings across the frets and varying their tension, the player can produce intricate melodie phrases from a single stroke of the plectrum. Thus, emulating the human voice to a degree normally unattainable on plucked instruments’.

10-11 am from our Ragas Live Festival.

Falu (Vocals)  Deep Singh (Tabla)

Falu is widely recognized for a rare ability to seamlessly blend a signature modern inventive rock style with a formidable Indian classically-shaped vocal talent.

In her early years in Bombay, singer Falu (aka Falguni Shah) was trained rigorously in the Jaipur musical tradition, honing her talent for up to 16 hours a day at times. She later continued studying under the legendary sarangi/vocal master Ustad Sultan Khan – a mentorship that continues to drive and inspire her to this day. While pursuing a degree in North Indian classical vocal music she won gold medals in three national-level competitions centered around rising young classical talent.

Falu later moved to the States, and in 2001 began recording extensively with Boston-based band Karyshma as well as with Asian Massive leader Karsh Kale, subsequently hitting the nationwide university, club and festival circuits. Falu then formed her own New York-based band of the same name, and started performing at music venues throughout the city including Lincoln Center at a special Healing the Divideperformance for the Dalai Lama in 2003. Falu’s recordings were soon featured on multiple albums and compilations include on the compendium CD to Deepak Chopra’sThe Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire.

In 2004 Falu was invited to perform as a soloist with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project. In 2005 she was asked to serve as one of Carnegie Hall’s Musical Ambassadors to New York City – a position she continues to cherish with great enthusiasm. In May of 2006 she became the youngest South Asian vocalist to deliver a solo performance at Carnegie Hall (Zankel). Also in 2006 she joined the Born Into Brothels Ensemble (from the Academy-Award winning film), and in 2007 she collaborated with Wyclef Jean, lending her distinctive vocal style to the score of Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut A Place in Time.

In August of 2007, Falu released her self-titled debut CD, produced by Palmyra Delran and engineered by Grammy winner Emery Dobyns. Soon afterward, Falu and her genre-defining hybrid “Indie Hindi” musical style made a splash in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal and Times of India, India’s premier national daily newspaper.

More recently, Falu and her band were featured on National Geographic Channel’s Geo Sessions broadcast internationally, as well as on Fox TV’s Fearless Music, where the hit single Rabba became the first Hindi song ever performed on the national network.

During 2008 Falu began an ongoing collaboration with Jason Miles and DJ Logic in the contemporary jazz collective Global Noize with whom she toured extensively, performing live with Meshell Ndegeocello, Bernie Worrell (P-Funk), John Popper and other talented musicians. She contributed three standout tracks to their self-titled album released in Spring 2008 – her vocals in the album were singled out by Billboardas “ethereal” and “transcendent”. Other 2008 collaboration highlights included with Philip Glass and with Blues Traveler.

In 2009, Falu was invited to perform at Lincoln Center together with Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman for the Time 100 Gala in front of the one hundred selection of Time Magazine’s most influential people in the world of 2008, which not surprisingly included First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.

Finally, Falu’s most stunning recent performance occurred at the White House in November of 2009, where she was invited to sing alongside A.R. Rahman again at President Obama’s first State Dinner in honor of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Falu’s band brings together musicians who draw elegantly from Indian classical, alternative rock, contemporary pop, and electronic styles to create a tight mix of East and West, of ancient and modern. The band members are Gaurav Shah (vocals / harmonium), Mark Tewarson (guitars), Borahm Lee (keys), Justin Wallace (bass), and Ramsey Jones (drums).

Deep Singh is a renowned percussionist, born in London England and currently living in NYC. Singh began to play the Tabla at the age three years old and at the age of seven became the youngest disciple of Ustad Allah Rakha. Singh’s professional career started at the age of nine and since has performed at prestigious venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, London; The Royal Festival Hall, London; The Waldorf Astoria, NYC, Carnegie Hall, NYC, among many others. Singh has accompanied the finest musicians from India such as Dr.Aruna Sharma, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Ustad Sultan Khan, Hari Harren, Ghulam Ali and many more. He is currently touring a concert of Indian classical music and working with other percussion bands.

After many years of playing in the NYC down town club scene and merging Indian sounds with rock/pop, he is now coming out with his own unique style of music. With his years of experience as an Indian classical musician and playing with western bands, Singh is revered as a master in blending music from the east and west.

Sketch from Ragas Live Festival by Rachel Meirs

Kedar Naphade (Harmonium)  Nitin Mitta (Tabla) Performed 4-5pm during our 24 Hour Ragas Live Festival

Raag Madhuvanti and Thumri in Mishra Pilu

Kedar Naphade, a Hindustani Classical Instrumentalist, is one of today’s leading exponents of the art of Harmonium Solo and Accompaniment.

Daisy Paradis, sitar; Sanjay Ranjan Pal, tabla;

7-8am during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Daisy Paradis is one of the few Americans who can give a pure and authentic rendition of North Indian classical music. An outstanding musician in full command of her instrument, she has had the benefit of more than twenty years of training with one of the greatest artists of India, Maestro Ali Akbar Khan. Her depth of knowledge and devotion to music is coupled with rigorous classical training. Her interpretation is enlivened by an individuality and spark of energy that fills her performance with excitement.

Daughter of jazz harpist Daphne Hellman and sister of guitarist Sandy Bull, Paradis has been a disciple of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan since 1966. She has studied sitar with Krishna Bhatt, as well as attending workshops with Pdt. Ravi Shankar and Nikhil Banerjee. Her vocal studies were with Maestro Khan and Prof. A.T. Kanan of Calcutta. She is a co-founder of the Ali Akbar College of Music in California with Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, and served on the Board of the India Festival in San Francisco.

Paradis has appeared in performance with Maestro Ali Akbar Khan and Swapan Chaudhuri. Among her many concerts have been performances at San Francisco State, the Oakland Museum, the World Music Network, the World Music Institute, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Natural History Museum, programs of the Ali Akbar College, and a number of appearances on KPFA, and many other radio and television stations. She performed as part of the India Festival in California, and was invited in 1989 to perform for the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Nehru Centenary celebration.

“One of the best of the sitar students to come from Ali Akbar Khan… she has had many years with one of India’s finest musicians behind her. …her technique is fully developed…. her dedication is commendable…. an artist with a real statement to make.” – Soho News

Camila Celin (sarod), Stephen Cellucci (tabla)

3-4 pm during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Sketched by Rachel Meirs.

Below is what the press has said about Camila Celin‘s beautiful guitar work.  This afternoon the New York City was  treated to her performance on the Sarod.

“Grammy nominated Guitarist Camila Celin strumms elegant classical tempos, occasionally sustaining violent bursts of flamenco with inhuman endurance, all while gracefully poised in her chair” ……The West County News ……“…her playing is profound unique, commanding, luminary. She plays a nylon string, flamenco, all these different techniques, modal scales… She is a well trained classical guitarist who also has the ability to improvise… Striking young female…” ……Gayle Olson- Director of Hilltown music ……“… I was especially amazed at the guitar playing of Camila. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the way her fingers were moving on that guitar like cutting hot butter.” ……Roy Knowles- Director of Recovery of Spirit

Stephen Cellucci has studied tabla under the guidance of Pdt. Samir Chatterjee since 2000. He was initiated as a disciple of his Guruji in 2005 and has shared the stage with him several times since. He performed at the well-known Chhandayan All Night Concert of Indian Music in New York City in 2004 and 2009. He also has extensive experience playing with kirtans and accompanying dance — both traditional Indian kathak and western modern forms.

Stephen’s background in western classical music and piano complement his ongoing, rigorous study of Indian music. His scope of musical influences gives him the versatility to adapt the tabla to most any musical need. He resides, teaches, and plays in New York City

Ashvin Bhogendra (vocal),  Arun Ramamurthy (violin),  Akshay Anantapadmanabhan (mrigdanam).

9-1opm during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Ashvin Bhogendra (D.B. Ashvin) hails from a family of musicians. His maternal grandfather Kalaimamani Late Shri T.K.Rangachary is one of the doyens of Carnatic Music and his paternal great-grandfather Dharmavaram Ramakrishnamacharlu is one of the greatest playwrights of Telugu drama. Ashvin was initiated into carnatic vocal by his mother Smt Mallika Jayanth Kumar at the age of 5. Subsequently he was under the tutelage of B.Seetharama Sharma and KalaimamaniLate Shri Vairamangalam Lakshminarayanan for about 15 years. He is currently undergoing advanced training under Shri D Seshachary (Hyderabad Brothers). Ashvin has given concert performances in leading sabhas and organizations all over India and the USA.

Anjana Roy (sitar), Sanjay Ranjan Pal (tabla)

4am-5am during our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival

Anjana Roy had her early education in music from her father Shri Rebati Ranjan Debnath, who was a senior disciple of Ustad Allauddin Khan of Maihar. She later had training from several other masters , including Professor erma of Jaipur, Pandit Debu Chowdhury of Delhi, and Pandit Manilal Nag of Calcutta.

Andrew Mendelson (Sitar),  Ehren Hanson (Tabla)

7-8PM During our ragas live festival

Counter to the ancient tenets of reincarnation, Andrew Mendelson attempts to live as many lives as possible simultaneously in the present. A devout student of Indian classical music, Andrew has been playing and studying the sitar for over 15 years. In 2005, Andrew won the grand championship gold medal at the Darshak Institute Music Competition in Jaipur, India–the largest music competition of it’s kind in the state of Rajasthan. He is a disciple of renowned sitarist Pandit Krishna Mohan Bhatt. Andrew continues to performed at venues throughout New York City and University campuses across the U.S. He is also a studio musician and recently composed the opening credit music for Mike Myers’ film The Love Guru.

A Tabla/Mridangam duet with Anirban Roy Chowdhury (Tabla) and Akshay Anantapadmanabhan (Mridangam) / with Indrajit Roy Chowdhury keeping time on the Sitar.

5-6am during our 24 Hour Ragas Live Festival.

Anirban Roy Chowdhury, born in a musical family in Assam, India, is an able young representative of the Punjab gharana of tabla.

Anirban’s tutelage started at a very young age from his father Akhil Roy Chowdhury and brother Animesh Roy Chowdhury. Following a few years of training from the legendary UstadAllarakha Khan, he underwent intensive training in tabla of the Punjab gharana under his disciple Yogesh Samsi. Anirban also received intermittent guidance from world renowned maestro, Ustad Zakir Hussain. He holds a Sangeet Visharad degree (BMus) in tabla from Bhatkhande Sangeet MahavidyalayaLucknow & Sangeet Nipun (M Mus) from Bangiya SangeetParishad, Kolkata.

Akshay Anantapadmanabhan is an energetic mridangam and kanjira artist striving to create a sustained cultural impact through Carnatic percussion across the world. He began his mridangam training under T.S. Nandakumar and later learned from Dr. Venkat Natarajan. For the past twelve years, he has been a disciple of the world renowned percussion maestro Professor T.H. Subash Chandran.

Achyut Joshi is a young emerging Hindustani vocalist.  Born in India and raised in New York, Achyut began studying with Shiv Shankar Pandey, of the Kirana Gharana, in Jaipur.  In 2005, he received a US Fulbright Scholarship to study vocal music in Pune with Raghunandan Panshikar, foremost disciple of renowned vocalist Kishori Amonkar, of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana.  In the US, he has received invaluable guidance from jazz vocal coach Richard Harper, choral director John Lewers, Hindustani vocalist Vishwanath Shrikhande, and Hindustani vocalist Shubhangi Sakhalkar of the SF Bay Area.

Steve Gorn – Bansuri;  Naren Budhakar – Tabla

Of all the Westerners who have approached Indian Raga, Steve Gorn has be considered to be the ones who has accomplished the most. We were very thankful he joined us for the raga festival.

Naren is a wonderful, versatile tabla player who has played with Shahid Parvez and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt on our show.

Here’s his bio from website:

Steve Gorn is creating a new idiom, a music that combines the essence of classical Indian tradition with a contemporary world music sensibility. The strength of this music is grounded in a virtuoso mastery, generating a vibrant fusion, alive and accessible to western ears. From Indian classical music to world music and jazz projects with Paul Simon, Jack DeJohnette, Paul Winter and others, Steve infuses great mastery with a haunting, lyrical sweetness to bring the healing breath of the sacred to our demanding contemporary lives.

Steve’s first steps on this path were taken as a young jazz musician studying composition at Penn State. He noticed how John Coltrane and Charles Lloyd had begun to incorporate aspects of Indian music into their playing. He investigated modal music and listened to Bismallah Khan who played the shenai, (Indian oboe), and to Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan who were then only beginning to become known to Western audiences. Drawn by these sounds, he followed the music east and found himself in Benares, India in 1969, in a boat on the Ganges with the famous sarangi master, Gopal Misra, listening to his classical raga float out over the water in the evening light.

I suddenly saw how this music went beyond notes, beyond what we think of as music. How it is, in truth, a yoga, a form of meditation, devotion, a form of love.

In Benares, Steve studied shenai with a local teacher and then traveled to Calcutta where he was invited to meet the Bengali bansuri master Sri Gour Goswami.

BANSURI MASTER SRI GOUR GOSWAMI

“We went to Hedwa in North Calcutta, passing through narrow lanes lined with sweet shops, tea stands and sari merchants. Bells were ringing from small neighborhood temples and the air was thick and pungent with everything from sandalwood incense to cow dung. We were directed to a doorway that led along a corridor into a small courtyard. A servant motioned to a room on the south end of the courtyard and we entered the stone compound.

Seated on the floor, in a circle, were six men all dressed in white. In the center of the circle was a robust middle-aged man, his feet tucked under his dhoti, his lips red from the betel-nut he was chewing. A cup of tea was at his side and a harmonium and flute case lay on the floor before him. This was the teacher I had heard so much about.

I was introduced in Bengali (although I learned later that these men spoke fluent English) and they proceeded to talk about me at length in a language I couldn’t understand. I stood there, grinning awkwardly, being discussed as if I were a specimen from Mars. Finally, the master looked at my flute case and said, “So, let me see your flute.” I took it out and gave it to him. He looked at it, shrugging his shoulders, “It’s not very good,” he said, “it’s not made right.” I started to say something but he continued, “Who did you learn from?” When I told him he let me know that I had learned from an insignificant person.

I was becoming annoyed at being so readily dismissed. I wanted to play for him and show him what I knew, but they continued to sip their tea, conversing endlessly in Bengali. Finally, they asked me to play a raga for them. I was very nervous by then but managed to play. When I finished, Gour Goswami said, “You have a good sense for this music, but you have not been taught properly.” He then took out his flute and played for me. The tone was deep, warm and velvety, utterly weightless. The raga unfolded and time stopped. It was breathtaking as the passages came faster and faster, ending in a flourish of cascading sound that reverberated through the stone room. And then it was over and everyone was once again drinking tea. I just sat there, stunned. I looked at him and stuttered, “May I come back?” He smiled and said, “Yes.”

HOWARD LEVY, GLEN VELEZ, LAYNE REDMOND, JOHN CLARK, SG

Returning to the U.S. he continued his study of Indian music with Pandit Raghunath Seth, and brought his elegant bansuri sound to American pop music, influencing a wide range of musicians, recording with Paul Simon, Richie Havens, Paul Winter, Jack DeJohnette, Glen Velez, and many others. Deepak Chopra, Krishna Das, Coleman Barks, Jai Uttal, Jerome Robbins, and Julie Taymor are among those who have sought out his virtuoso bamboo flute. He has composed for film, television, dance and theatre, and performed in concerts and festivals throughout the world, drawing from classical Indian, jazz and world music to create a distinctive signature sound.

BADAL ROY, MIKE RICHMOND, SG, NANA VASCONCELOS

MICHAEL CAIN, JACK DEJOHNETTE, STEVE GORN

His landmark world music recording, “Asian Journal,” and the unique “Wings and Shadows” have become cult favorites, and his acclaimed cd, “Luminous Ragas,” was named one of the top ten recordings of the year by Los Angeles Reader.

Describing his 1996 performance in Mumbai at the Sangeet Research Academy’s Indian Music and the West Seminar, SRA West Chairman, Arvind Parikh has said, “Steve Gorn’s concert was widely appreciated for its outstanding musicianship…. and has won him a host of admirers.” In 1998, Steve returned to India performing to enthusiastic audiences at The Nehru Center, NCPA, and the Dadar Matunga Music Circle in Mumbai.

Snehasish Mozumder (Mandolin), Nitin Mitta (Tabla)

2 pm – 4 pm from our 24 hour Ragas Live Festival.

Snehasish Mozumder and Nitin Mitta performing at WKCR

In accordance with his family tradition, Snehasish Mozumder, born in 1967, started playing the tabla at the age of 4; first playfully, later conscientiously, he learned from his grandfather, Bibhuti Ranjan Mozumder until the age of 14. At the age of 10 (in keeping with family tradition), the mandolin was added as a second instrument. Here, his grandfather, his father, Himangshu Mozumder, his uncle, Ranjan Majumdar, and the latter´s son, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, equally took care of instructions.

In 1983, Snehasish Mozumder was then to learn a “serious” instrument of Indian classical music, and so he began with playing the sitar under Pandit Ajoy Sinha Roy. Since Snehasish Mozumder never stopped imitating on the mandolin at home what he had learned on the sitar, Pandit Ajoy Sinha Roy agreed four years later to instruct him directly on the mandolin. After Roy´s passing, Snehasish Mozumder continued his education under Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty.

As a mile stone in his decade-long struggle for acceptance of the mandolin as an instrument of Northern Indian classical music, in November 2002 Snehasish Mozumder received an invitation from Pandit Ravi Shankar to the Royal Albert Hall (London) to participate in the George Harrison Memorial Concert (Concert for George). The modifications undertaken on his mandolin by Snehasish Mozumder and his special playing technique are increasingly taken up today by following generations of musicians.

Nitin Mitta is one of the most accomplished and distinctive tabla players of his generation, with a reputation for technical virtuosity, spontaneity, clarity of tone, and sensitivity to melodic nuances.

Apart from being a dynamic soloist, he is a highly sought after accompanist who has performed with some of India’s most celebrated Hindustani classical musicians, including Pandit Jasraj, Dr. Prabha Atre, Pandits Rajan and Sajan Mishra, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and Ustad Shahid Parvez, as well as many Carnatic musicians, such as Lalgudi G.J.R Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi.

Nitin has also made a mark as a versatile collaborator in other spheres. He recently joined forces with 2010 Grammy Nominee Pianist Vijay Iyer and electric guitarist R. Prasanna to produce a studio album titled Tirtha that blends elements of contemporary jazz with the North and South Indian traditional ragas and compositions. Another collaboration with R. Prasanna can be heard on the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning documentary Smile Pinky. He has also performed and toured with singer and Juno Award nominee Kiran Ahluwalia.

Born in Hyderabad in 1975, Nitin received his early training in Hyderabad from Pandit G. Satyanarayana. Blessed with raw talent, he gave his first solo tabla performance at the age of ten. During his studies he won many accolades, including first prize in the All India Competition held in Calcutta. To expand his repertoire of tabla compositions, he sought the guidance of Pandit Arvind Mulgaonkar of Mumbai, one of the most highly respected mentors of his generation.

Under Mulgaonkarji’s tutelage, Nitin not only broadened his tabla vocabulary, but sharpened his understanding of how to bring the material to life in performances through interpretation, improvisation and respect for the dynamics between instrumentalist and rhythmic accompanist. Both of Nitin’s gurus are disciples of the late Ustad Amir Hussain Khan Saheb, legendary doyen of the Farukhabad Gharana.

After moving to the United States in 2002, Nitin received a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on Arts. He was a member of the faculty at the Learn Quest Academy of Music in Waltham, MA. He maintains a busy schedule of performances and tabla workshops, traveling throughout the U.S, Europe, Canada and India. He has performed at several prominent venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Weill recital Hall/Carnegie Hall, the UCLA Royce Hall, the Indian consulate in New York, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C, the Music Academy in Chennai, and the Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

Ehren Hanson (Tabla),  Sameer Gupta (Tabla), Andrew Shantz (Harmonium).

1 am – 2 am from our Ragas Live Festival.

Ehren Hanson has been playing tabla for over 17 years.   A disciple of the great Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, he is an active performer as both a soloist and an accompanist.  His recent review in the “Times of India,” Kolkata called his solo performace “enthralling.”

Sameer Gupta is an original artist within improvisational styles of jazz, world, and fusion music. Since 10 years old, he has lived in Japan, New York, the Bay Area, and visited India annually. Today his skills and musicianship are appreciated globally. He has played drumset at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Birla Auditorium in Kolkata. He has played tabla at Asagiri Jam Japan and presented a lecture on Classical Indian music at Berkelee College of Music in Boston. Playing a hybrid of both tabla and drumset simultaneously, Sameer is pushing the boundaries of possibilities. He has the distinguished honor today of studying with tabla Maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee in Kolkata, with his first few years spent under the guidance of the legendary Ustad Zakir Hussein. Sameer can be heard live and on recording with such known artists as Marc Cary, The Supplicants, Roy Hargrove, Pt. Ramesh Misra, Pt. Chitresh Das, Richard Howell, Prasant Radhkrishnan, Marcus Shelby, Parijat Desai, Stephen Kent, Sekou Sundiata and numerous other fine artists.

Neel Murgai (sitar), Sameer Gupta (tabla)

12-1 am from our Ragas Live Festival.

Neel Murgai is a multi-instrumental performer, composer and teacher from New York City. He is a graduate of Goddard College’s MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program. His life long journey into the depth and beauty of sitar and Indian classical music began with Ravindra Goswami in Banaras, 16 years ago. For the past 10 years Neel has studied with his guru and mentor, Pundit Krishna Bhatt. His interest in music began at a young age with trombone and guitar. While obtaining a degree in Civil Engineering, Neel worked as a radio DJ, hosting an international music program. This fostered in him an abiding interest in music from around the world. He went on to live in India, immersing himself in the music and culture of his parent’s homeland. Upon returning to the U.S. Neel began a career in music. In addition to sitar, he has since learned to play daf (Persian frame drum) with Soheil Zolfonun and kanjira with V. Nagarajan in Chennai. He has studied overtone singing with the Buriyat performance group Uragsha and Harmonic Choir member, Timothy Hill. Western composition, Neel studied with Edgar Grana.

While dedicated to Indian classical music, Neel is also interested in creating an original music that is rooted in his many influences and studies. The Neel Murgai Ensemble is a product of many years of thought about the ideal instrumentation to advance his compositions.

This group features Tom Perozzi on Bass and Chuck Palmer on drums.

Here’s video of another performance of Dave and the Quartet on our show.

On Feb 5, 2012, Kaleidhaphonic treated the WKCR FM-NY listening audience to a live performance.  It was a magical evening.  Kaleidhaphonic is

Kevin Nathaniel Hylton – Mbira, Rattles, Shakere
Tripp Dudley – Tabla
Salieu Suso – Kora
John Ragusa – Flutes, Conch Shell

I’m back from the Sahara, and, as promised, have a ton of recordings to share with you.  This special show was originally broadcast on WKCR on 89.9 FM-NY and features rough mixes of studio recordings with up and coming guitarist and pop star Oumar Konate, Griot Royalty Noura Mint Seymali from Mauritania recording exclusively for us in her flat in Timbuktu, artists from Niger informally jamming in their tents and the Festival Au Desert and much, much more. We’ll hear this Takamba band in the photo above- they use a car battery and a PA and the flute ends up sounding just like Jimi Hendrix…

Abdoulaye Diabate

Abdoulaye Diabate from Mali has been called the greatest griot singer living in the United States.

We recorded this duo track in my studio this year and I thought that rather than selling it, I’d like to share it as a holiday gift to show appreciation to current and future friends who have been enjoying this podcast, Acoustic Mandala Project, or life in general.   On this track, Abdoulaye plays rhythm guitar, bass, djembe and sings, I play some rhythm guitar and all the lead guitars.   This is part of a bigger project called Abdoulaye Diabate’s African Ladyland.

I hope you enjoy it and that you have a a wonderful New Year.

Here’s a bio of Abdoulaye from Wikipedia:

Abdoulaye Diabaté was raised in the Mande tradition to a djali family (traditional musicians and story tellers). His brother Kasse Mady has achieved worldwide fame and his sister Mama Diabate is a great star in Guinea. At age 18, having developed into a formidable singer and guitarist he left his village.^[1] He joined Tenetemba Jazz in Bemako, the capital of Mali.^[1] In 1975, he moved to Abidjan in Ivory Coast where he formed his own band called Super Mande. Super Mande became one of the foremost ensembles in the capital performing all over the country. At times, some now most famous West African stars such as Salif Keita, Mory Kante and Ousmane Kouyate joined the group for performances. The career of Super Mande culminated with the release of their album “Wahabiadashi” which was eventually banned from airplay because the title track criticized hypocritical Marabouts (religious leaders). In the early nineties, Diabate was recruited as a star singer in the world renowned “Ballet Koteba” led by Souleymane Koli to replace Sekou Camara “Cobra” after his death; and also as rhythm-guitarist with the “Go de Koteba” the world famous women group. He toured the world with these ensemble for several years. In 1996, he relocated in New York City. He has since taken part in many cultural events as leader of the re-formed Super Mande group and with many collaborations with artists such as jazzman Don Byron, Peter Apfelbaum, Sean Noonan, and the groups Source and Fula Flute Ensemble.^[3]

Hawaiian Guitar Virtuoso Jeff Peterson

Jahkey B., a musician and producer, has dedicated over a decade of his life to recording the music of Shamans of the Amazon.  He came to WKCR recently with many of these recordings, some which have never been officially released.  We’ll hear music from Don Solon Tello, Don Guillermo Ojanama and Jose Campos (aka Don Evangelino Murayay) curanderos of a lineage of traditional healing that spans hundreds of years. You can learn more about Jahkey and the albums at http://mamancuna.com/sounds/

Later in part 2 of this podcast – we’ll be joined by 2 musicians who perform live on the same show, Grammy Award winner Jeff Peterson of Hawaii and violinist Frederika Krier.  Jeff and Jahkey will talk about the relationship between the roots music of Hawaii and the Amazonian sounds – there’s quite a connection.

Don Evangelino Murayay

Jahkey B., a musician and producer, has dedicated over a decade of his life to recording the music of Shamans of the Amazon.  He came to WKCR recently with many of these recordings, some which have never been officially released.  We’ll hear music from Don Solon Tello, Don Guillermo Ojanama and Jose Campos (aka Don Evangelino Murayay) curanderos of a lineage of traditional healing that spans hundreds of years. You can learn more about Jahkey and the albums at http://mamancuna.com/sounds/

Later in part 2 of this podcast – we’ll be joined by 2 musicians who perform live on the same show, Grammy Award winner Jeff Peterson of Hawaii and violinist Frederika Krier.  Jeff and Jahkey will talk about the relationship between the roots music of Hawaii and the Amazonian sounds – there’s quite a connection.

Cosmas Magaya

Cosmas Magya is a master of the Mbira ( a type of thumb piano) from the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe.  Here he performs and explains the way the instrument is used in ceremonies to contact ancestors.  We’ll also hear a track he recorded with another powerful Mbira player and vocalist Beauler Dyoko.

Oran Etkin and Lionel Loueke at WKCR

There is video from this session at WKCR

This week on WKCR we had an exciting live performance from the Arun Ramamurthy Quartet who combine traditional Carnatic (South Indian) music with some Western instruments like the drum kit and the double bass.

Arun Ramamurthy, violin; Perry Wortman, bass; Akshay Anantapadmanabhan, mridangam; Sameer Gupta, drums

Arun performs Carnatic music at the Cornelia Street Cafe on the fourth Sunday of every month and there will be a festival of Carnatic music there from Aug 15-17.

You can hear Sameer Gupta playing tabla with Srinivas Reddy on Sitar on podcast 3.

Thomas Mapfumo - Photo by George Estreich

Thomas Mapfumo, of Zimbabwe, is a revolutionary musician in every sense of the word.  Musically, his band was one of the first to experiment with combining the mbira (thumb piano) and electric guitars and he was the first to put his own lyrics to traditional Shona melodies.  Politically,  these songs became the anthems of the freedom fighters during White minority rule.

When the revolution succeeded and Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, he continued to be a gadfly.  He questioned the integrity of Robert Mugabe and the current government.  He now lives in exile and while immensely popular his music is banned in the country where he is most beloved.

A couple recordings I made with a mini-disc recorder in Independent Samoa in 2002 0r 2003.  Every Samoan can sing, if you started to sing a song on a public bus everyone would join you.  The houses have thatched roofs and walls of woven leaves that are folded up during the daytime so the breeze sweeps through.   Here are some pics: the father and son are from the Falonga Bay village in Upolo, where I recorded the outstanding youth chours.

Falonga Bay, Upolo, Samoa

Brandon Terzic’s Xalam Project and Negar Bouban

This special show features an Oud Virtuoso from Tehran, Negar Bouban, and an Oud Virtuoso based in New York, Brandon Terzic. They met and played together for the first time live on the air for this show.  Brandon also brought his amazing band, Xalam Project.      Xalam’s line-up that evening was Luke Notary and Matt Kilmer on Percussion, Matt Darriau on winds and sax, Ethan Mees on Bass and Brandon on the Oud.

Kojiro Umezaki at WKCR

Kojiro Umezaki – Shakuhachi-

Live Performance and Interview

This podcast features live performances and interview with Kojiro Umezaki, who plays the Japanese Zen instrument, the shakuhachi, a bamboo flute.  While Kojiro performs the instrument traditionally, he is also experimenting with some new directions in music. Kojiro designs computer programs so that during performances the programs will generate sounds that react to his flute playing in the moment.  We’ll hear live performances with and without this technology and learn a lot about the history of this amazing instrument.

Kojiro Umezaki performs regularly with the Grammy-nominated Silk Road Ensemble and has recorded on the Sony BMG, World Village, and Smithsonian Folkways labels.

Abdoulaye Diabate

Live Performance from the Source featuring Abdoulaye Diabate, plus a demonstration of the fula flute and interview with the founder of the Source, Sylvain Leroux.

This episode features a demonstration of one of the signature techniques of the Fula Flute by Sylvain Leroux and a live performance recorded at the Zinc Bar by Erik Gunderson and originally aired on WKCR when Sylvain was my guest.

The lineup on the recording is

Sylvain Leroux -Fula Flute, Western flutes and Saxophone

Abdoulaye Diabate – Guitar and vocals

Bailo Bah – Fula Flute

Abdoulaye Alhassane – guitar

Mamadou Ba – Bass

Emi Yabuno – Keys

Sean Dixon – Drums

You can catch the Source the first Friday of the month and the Zinc Bar on 3rd street between Sullivan and Thomson in the West Village.   Sylvain also has an exciting show coming up for the River to River festival on June 25 with his Fula Flute Ensemble.

Live performance and interview from Adam Rudolph.

Adam Rudolph is a master percussionist,  pioneer of world music, and creative music visionary.  He came to the radio station to celebrate the release of his new album Both/And by his group Adam Rudolph’s Moving Pictures with the Organic Orchestra Strings.  He also was kind enough to share an exclusive perfomance recorded live by Moving Pictures at the Painted Bride in 2010.

The line-up for the live performance featured here, and the new album is:

Adam Rudolph – handrumset (kongos, djembe, tarija, zabumba) thumb piano, bata (itotele), mouth bow, percussion

Ralph M. Jones – hulusi, bass clarinet, alto and c germanic flutes, soprano and tenor saxophones, bamboo trumpet, bamboo flutes

Joseph Bowie – trombone, organic/electronics, vocal, harmonica, congas, bamboo trumpet, percussion

Graham Haynes – cornet, flugelhorn, bamboo trumpet, percussion

Brahim Fribgane – oud, cajon, bendir, tarija, percussion

Kenny Wessel – electric and acoustic guitars, banjo

Jerome Harris – acoustic bass guitar, slide guitar, vocal

Matt Kilmer – frame drums, kanjira, bata (okonkolo), percussion

Many thanks to Adam for sharing this amazing performance with us!

Sameer, who is great tabla player and jazz drummer, has recently released an amazing album on Motema called Namaskar. The lineup includes jazz musicians like pianist Mark Cary, who co-produced the album, and maestros of Indian Raga such as Pt. Anindo Chatterjee and Pt. Ramesh Mishra.

Srini has been busy since then as well. He just published a book called The Giver of the Worn Garland: Krishnadevaraya’s Amuktamalyada The work is a literary translation of a famous Telugu epic that poetically describes the devotional love of the ninth century South Indian mystic Antal.

These are some heavy cats!

Wasifuddin Dagar comes from the most famous lineage of singers of an ancient style of Indian raga called Druhpad. He is part of an unbroken chain of generations of musicians in his family that has lasted over 400 years. He started his training with his father at 5 years old.
In this musical interview, he both speaks of the philosophy behind this ancient style and sings to exemplify the elements behind this deep, emotional and spiritual style.

John Coltrane and McCoyTyner

The Mandingo Abassadors are a classic band, half from West-Africa and half from Brooklyn. Their leader Mamady Kouyate, from Guinea is best known as the guitarist in the classic Bembeya Jazz National.

They were happy enough with the sound I got in the studio that they released the recordings from that session as a album:

Ismael Kouyate – vocals; Mamady Kourouma – guitar; Oran Etkin – tenor sax & clarinets; Sylvain Leroux – flute, tambin and alto sax; Andy Algire – drums; Nick Cudahy – bass and Mamady Kouyate – guitar.