Wednesday 27 July 2016 / 6:30pm

Folk Music Traditions of Rajasthan • Film/Talk/Music
Nehru Centre, London

The vast unending expanse of burning hot sand that makes up the Thar Desert of Rajasthan hosts one of the most vibrant and evocative music cultures of world. The heady, hypnotic combination of rhythm and melodies sung and played by the Langas and Manganiyars are part of the eternal appeal of this mysterious and wondrous land. The soulful, full throated voices of these two music communities have filled the cool air of the desert night for centuries in a tradition that reflects all aspects of Rajasthani life. Songs for every occasion, mood and moment; stories of legendary battles, heroes and lovers engender a spirit of identity, expressed through music that provides relief from the inhospitable land of heat and dust storms

The Langas and Manganiyars are groups of hereditary professional musicians, whose music has been supported by wealthy landlords and aristocrats for generations. Both sing in the same dialect, but their styles and repertoires differ, shaped by the tastes of their patrons. The monarchs of the courts of Rajput and Jaipur maintained large music and dance troupes an in an environment where the arts were allowed to flourish. Though both communities are made up of Muslim musicians, many of their songs are in praise of Hindu deities and celebrate Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Holi.

Free Admission / info@sama.co.uk

Thursday 28 July 2016 / 7:30pm

Desert Slide
Union Chapel, London

The spiraling sounds of Vishwa Mohan Bhatt’s Mohan Veena intertwine with the vocal harmonies of Anwar Khan Manghaniyar, in a sort of long tracking shot through the desert immensity.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt: Mohan Veena
Nihar Mehta: Tabla
Anwar Khan Manganiar: Singer
Gazi Khan Barna: Kartâl
Feiruz Khan Manghaniyar: Dholak
Ghewar Khan Manghaniyar: Kamanchiya.

£22.50 /

Thursday 4 August 2016 / 6:30pm

Dhrupad – in Conversation with Uday Bhawalkar • Excerpts of Dhrupad Film • Voice culture through dhrupad singing/ Lecture demonstration
Nehru Centre, London

Uday Bhawalkar is one of the foremost Dhrupad vocalists and a strong force in its growing recognition and popularity. Uday believes that when immersed in the note and raga, the self disappears and music takes on its own existence; the principle of ‘darshan’. These values are helping him on the path of devotion to Dhrupad. Dhrupad is one of the oldest forms of North Indian classical music and Uday maintains its majesty and subtle nuances. Dhrupad is a living and evolving classical music tradition. Uday has developed a unique style deeply embedded in raga ras and bhaav.

Dhrupad is one of the oldest forms of North Indian classical music and Uday maintains its majesty and subtle nuances. Dhrupad is a living and evolving classical music tradition. Uday has developed a unique style deeply embedded in raga ras and bhaav.
This brings a creative melodic addition to the precise intonation and pronunciation characteristic to the Dhrupad style. Uday spent over 12 years studying and living in the traditional guru-shishya parampara with Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar (Vocal) and Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (Rudra-Veena), the towering pillars of the Dhrupad tradition. During this period there was a simple and complete concentration on the music itself. This intimate relationship, in which the Ustads willingly gave their inner secrets along with Uday’s devotion, brought him to a deep sense of completeness and wholeness.

Uday believes in gaining the state of “sahaj”, being equally at ease in concerts large or small. While teaching, Uday creates a nurturing environment for his students and continues to bring a new life to the ancient tradition of Dhrupad. For Uday, every musical act is a blessing and a stage on his life’s journey.

Lecture Demonstration:
Dhrupad Vocal – Shri Kirit Singh
Pakhawaj - Shri Pratap Awad

Presented in association with Sama Arts Network / Dhrupad Institute UK and Dhrupad Music Society

Free Admission / info@sama.co.uk

Saturday 6 August / 7.30pm

Qawwal Najmuddin Saifuddin And Group: In Praise Of Khusrau
Tileyard Studios , London

The family of Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin group trace their ancestry back to the 13th-century around the time of Hazrat Amir Khusrau. Their family until recently was led by the late Ustad Bahuddin Qawwal, one of the great exponents of Khusrau’s work and his sons Najamuddin/ Saifuddin are considered today as the leading singers of the Sufi Qawwali tradition.

Muhammad Najmuddid: Lead vocalist
Saifuddin Mehmood: 2nd lead vocal/harmonium
Zafeeruddin Ahmeed: Harmonium Mughisuddin: Support Singer/ Chorus
Ehtishamuddin Hussain: Support Singer/Chorus
Zia Muhammad: Tabla
Naseem Ahmed: Dholak
Rashid Hussain: Chorus
Muhammad Moazzam Al Khair: Chorus

The concent is in Building 5 of Tileyard Studios. Follow the signs.

£27.25

Friday 19 August 2016 / 6:30pm

Vandana Somaiya – Bhakti Songs
Nehru Centre, London

Vandana was taught in the early years by her father (Mansukhlal Kotak), an accomplished harmonium and vocal artist of Hindustani classical music who initiated her at an early age. She accompanied her father and sister and numerous Indian festivals and by the age of 16 had won her first music competition in London. This award encouraged her and this propelled her to learn from the well respected and esteemed classical music guru, Pandit Pratap Narayan (father of renowned music directors Jatin-Lalit), and elder brother of Pandit Jasraj.

A pivotal time in her musical journey was in 2004 when she was invited by Gajendra Singh (Director of TV reality show, Sa Re Ga Ma) to join a workshop in Mumbai with contestants of ‘Sa Re Ga Ma’, which was being facilitated by the Bollywood industry’s legendary Guru, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan who encouraged her to become his disciple to further cement her grasp and understanding of this extremely tough discipline. She travels to India three times a year from London to broaden her knowledge in Indian classical music with her Guru Ji.

She has had an excellent vocal music experience from of Bollywood’s classical music maestro’s Ravindra Jain (‘Daadu’) and with her training on voice culture from specialist Subhra Dasgupta has been of great assistance. Recently, her new album has been released by the well-known vocalist Shri Anup Jalota.

Hanif Khan - tabla
Sunil Jadhav - Harmonium

Presented in association with Sama Arts Network

Free Admission / info@sama.co.uk

Wednesday 31 August 2016 / 6:30pm

Programme Of Ghazals - Dev Dutt Joshi - Vocal
Nehru Centre, London

Devdutt Joshi is a British born artist who has been giving concerts for over 25 years. Dev is well versed in many genres of Indian music such as Ghazal, Geet, Bhajan, Qawalli and modern music.

Dev's grandfather Chandra-Durgesh Joshi sang for HMV in 1945. Dev has inherited his grandfather’s singing talent two generations later.

Dev had taken blessings and guidance from great Pandits, Ustads and Maestros in music such as:
Jagjit Singh (Ghazal singer) Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Pandit Pratap Narayan, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarthy

Dev has performed concerts throughout the UK, USA, Canada, India and Europe. Dev has also sung in British films as well as advertising campaigns for Television.

In addition, Dev has performed with the following artists:

Ghulam Ali (Ghazal Singer), Tari Khan (Tabla Player), Sivamani (World percussionist), Mahalaxmi Iyer (Playback singer), Atif Aslam (Pop Singer), Susheela Raman.

With Tabla/Harmonium/Guitar

Free Admission / info@sama.co.uk

Sunday 29 November / 6:30pm

Chandra Chakraborty - Thumri, Dadra, Kajri & Chaiti
The Music Room @ Friends Hearth, London

Gifted, mellifluous, extremely talented Chandra Chakraborty was considered as a child prodigy in India by many of the doyens of Indian Classical Music. Chandra started singing at the tender age of 3. Her first teacher was her mother Smt Manju Chakraborty.

She was a research scholar at Sangeet Research Academy where she learnt khyal from Pt A Kanan and Smt Malabika Kanan. Presently learning Thumri, Dadra, Kajri from Padmabhushan Smt Girija Devi. Chandra is also Gold Medalist in Thumri from All India Radio and a National Scholar of Music and Dance.

Sanju Sahai - tabla
Kamalbir Singh - Violin

Tickets £15 available at the door / tmrwembley.com
For reservation please email: info@ sama.co.uk or friendshearth@gmail.com

Presented in Association with Friends Hearth (The Music Room)

Tuesday 24 November / 6:30pm

Deepa Nair Rasiya - Sufi
Nehru Centre, London

London British-Indian singer songwriter, Deepa Nair Rasiya has been making waves in recent years, on the World Music platform internationally and is being increasingly recognized as a pioneering and innovative composer with a deeply soulstirring vocal style. Her South Indian heritage, combined with her exploration of and training in both Western music and North Indian Classical music have come together to shape her into a unique musician straddling with ease a range of musical genres and earning her an unrivalled place amongst the female Indian vocal artistes of the UK today. Deepa has the ground-breaking Sufi album titled ‘DESTINATION’ which was released in July 2015 and a Shabad Kirtan album SARANAI which is due for release at the end of 2015.

Deepa Nair Rasiya - Vocals; Manjeet Singh Rasiya - Tabla; Surjeet Singh Aulakh - Sarangi; Siddharth Singh - Guitar; Nimrita Kaur Rasiya Keys and support vocals

Free Admission / nehrucentre.org.uk

Presented in association Nehru Centre

Friday 20 November / 6:30pm

Krishna Chakraborty - Khyal
Nehru Centre, London

London Krishna Chakraborty is a Hindustani classical vocalist. She was groomed by the saintly Kirana guru, Pt. Bholanath Bhatt for seven years. She continued her training under maestros Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan, Sangeet Acharya Tarapada Chakraborty, Pt. Nivruttibua Sarnaik and Pt. V.G. Jog She is equally at ease singing Khayal, Th umri, Tappa, Dadra and light classical music. She has imbibed the various nuances of each gharana and has developed a unique style of her own. Her music moved Swami Dharmananda so much that he christened her with the title, ‘Sanatani,’ which is another name of the Goddess Saraswati meaning eternal. Krishnaji currently resides in London as a guru and performer.

Hanif Khan - tabla
Rekesh Chauhan - harmonium

Free Admission / nehrucentre.org.uk

Presented in association Nehru Centre

Wednesday 18 November / 6:30pm

Papia Ghoshal - Baul
Nehru Centre, London

London "Baul Papia & Basihnav Tantra", the music group, dedicated mainly to baul music was founded by Papia Das Baul in Prague in 2008 to present rare traditional Indian music to the outside world. Th is music is gradually disappearing and Papia, classically trained at the University of Calcutta in the Indian vocal styles, is bringing it to fresh audiences in the West, thus bridging one of the cultural gaps between India and the Western world..

Free Admission / nehrucentre.org.uk

Presented in association Nehru Centre

Sunday 8 November / 6:30pm

Suhas Vyas - Khyal
Bhavan Centre, London

London Pandit Suhas Vyas was born in Osmanabad in 1949. He started his musical education at a young age and had the privilege of being guided and mentored by none other than his illustrious father Padmabhushan Pandit C.R. Vyas. Although he belongs to the traditional discipline of three different gharanas, namely Gwalior, Agra, and Kirana, he has incorporated the tempered flavour of his father’s gayaki into a distinctively individual style. His performances are marked with a deep and learned interpretation of the raga and a sense of rediscovering the traditions that he has learned in. Suhas has performed on prestigious platforms all over India and abroad. He is also a graded artist at All India Radio and has recorded several albums, and has been promoting Indian Classical music by training several students and conducting lecture demonstrations all over the world.

Sanju Sahai - tabla
Rekesh Chauhan - harmonium

Tickets £15 / bhavan.net / 020 7381 3086

Saturday 14 December 2013 / 7:30pm

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande – Khyal / Gundecha Brothers – Dhrupad
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande is an outstanding vocalist of the famed ‘Jaipur-Atrauli’ Khyal vocal tradition and is one of the foremost representatives of a new generation of singers. Her musicianship is characterized by a blend of tonal sweetness coupled with vitality and emotion. She possesses an unerring grasp over the grammar of the raga whilst maintaining a unique quality of soulfulness in her singing. Ashwini is also fluent in Sanskrit, which further enriches her repertoire by the inclusion of Bhakti tradition poetry, stotras (sacred songs) and stutis (hymns). She has added to her devotional repertoire by composing melodies for many of these texts.

Ashwini has been recorded widely and has published two acclaimed books - ‘Ragarachananjali’ is a collection of her own compositions (bandishes) – for which she has received much praise for its tremendous musical creativity and presentation.

Ashwini’s contribution to Hindustani classical vocal music has been acknowledged by way of awards and citations. Most recently she has been the recipient of the Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur Memorial Award 2013.

Gundecha Brothers

Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha are among the best performers of Dhrupad (traditional sung poetry of Northern India), the oldest vocal genre in the Hindustani classical tradition. After a classic university education combining music with economics and commerce respectively, the Gundecha brothers trained in Dhrupad under the masters Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagaras and Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar. The Gundecha Brothers have set up a dhrupad institute – gurukul – in Bhopal where about 30 students from all over the world learn Dhrupad music under guru-shishya parampara.

The brothers have worked to expand their dhrupad repertoire by incorporating the Bhakti poetry of Kabir, Tulsidas, Padmakar, Nirala and others. Akhilesh Gundecha has learnt Pakhawaj from Pandit Shrikant Mishra and Raja Chhatrapati Singh Ju Deo and has accompanied many Dhrupad Maestros.

The Gundecha Brothers have released about 50 records for HMV, Music Today, Times Music, Sony, Sundaram Records, Navras and others. They have also performed and conducted workshops at many international music festivals and institutions in over 25 countries.

Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha have been awarded with the ‘Padmashree’ in 2012 in the field of Art - Indian Classical Music – Vocal.

Thursday 1 May 2014 / 7:30pm

Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar - The Bhakti Tradition / North Indian Khyal, Vocal
Bhavan, London

Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar is one of the most acclaimed vocalists in India today. Born into a family of musicians, she took up lessons in classical vocal music under the guidance of Shri M.T. Mhaiskar and later on from Pandit M.S. Kanetkar, a disciple of Ustad Bhurji Khan.
With her highly refined and melodious voice, Manjiri is looked upon as a true successor of the complex and rich vocal style of the Jaipur Gharana, which has included such great names as Alladiya Khan and Kesarbai Kerkar. She is in great demand as a soloist in India and abroad, and has performed at international venues and festivals such as WOMAD and the BBC proms.

Vishwanath Shirodkar - Tabla

Friday 20 June 2014 / 7:30pm

Uday Bhawalkar - North Indian Dhrupad & Dhamar, Vocal
Bhavan, London

Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar is one of the most acclaimed vocalists in India today. Born into a family of musicians, she took up lessons in classical vocal music under the guidance of Shri M.T. Mhaiskar and later on from Pandit M.S. Kanetkar, a disciple of Ustad Bhurji Khan.
With her highly refined and melodious voice, Manjiri is looked upon as a true successor of the complex and rich vocal style of the Jaipur Gharana, which has included such great names as Alladiya Khan and Kesarbai Kerkar. She is in great demand as a soloist in India and abroad, and has performed at international venues and festivals such as WOMAD and the BBC proms.

Vishwanath Shirodkar - Tabla

Tuesday 22 July 2014 / 7:30pm

Madhup Mudgal - The Bhakti Tradition / North Indian Khyal, Vocal
Purcell Room, London

Madhup Mudgal is one of the leading Indian classical singers of his generation. His performances combine a highly musical aesthetic with a uniquely scholarly approach, thereby maintaining the purity of this tradition. He is the director of the famous Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, the oldest music school in Delhi (which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year), founded by his father and guru Vinay Chandra Maudgalya. His family’s musical heritage spans more than five decades, and Madhup Mudgal has had the privilege of studying under several great gurus of Hindustani music, including Shri Vasant Thakar, Pandit Jasraj and Kumar Gandharva.

Savani Mudgal - Vocal support & tanpura.

Tuesday 10 March 2015 / 7:45pm

Vidya Shah - Colour Me In Song / Sufi & Bhakti Tradition
Purcell Room, London

Vidya Shah is a well-known Indian singer, musician, social activist and writer. This evening she will be presenting a special concert that celebrates the mystic poets of medieval India, whilst bringing alive some of the most powerful and ecstatic expressions of love, devotion and surrender from both the Sufi and Bhakti strains of spiritual poetry - including the immortal verses of Meerabai, Bulleh Shah, Kabir and others.

Vidya combines her music with a deep understanding of its social history, which particularly comes through in her thematic performances such as with ‘The Last Mughal’ with author William Dalrymple or her Sufi renditions that explore the feminine in the mystic.

Vidya Shah - vocal & tanpura
Ghulam Ali - Sarangi
Saphwat Simab - Rabab
Hanif Khan - Tabla
Mitel Purohit - Dholak / Tabla

Tuesday 21 April 2015 / 6:30pm

Sanjeev Chimmalgi - Hindustani Classical Vocal
Nehru Centre, London

Sanjeev Chimmalgi is one of the most promising Hindustani classical singers of the new generation. He has been singing professionally for the past 25 years and has performed all over India, the USA and the UK.

Sanjeev’s technique combines a highly musical aesthetic with a uniquely lucid and refined approach, and his concerts are noted for the delicacy of his approach to both swar (note) and bol (lyrics). His singing style incorporates aspects of the Kirana, Gwalior and Agra gharanas of music, which he imbibed from master vocalist and Guru, Pandit CR Vyas.

Brought to The Nehru Centre by Sama Arts Network & Navras Records, Sanjeev will be accompanied by Neha Chimmalgi on tanpura, Sanjay Jhalla on tabla and Rekesh Chauhan on harmonium.

Sunday 28 June 2015 / 7pm

Kayhan Kalhor / Shujaat Khan / Sandeep Das - Ghazal Ensemble
Cadagon Hall, London

Iran’s Kayhan Kalhor and India’s Shujaat Husain Khan reunite in London to continue their longtime Persian and Indian collaboration.

The spellbinding Ghazal Ensemble continues its highly influential and original Persian and Indian collaboration with a rare performance. Iran’s kamancheh (spiked fiddle) master Kayhan Kalhor and India’s sitar (stringed lute) virtuoso Shujaat Husain Khan have toured the world over to critical acclaim for creating this intoxicating, delicate fusion. They are joined by the superb tabla player Sandeep Das.

This highly influential group has toured the world over to critical acclaim and is lauded for creating an original, delicate Indo-Persian fusion blending their two distinctive classical music traditions: the Persian dastgah and North Indian raga. Intertwined historically, geographically and culturally for centuries, these musical styles share some formal elements and modes which allow for exquisite and harmonious dialogue between the two traditions.

Shujaat Husain Khan, one of today’s greatest North Indian artists, represents the seventh generation of illustrious musicians in the Imdad Khan gharana (musical lineage) which includes his father the great sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan. Kayhan Kalhor, a creative force in today’s international music scene, is considered the preeminent ambassador of Persian music. He is known for stirring improvisations, exquisite compositions, and extensive collaborations with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Brooklyn Rider, Kronos Quartet and Osvaldo Golijov.

“An irresistible expression of creative musical passion.” (LA Times)

Presented by Arts Stage in association with Sama Arts Network

Tuesday 21 July 2015 / 7:45pm

Madras String Quartet / Raga Garage
Purcell Room, London

Madras String Quartet and Raga Garage perform music influenced by Indian and European classical tradition.

Madras String Quartet is made up of VS Narasimhan (violin), Mohan Rao (violin), K Sasikumar (viola) and VR Sekar (cello). They combine Indian classical compositions and Western harmonic principles. www.madrastringquartet.com

Raga Garage are Jyotsna Srikanth (Carnatic classical violin), Robert Atchison (Western Classical violin) and Shadrach Solomon (piano) along with ethnic percussion. A melting-pot of Indian and European classical influences, they create a fresh new sound. www.ragagarage.com

Presented by Dhruv Arts in association with Sama Arts Network

Venue - Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
Nearest tube station - Waterloo station
Tickets - £25, £20 | 20% off discount code DHRUV
Box Office - 020 7730 4500 / www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Sunday 26 July 2015 / 6pm

A Celebration of Bollywood
Watersmeet, Rickmansworth

A journey through the entire genre of Bollywood music from Shankar-Jaikishan to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Featuring the great songs of Naushad, Shankar Jaikishan, By Burman, Khayyam, OP Nayyar, Madan Mohan, Ravi, RD Burman, Ravindra Jain, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji, Nadeem Shravan, Jatin-Lalit, AR Rehman, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and many others.

Venue - Watersmeet, High Street, Rickmansworth, WD3 1EH
Tickets - £20 / £15
Box Office - 01923 711063 / www.watersmeet.co.uk

Saturday 25 March 2017 / 7:30pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Dhruba Ghosh sarangi / Kiya Tabassian - setar
Cafe Inageles, London

SAMA Arts Network in association with Cafe Inageles

Setar virtuoso, composer and improviser, Kiya Tabassian is rooted in Persian classical music and composes for small and large ensembles around the world. His masters in setar were Reza Ghasemi and Kayhan Kalhor and in composition, Gilles Tremblay. In 1998, Tabassian founded Constantinople, a Montreal based ensemble which has earned an international reputation for its unique juxtaposition of early musical sources, contemporary aesthetics and the living traditions of the Middle East. He has recorded 15 CDs for several labels such ATMA, Analekta, Buda Musique, World Village and Ma Case labels and has created with Constantinople over 35 original programs performing them at some of the most prestigious festivals and venues such as Salle Pleyel (Paris), Berliner Philharmonie (Germany), Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (France) and Festival de Mexico en el Centro historico (Mexico). Over the past decade, he has staged over 800 concerts in more than 120 cities in near 30 different countries.

Dhruba Ghosh is recognised for his contribution in the sphere of sarangi solo playing. At the first ever “Sarangi Mela” festival heldat the Bharat Bhavan Arts Centre, Bhopal in 1989, he was unanimously acclaimed as the revivalist of the Sarangi. He is credited with inspiring several young players and students to take up the sarangi and has also accompanied noted senior vocalists of India.

The younger son and disciple of the late Tabla Maestro Padma Bhushan Pt.Nikhil Ghosh, Pt. Dhruba Ghosh also studied sarangi from Ustad Sagiruddin Khan of the Ustad Bundu Khan Delhi Gharana. He later studied with vocalist Maestro Dinkar Kaikini and with Sarod Maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

Dhruba Ghosh has been credited with several innovations in the instrument itself to make the practice technique easier for current players and for the next generation of students. He is the Principal of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Sangeet & Nartan Shikshapeeth, Mumbai, and the winner of the prestigious GRAMMY AWARD with the Paul Winter Consort (2010) as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to Sarangi (2014).

Tuesday 28 March 2017 / 6:30pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Clem Alford - sitar / Udit Pankhania - tabla
Nehru Centre, London

SAMA Arts Network in association with The Nehru Centre Present

Saturday 1 April 2017 / 7:30pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Jyotsna Srikanth - Violin / Vindla String Quartet
Tileyard Studios, London

SAMA Arts Network Present

Raga Strings

Jyotsna Srikanth and Vindla String Quartet

Sweden’s most multifaceted chamber ensemble Vindla String Quartet presents a new collaboration with Europe’s leading violinist from the Carnatic classical tradition, Jyotsna Srikanth. They have merged together to perform Jyotsna’s vibrant compositions, originated from the S​outh I​ndian music tradition arranged for a western string Quartet.​
​ ​
Jyotsna Srikanth is the most sought after South Indian violinist in Europe and composer known for her versatility and ability to collaborate with different genres seamlessly and with ease. She has flourished as a performer and composer, exploring lush ground in the crossover between Indian music and a variety of world music & contemporary flavours. Her violin playing has a nice blend of musical expression and emotion with good technique, a result of 'three decades of experimentation’ as per a critic.
​
She has collaborated with world, classical & jazz musicians of renown & has played violin for over 300 Indian movies. She is currently working on Indian violin concertos and has been working with string quartets & string orchestras.

Vindla String Quartet was formed in 2008 in Malmö, in the very south of Sweden. The quartet has cooperated with numerous Swedish pop, jazz and folk musicians and is considered to be one of Sweden’s most interesting chamber music ensembles. Vindla has always been guided by curiosity, an openness to different genres and means of expression and they strive to continuously reinvent the string quartet. Among their many collaborations can be found artists such as Tingsek, Miriam Bryant and Ramy Essam, jazz musician Lina Nyberg and key fiddle virtuoso Emilia Amper.

Friday 7 April 2017 / 6:30pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Gayatri Ajay - saraswati veena / Shri Kirupakar - mridangam / Bangalore Prakash - Ghatam
Nehru Centre, London

SAMA Arts Network Present

Gayatri started formal training on the Saraswathi Veena at a very tender age of seven under the guidance of Guru Bhagirathi Narayanaswamy. She received advanced training for three years under the guidance of late Guru Smt. Mangalam Muthuswamy (disciple lineage of Veena Dhanammal) in Mumbai and she is presently under the guidance and tutelage of Guru Shyamala Sajnani.

Gayatri has also received vocal music training under the tutelage of Tiruvarur N.S. Chandrasekara Bagavathar and Lalitha Ramachandran (Mumbai).

She has performed at several prestigious venues/festivals and charitable causes across India and Europe and has also received accolades for the same, she is also a recipient of numerous awards.

Accompanied by:
Sri Kirupakaran – Mridangam
Sri Bangalore Prakash – Ghatam

Saturday 8 April 2017 / 7:30pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Attab Haddad - oud / Antonio Romero - darbuka, frame drums and riqq
Tileyard Studios, London

StringFEST - FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENTS

Attab Haddad was born in the UK to Iraqi parents. After graduating with a degree in Business Management, Attab embarked on a career in business and finance, starting in property investment before moving to the City to work in private banking. In his mid twenties, Attab quit the City to re-train as a sound engineer and it was during this period that he started playing the oud and discovered a surprising aptitude and affinity for the instrument. Upon graduating with a diploma in Sound Engineering, Attab decided to study the oud in depth and started studying with Iraqi oud player Ahmed Mukhtar in London before moving to Egypt for a period to study with Egyptian Nihad El-Sayed and the Iraqi virtuoso Nasseer Shamma at the Arab Oud House. Upon his return, he joined a Master’s program at SOAS, University of London, in Music Performance, graduating in 2006 with a Distinction.

He has collaborated with many artists in many genres (Juan Martin, Cerys Matthews, Max Baillie, John Metcalfe, Eugene Skeef, Clara Sanabras, Ramon Ruiz, to name a few) as co-composer, producer, musician and session player and featured as a guest on various albums. He is a key member of the contemporary and Classical crossover group The Sabina Rakcheyeva Ensemble, as well as being a founding member of the Flamenco fusion band Alcazaba.

Haddad’s work has featured on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio Scotland, SOAS Radio and Resonance FM as well as on various Middle Eastern and Turkish TV Channels and he has performed in the UK, Europe, USA, Middle East and India to much acclaim. In April 2010 he was the subject of an hour long documentary on Arabic TV Channel AL-Fayhaa that highlighted his innovative new approach to the oud.

In 2008 he founded the Attab Haddad Quintet which plays his own compositions drawing on Middle Eastern music, Flamenco, Jazz and contemporary composed music creating a sound that is unique to the band. The Quintet has been very well received and has appeared live on BBC Radio as well as playing at some of London’s finest venues including Cadogan Hall and The Forge where they closed the London Jazz Festival in 2011. They released their first CD ‘Days Distinctive’ in January 2012 on Weave Records.

Aside of his performances, Haddad has worked within the spheres of dance, television and film, writing the scores for The Jean Abreau Dance Co’s show Equus and co-writing Dialogo with violinist Max Baillie. Haddad's film and TV credits include session work on Paul Gladstone-Reid's music for Isaac Julien's Phantom Creole, numerous collaborations with TV composer David Lowe, and session work on James Newton Howard's music for Ed Zwick's film, Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Jennifer Connelly, as well as various documentaries and TV programs. He has also written library music for Universal Publishing and continues to work as a composer for corporate ad campaigns and short films.

Tuesday 18 April 2017 / 6:30pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Raginder Singh - Violin Baljinder Bains - tabla / Adib Rostami - khamenche / Amir Ali Sam - daf
Nehru Centre, London

SAMA Arts Network Present

Raginder Singh is a young and upcoming violinist and music composer from San Francisco, California. Born in a musical family, Raginder has always been surrounded many different types of music in his upbringing. He first started playing the violin when he was 11 years old and then became a disciple of renowned Indian classical violinist, Dr. Sisirkana Choudhury.

Raginder has brought it upon his violin to experiment with different genres of music such as Hip-Hop, Pop, Indian Classical and many more. He has frequently immersed into music composition and film scoring in which he combines sounds he is influenced by. He is a graduate from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) where he studied under Ustaad Aashish Khan and received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in World Music Performance.

He has performed in prominent venues all over the world such as the White House, Staples Center and many more. Through these endeavors and experiences, Raginder’s art will always bring new, intense, and interesting types of music for his audiences to hear.

Dr Binderpal Singh Bains began his tabla training at the age of 12 with Giani Gian Singh Surjit. He later went on to continue his training under the tutelage of Ustad Harkirat Singh Rayatt who introduced him to North Indian Classical Music and the subject of tabla as a solo instrument in its own right. Over the years, Binderpal has been fortunate to have received training from the likes of the late Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Pt Bickram Ghosh, Pandit Yogesh Samsi, and Pandit Nayan Ghosh.

Born in 1988 in Kermanshah, Iran. He started music by learning Tombak on his own. In 2003 , he took part in Mohammad Ghodsi's classes and he could accede in Pejman Hadadi's classes too. After finishing advanced courses in playing tombak , he started learning Kamancheh with Rouzbeh Asadiyan and Maestro Mohammadreza Lotfi. He also participated in Kayhan Kalhor's master classes. Over the past few years he has had several concerts with Mehdi Rostami in the UK.

Friday 21 April 2017 / 7:30pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Tunde Jegede - Kora & Cello / Zayn Mohammed - Guitar
Tileyard Studios, London

StringFEST: Festival of Plucked & Bowed Instruments

Soul-stirring music of solo kora and cello with live multi-media visuals. Subtly blending the ebb and flow of traditional kora-playing with dynamic bass-treble contrasts, simply uplifting.

MORE ON THE MAN AND HIS MUSIC.
One of the only musicians and composers to be steeped in both Western and African
music, Tunde Jegede brings these rich musical legacies and sound worlds to this unique
concert. A meeting point of ancient traditions with re-imagined cinematic imagery exploring
old repertoire in a new light, the show is bound to take you on a timeless journey through
ancient Africa.

‘Testimony’ is a solo concert by Tunde Jegede that traces the musical voyage from Bach
and the Baroque to medieval Mali, to his own contemporary compositions. It’s a highly
original show and the imagery gives a sense of these worlds both culturally and
historically. Tunde Jegede’s music is at once an intimate and personal reflection and also a
cultural expression that transcends boundaries. It is a meditative journey that touches on
the essence of our being, through sound and image. This concert is a testament to
Tunde’s universal appeal and shows once again that he never shies away from
challenging the boundaries of music.

THE ARTIST
World-renowned composer, producer, cellist and kora virtuoso Tunde Jegede brings a new
vision to contemporary African and Western classical music. A renaissance man of the
harp-lute with over twenty years experience, his work is a unique synthesis of classical,
jazz and traditional music and embodies the legacy of the idiom; African Classical Music.
Tunde’s work has changed the face of classical and contemporary music in Europe and
Africa. He is one of the only composers in the world to be steeped in both Western and
African Music who is rooted in two cultural musical legacies. Tunde Jegede studied both
Western classical music and the Griot Tradition of West Africa from a very early age,
attending the Purcell School of Music in London and learning from a Master of the Kora in
the Gambia, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh.

This unique cultural inheritance has since informed his work as a composer and multiinstrumentalist,
creating links between European classical music and that of Africa. With
his new solo albums, Heritage and Testimony he has created a set of mirrors between the
old and new world, between compositions for solo cello and kora. Tunde Jegede is, in
himself, a dialogue between contemporary classical music and a renewed vision of an oral
tradition rooted in Malian culture - the Griot visi

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 22 April 2017 / 7:30pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Arnab Chakrabarty - Sarod / Gurdain Rayatt - tabla
Tara Theatre, London

SAMA Arts Network in association with Tara Arts Present

Arnab Chakrabarty is an outstanding exponent of Hindustani classical music, and is arguably among the top handful of currently active sarode players. A relentlessly self-improving student of music, a teacher of extraordinary ability, an instrument designer and restorer of considerable skill, Arnab Chakrabarty is the complete sarode musician of his generation.

Arnab's performances are noteworthy for a profound understanding of raga, deep erudition of both the sarode tradition and of Hindustani music in general, controlled virtuosity and an exquisite tonal quality. Trained by the late Kalyan Mukherjea (1943-2010), a disciple of Radhika Mohan Maitra, the legendary custodian of the Shahjahanpur tradition of sarode music, Arnab is described by his teacher as "the best representative today, of the musical values I had inherited from Pandit Maitra".

Saturday 22 April 2017 / 7:30pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Gurdev Singh - Dilruba / Surjeet Singh - Sarangi / Manjeet Singh Rasiya - tabla
Dominion Centre , London

SAMA Arts Network in association with PRSSV present

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT

Gurdev Singh is one leading players of Sarod and dilruba. He is a disciple of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and is well-known internationally through his performances in the USA, Canada, India and UK.

Gurdev Singh was born on 15th January 1948 in India. He began learning music at the age of seven under Ustad Tara Singh and Piara Singh who taught him Dilruba, a bowed instrument of great antiquity, which Gurdev still plays today with great brilliance. He is also trained in vocal music under Pandit Mahadeo Prasad in both contemporary and the traditional Dhrupad style.

In 1967 Gurdev became a disciple of the world famous Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in Delhi and was introduced to the Sarod with the Holy patronage of H.H. Shri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji. The Sarod is an extremely demanding instrument to handle, partly because it is fretless. It is capable of an extraordinary range of sounds, from haunting sweetness to dazzling speed and power.

His success can be measured by his popularity in India, in both live and radio concerts, and by the increasing international demand for his performances, especially in the U.K. His U.K performances have included the BBC, Midland TV, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Bath and Oxford University, the 1984 Liverpool garden festival and South Bank. In North America he has played in Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle University and the prestigious Amir Khusro Society in Chicago. He has also visited Switzerland, Denmark, Darmstadt festival in Germany and other European countries. Every year Gurdev Performs in major festivals held all over India.

Gurdev Singh has released a CD with ARC Music called “The Art Of Indian Sarod” of Germany adding to his other CDs and records collection.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Surjeet Singh (1961, Delhi) is a leading sarangi players in the UK and is a senior student of Pandit Ram Narayan. He started his early training under the tutelage of Gurdev Singh and Ustad Harbhajan Singh. He is a member of the staff at Raj Academy and includes Prof. Surinder Singh in his students.

Ustaad Ji was introduced into classical indian music by Namdhari 'Guru' Jagjit Singh of Bhaini Sahib. At Bhaini Sahib, he was trained in the playing of the Dilruba by Ustaad Gurdev Singh and Ustaad Harbhajan Singh (both of whom are now based in the U.K)

He later received vocal training but his love of the enchanting sound of the Sarangi led him to the doors of the Great deity of the Sarangi, Pandit Ram Narayan in 1977. He spent the next 15 years of his life as Pandit Ram Narayan's prodigy. In recent years Ustad Surjeet Singh has also received guidance from Pandit Hanuman Prasad Mishra (Banaras Gharana). Ustad Surjeet Singh has played extensively throughout India at various important festivals giving solo recitals as well as accompanying leading musicians such as Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Pundit Rajan - Sajan Mishra and Shiri L K Pandit amongst others. He is also a recognised and graded artist of All India Radio.

Ustaad ji often can be found contemplating of his time under the wing of Pandit Ram Narayan and shares with his students the blessings that were given to him throughout his training. Ustaad Surjeet Singh Ji is fluent in the styles of Khyal and Thumri, which has led him to be noticed worldwide for his appreciation and proficiency. Ustaad Ji is now a tutor for the Gurmat Sangeet Academy and the Raj Academy. He now does many performances to spread the knowledge of Gurmat Sangeet. Ustad Surjeet Singh has played at numerous venues in Thailand, East Africa, Europe and America. He spends some of his time at the Raj academy Routunda building at Thames Valley University. Ustaad ji has also played music for many British media companies, such as Channel 4.

Sunday 23 April 2017 / 10:30Am

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Ashok Pathak - Surbahar / Udhav Shinde - pakhawaj - Morning Ragas
Tileyard Studios, London

SAMA Arts Network present

Sitar and Surbahar maestro Pandit Ashok Pathak occupies a special place in the North Indian Classical Music. He was born and brought up in Kolkata as the eldest son of the late legendary Sitar and Surbahar player Sangeet Natak Academy awardee Pandit Balaram Pathak. He is the torchbearer of the Pathak Gharana, a musical heritage of Dhrupad singer and Veena players that dates back to the legendary dhrupadist Gopal Nayak of the 12th century.

Pandit Ashok Pathak expressed a rare talent for music from his early childhood. He started his musical training at the young age of five. He followed intensive study in the 'Guru-Sisya Parampara’ tradition under the excellent guidance of his renowned father Pt. Balaram Pathak. The Guru-Shishya parampara is a highly valued traditional 'master-disciple' learning-system that has remained almost unchanged from the 12th century until today.

Pandit Ashok Pathak gave his first concert in Kolkata during the Bhartiya Sangeet Kala Parishad music festival in 1964 at the young age of fifteen. After that he continued his concerts with his father all over India. He mastered the Sitar and further developed the style of his father, characterized by a long 'alap', perfect mastery of the 'meend' technique and great virtuosity in 'Gamak-, zamzama-tan', 'Jor' and 'Jhala'. Pandit Ashok Pathak’s developed use of these techniques in more than five octaves is unique in the history of Indian Classical Sitar playing.

In 1978 he received his Master’s Degree in Sitar from the Allahabad Music University. In 1979 the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) posted him as a Visiting Music Professor in Surinam, South America where he conducted classes and gave performances until 1982. Furthermore, he was designated as the director of the Gandharva Ved University of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Lelystad, the Netherlands and in Hamburg, Germany. He was a the head of the Indian classical music department at the Koorenhuis a renowned World music school in The Netherlands, where he also taught for twenty-two years.

International Music Styles

Apart from performing pure Indian classical music he has worked in numerous different musical combinations like Jazz, Baroque, Flamenco, Tunisian (RAGA-MEKAM) and Turkish music etc., which is highly appreciated. People still remember his brilliant sitar playing in the symphony orchestra 'Artesia' by the Belgian composer Dirk Brossé.

Performances

Pandit Ashok Pathak regularly performs at different venues worldwide (Shanghai, Qatar, Tunisia, Europe, America). He participated in World-Music concerts and festivals such as 'Mundial Festival' in Holland and 'Sfinks' festival in Belgium. He attends seminars at conventions and is frequently invited as a guest artist on radio and television. He is regularly invited to perform in theatres like Theatre de la Ville in Paris, Tropentheater in Amsterdam and Vredenburg Theater in Utrecht where he played on the occasion of the 25th silver jubilee of the Dutch radio station 'VPRO'.

Pandit Ashok Pathak is regularly invited to play for VIPs like Royal families, government officials and different Embassies in Europe and worldwide. One of these occasion was the benefit concert for the Tsunami victims in the presence of the Belgian Royal family and political leaders in the Cathedral St. Michelle in Belgium.

Sunday 23 April 2017 / 3Pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Indrajit Roy Chaudhury - sitar / Udit Pankhania - tabla - Afternoon Ragas.
Tileyard Studios, London

SAMA Arts Network present

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.

Udit Pankhania - Tabla

Sunday 23 April 2017 / 7:30Pm

StringFEST: FESTIVAL OF PLUCKED & BOWED INSTRUMENT
Arnab Chakrabarty - Sarod/Sur Sringar with Talvin Singh - Tabla
Tileyard Studios, London

SAMA Arts Network present

Arnab Chakrabarty is an outstanding exponent of Hindustani classical music, and is arguably among the top handful of currently active sarode and sursringar players. A relentlessly self-improving student of music, a teacher of extraordinary ability, an instrument designer and restorer of considerable skill, Arnab Chakrabarty is the complete sarode musician of his generation.

Arnab's performances are noteworthy for a profound understanding of raga, deep erudition of both the sarode tradition and of Hindustani music in general, controlled virtuosity and an exquisite tonal quality. Trained by the late Kalyan Mukherjea (1943-2010), a disciple of Radhika Mohan Maitra, the legendary custodian of the Shahjahanpur tradition of sarode music, Arnab is described by his teacher as “the best representative today, of the musical values I had inherited from Pandit Maitra”.

Arnab received his initial training from maestros Brij Narayan and Buddhadev Dasgupta, and has supplemented his musical education with vocal training from Pandit Yashwantbuwa Joshi (1926-2012), and sitar music from Vinayak Chittar, an inimitable sitar maestro.

Arnab performs on a sarode that is said to be between 110 and 130 years old and has been handed down over five generations of master musicians and has performed worldwide over the past decade, earning the admiration of listeners and respect of his peers.

In the past decade, Arnab has performed across the world to considerable acclaim, and has contributed to several projects, including the Masters of Indian Music (Trafo, Budapest 2012), Silk Road Festival (Damascus, 2010), and the soundtrack of Born Into Brothels, Calcutta's Red-Light Children (Oscar winner: 2005). Early in his career, Arnab has performed at almost all of the top concert venues in India, where he made a considerable impact with his craft.

Presently, Arnab bases himself in Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK and performs regularly in India and Europe.

Talvin Singh is an accomplished Tabla player, electronic musician, music theorist, record producer, visual practitioner and DJ.

He is best known as the father of modern Asian electronica music. Drawing inspiration from the classical Indian arts, Singh first came to prominence as a Tabla percussionist in the 1980s London music scene.

Singh has collaborated with several musical pioneers in various genre’s including Bjork, Blondie, Sioux & the Banshees, Madonna, DJ Spooky, The Master Musicians of Jajouka, Jay Z and Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan .Singh is notable for re-introducing the concepts of Indian classical music to western pop, dance and jazz in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

Singh’s solo album credits include critical and commercial successes OK (1998) - winning the UK’s 2 most prestigious music prizes, ‘The South Bank Prize’ and ‘The Mercury’ in 1999 - and HA (2001).