This bandish in Raag Darbari has several versions with different lyrics which express devotion, both Hindu and Muslim. Whatever the lyrics, the mood is Darbari; somber, majestic, profound, and noble. Living musical traditions transform and evolve, absorbing new elements along the way. My guru, Dr. N. Rajam, was already a virtuoso in her native Carnatic tradition by the time she traveled from Chennai to Benares to learn N. Indian music from her guru, Omkarnath Thakur when she

Terry Riley composed the iconic work In C in 1964 and the piece, first performed with a group including Steve Reich and Pauline Oliveros is often credited with creating the genre of minimalism. Riley was influenced by Indian Classical music and later studied deeply initially under the guidance of Pandit Pran Nath. Brooklyn Raga Massive, “Leaders of the Raga Renaissance,” (The New Yorker) are an artist collective that share a love of Indian Classical music, and have made big w

Veronica Simas de Souza and I spent a week in Montréal rehearsing with Ziya Tabassian, an old friend from Montréal and India, and young master of Persian percussion. We explored the intersection of Hindustani and Persian music and dance (with a slight Arabic detour as well). The show, 'Golestan' was presented in the beautiful hall of Jeunesses Musicales. Couldn't have asked for a sweeter venue, and we were extra lucky to have my guru's daughter Dr. Sangeeta Shankar in atten

Arun Ramamurthy curated this month of collaborative trios at Brooklyn Raga Massive. This new group is his brainchild and what incredible musicians to work with! This has been one of the more exciting collaborations I've been a part of in years and a real antidote to all the cheesy fusion I've had to do in India. So fresh to approach Indian music as a vehicle for contemporary expression, still giving respect to the tradition. https://www.facebook.com/events/1021326028256414

Once again giving accompaniment for the incomparable Veronica Simas de Souza. This time at Marlboro College with Mike Lukshis providing a brilliant tabla accompaniment. So cool to present Indian music with such sincere practitioners. None of us were brought up in the tradition, but all of us fell in love with it, and have pursued it seriously and with dedication. It's also always special for me personally to bring this art form to the place where I grew up. Performance Jo

I had the privilege of performing alongside my partner in crime and ultra-talented kathak danseuse, Veronica Simas de Souza, bringing Indian dance, music, and culture to my hometown of Brattleboro VT for the benefit of Planned Parenthood. It was an incredible evening of music, dance, color, and joy. Holi is the Indian festival of colors which is celebrated on March 21st this year. It is a celebration of the arrival of spring, fertility, color, love, and the triumph of good o

Sweet performance the other night with Roshni Samlal and Kane Mathis at Brooklyn Raga Massive as a guest artist along with Utsav Lal. Roshni Samlal, in her duo project Orakel with Kane Mathis, brings together multiple, tangential musical circles, in an expansive project incorporating traditional and experimental works. The set will include both original and emblematic song forms of the West African jeli repertoire, classical Turkish oud (Kane Mathis), recontextualized tabla s

Ever heard Carnatic Chamber Jazz? Me neither- til now. Played a sweet set last night with Marika Hughes and the power team Arun Ramamurthy and Trina Basu during Marika's month-long residency at Barbès. I'd performed this music with Trina and Arun with percussion, but never with two cellos. Great combo! More to come soon...we'll be in residence at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in June. Nakshatra at Barbès - Marika Hughes Residency https://www.facebook.com/events/599712

I presented a solo cello recital at Marlboro college featuring a new work by Matan Rubinstein, composer and professor of music at Marboro, with whom I play regularly in the Slipstream Ensemble. The piece consists of 5 inserts which are intended to be played in between the 6 movements of the 4th Suite for Unaccompanied cello by JS Bach. Matan described the piece as follows: "The best way to explain my thinking of Five Inserts involves architecture; I think of the piece, in a

I was honored to perform with Nakshatra at the Lyric Chamber Society in New York. Led by violinists Trina Basu and Arun Ramamurthy, Nakshatra reimagines the potential of string Chamber Music for our global times. The group explores beauty found at the intersections of their musical paths, where original compositions weave together threads of South Indian classical, Western chamber music, jazz and creative improvisation. We were joined by Rich Stein on percussion for a divers