Here’s an excerpt of this gorgeous piece that I commissioned by Akshaya Avril Tucker and premiered last Sunday at the Brattleboro Music Center - in my hometown! Akshaya crafted this piece with me in mind, using the open tuning I use for Indian music and leaving space for improvisation and ornamentation. While the piece makes use of the fluidity of Indian techniques, its subject is more personal. This is what Akshaya wrote about this music: Asleep, with waves of rest and rest

Sarafand at WQXR Cooking up something new in rehearsal for Layale Chaker & Sarafand’s at The Greene Space at WNYC/WQXR. This project is named ‘Radio Afloat’, the vision of a radio lost at sea. The new music Layale Chaker composed for this concert is a reflection on the intertwined destinies of people and the natural world, which manifest even louder in times of collective pain; a commentary on the ebb and flow of politics of power and conflict that further the vulnerability

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

Goodbye to September recording madness. I’ve been glued to this spot for many many hours this month, with back-to-back recordings for several upcoming releases; Boots Riley’s “I’m a Virgo” on Amazon with music by Tuneyards, Vikramaditya Motwane’s “Jubilee” on Amazon with music by Alokananda Dasgupta, also Vikramaditya Motwanes’s fascinating docuseries called “Indi(r)a’s Emergency” with music by Anjo John. I even squeezed in a voice-over recording for an ad film somewhere in

Gratitude to composer and conductor Eric Whitacre, Pianist Kelly Yu-Chieh Lin, and an extraordinary chorus of singers from all over the country for the opportunity to perform his gorgeous music at Carnegie Hall last night, Tuesday, May 31st. As a performer, you project emotion, but there is almost always some distance from it. This is probably the first time that I really struggled to keep that emotional space that is required to do the job. This music got me. "Glimpses of t

Presented by Arts Nova Workshop in partnership with the Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia Go: Organic Orchestra & Brooklyn Raga Massive World premiere of RAGMALA: A Garland of Ragas Composed and spontaneously conducted by Adam Rudolph This project brings together two innovative groups—Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra and Brooklyn Raga Massive—for an exploration into new dimensions, based around India’s raga and tala traditions. The longtime percussionist and bandle

A double bill at DROM with Kinan Azmeh. Layale Chaker and Sarafand will be on stage playing our new album Inner Rhyme, and Kinan will be presenting a new trio with John Hadfield and Erdem Helvacioglu. #LayaleChakerSarafand #LayaleChaker #Sarafand #KinanAzmeh #DROM #NYCMusic #Violin #Clarinet #Cello #Piano #Percussion #ZiyaTabassian #JakeCharkey #CelloJake #PhillipGolub #NickDunston #AdamMaalouf #Jazz #InnerRhyme #jazz

For your consideration! ´Inner Rhyme’ is on the ballot for the first round of considerations to the 62nd Grammy Awards in the category Best World Music Album. We are so proud of this album, which was made with a lot of love, and gathered so much love and support around it as well. Please consider voting if you are a voting member! #LayaleChaker #LayaleChakerSarafand #Sarafand #InnerRhyme #Grammys #GrammyAwards #JakeCharkey #PhillipGolub #NickDunston #AdamMaalouf #InaCircleRe

I performed a solo show in the Owl Music Parlour part of the Open Grounds Series. I have always advocate for programming new music for solo cello in recital alongside Hindustani music. I'm grateful for the opportunity to present this work. For the set of solo hindustani music my friend and tabla player Mir Naqibul Islam accompany me. PROGRAM - ' Poetic Moments' composed by Adam Rudolph, which is partially improvised and was designed to smoothly segue into Indian classical mu

Alokananda Dasgupta’s haunting music score created a lot of buzz with people wondering what the title track of Sacred Games meant. When season one released, music maestro AR Rahman himself congratulated her for "a very interesting score and mix for Sacred Games." I'm really excited to see season 2 of Sacred Games has now won the Best Music honour at the News18 iREEL Awards 2019. Alokananda Dasgupta was competing against the likes of Sneha Khanwalkar (RejctX), Gaurav Raina (Ma