Scottish virtuoso and composer Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti performs stunning new music that unites the immense expressive possibilities of Indian ragas with Western harmonic explorations, re-imagines folk styles and extends classical traditions. It draws inspiration not just from India's complex rhythms but also Western jazz, Flamenco, Blues, and Jimi Hendrix.
Their 2013 debut album Rakshasa set a new benchmark for Indian/Western music with one of the most successful and ambitious intercultural programmes ever assembled. With airplay on many world, classical, jazz and Asian radio programmes, as well as a recent live session for BBC Radio 3 in London, it was included in several ‘best album of the year's lists. Simon's guitar and tabla showpiece Svaranjali played on over 200 US radio stations alone.
As pioneer of a new fusion sound, he was recently awarded West Bengal's prestigious Banga Bhushan award. His album 'Transformation' won Best Fusion Album 2012 in the Indian Recording Artists' Academy Awards, and his recreation of 'Vande Mataram' won the 2012 Global Indian Musician Award for Best Single. Bickram has also composed music for films such as Little Zizou and Jal (with Sonu Nigam).
Simon Thacker on classical guitar is joined with the beautiful voice of Japjit Kaur, the Polish cellist Justyna Jablonska, who recently performed with the great conductor Sir Simon Rattle in Switzerland, and tabla master Sarvar Sabri, son of sarangi legend Ustad Sabri Khan. The concert will highlight a new collaboration with Raju Das Baul, a fine young exponent of Bengal's Baul music.
This performance is being staged with the support of Creative Scotland.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coimbatore | P S G College of Arts and Science Auditorium | 07.30 p.m | 1000 | 650 | 400 | 250 | 150 |
| Kochi | Kerala Fine Art Hall | 07.30 p.m | 750 | 500 | 300 | 200 | 100 |
Indian National Orchestra (INO) is a syndicate formed by Jayanthi Kumaresh with 20 musicians from across Indian representing both the Carnatic and Hindustani genres. The pieces played have been specifically conceived and composed for the orchestra, and highlight various facets of India. There is a piece about River Ganga in Raga Gangeshwari, about the Himalayas in Raga Bhinna Lalit, about a dancing peacock in Raga Reetigowla, and so on.
Indian classical music is known for its sophistication in expression, its melodic subtlety and freedom of improvisation within the boundaries of its grammar. INO seeks to bring leading performers from all streams to jointly present in an orchestral format music that can represent all of India. INO had its first concert in Chennai in June 2011 and has since played across India at various on various stages.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coimbatore | P S G College of Arts and Science Auditorium | 07.30 p.m | 1000 | 650 | 400 | 250 | 150 |
| Chennai | Music Academy | 07.30 p.m | 3000 | 1800 | 600 | 350 | 200 |
SANJEEV ABHYANKAR is a maestro from the Mewati Gharana. The child prodigy trained with his mother Dr. Shobha Abhyankar, and was groomed by Pt Pimpalkhare of the Gwalior Gharana and Pt Jasraj of the Mewati Gharana. His first stage performance was in Mumbai at the age of 11, and he has since performed across 200 cities worldwide. He has won various awards including the President's Award from All India Radio, the Kumar Gandharv National Award, and the Pandit Jasraj Gaurav Puraskar. He has recorded over 60 solo albums.
ASHWINI BHIDE DESHPANDE is an outstanding vocalist of the Jaipur-Atrauli Khayal Gayaki tradition. She trained under Pt. Narayanrao Datar, and was also tutored in stylised Jaipur Gayaki by her mother, mentor and guru, Smt. Manik Bhide. She has several albums to her credit, and has published a book of bandishes composed by her called Ragarachananjali that has received rave reviews. Ashwini Bhide has won several awards, including Pandit Jasraj Gaurav Puraskar, the Kumar Gandharva Samman, and the President's Award from All India Radio.
Their concert will explore the unique form of the Jasrangi Jugalbandi created by Pt. Jasraj, where a male and a female vocalist sing two different raags at the same time in two different scales, based on the Moorchhana principle of Indian classical music. The two singers will give prominence to the Shadja-Madhyam and Shadja-Pancham Bhav, with the 'ma' note of the female voice becoming the 'sa' of the male voice, and the male 'pa' becoming the female 'sa'. In the Jasrangi Jugalbandi, neither singer loses his or her own tonal quality as they sing in their own pitch. The combined effect makes us feel as if Shiva and Shakti are singing together.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai | Music Academy | 07.30 p.m | 3000 | 1800 | 600 | 350 | 200 |
| Bangalore | Good Shepherd Hall | 07.30 p.m | 1000 | 650 | 400 | 250 | 150 |
As the band's pioneer Govind Menon puts it, Thaikkudam Bridge was born out of a genreless or multi-genre dream to create memorable music. The band consists of 17 friends from different professional backgrounds and from different parts of the country. What unites them is their undying passion for music. Thaikkudam Bridge belongs to India's diversity, which is perhaps why their music is rooted everywhere.
Since its birth last year in a Kappa TV show featuring independent music, the multi-lingual and multi-genre band has grown to immense popularity. With a Facebook community following of five lakh and YouTube videos crossing 27 lakh views, it is today arguably the most followed band in the history of independent music in South India.
The band has done an average of one show every three days since its inception, playing everywhere from school and college gigs to corporate and private shows. Now, Thaikkudam Bridge is ready to embark on its first international tour starting with Australia and New Zealand in March 2015.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coimbatore | P S G College of Arts and Science Auditorium | 07.30 p.m | 1000 | 650 | 400 | 250 | 150 |
In a profusion of rhythm and melody, Vidya Shah brings together her classically trained voice with the magic of the Rajasthani Manganiyars, folk musicians who belong to a large community of traditional performers from Jaisalmer and its surrounding villages in Rajasthan. In the concert, the desert sounds embrace contemporary styles and music. The performance will fuse various elements of traditional, folk and contemporary music using not just vocals but also the dholak, daf, mandolin, guitar, sarangi and traditional Rajasthani instruments such as morchang, khartaal and bhapang.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad | Ravindra Bharathi | 07.30 p.m | 750 | 500 | 300 | 200 | 100 |
Award winning composer, producer and singer Clinton Cerejo made an explosive impact on Coke Studio with his unique brand of Sufi Pop. His songs 'Madaari' and 'Maujey Naina' have achieved cult status. Clinton is the voice behind 'Kya Karoon', 'Hey Ya', 'Sooraj Ki Bahon Mein' and 'Yaaram', and also the producer of blockbuster hits such as 'Beedi Jalaile', 'Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji' and 'Dhan Te Naan'.
The Clinton Cerejo Band has some fine young musicians in combination with the rich voices of Bianca Gomes and Sudeep Jaipurwale. Their live performance is an electric and eclectic blend of Sufi Pop, Bollywood and Golden Oldies as well as popular international hits. .
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangalore | Good Shepherd Hall | 07.30 p.m | 1000 | 650 | 400 | 250 | 150 |
| Chennai | Music Academy | 07.30 p.m | 3000 | 1800 | 600 | 350 | 200 |
| Hyderabad | Ravindra Bharathi | 07.30 p.m | 750 | 500 | 300 | 200 | 100 |
One of India's greatest tabla players, Bickram Ghosh has performed across the world with the most famous Indian classical musicians, teaming with Pt. Ravi Shankar for over a decade. He has over 100 albums to his credit, and has been part of four Grammy nominated and one Grammy winning album.
Bickram with his band Rhythmscape segues easily between pure classical and modern rock and pop sounds, and is immensely popular in both circuits.
As pioneer of a new fusion sound, he was recently awarded West Bengal's prestigious Banga Bhushan award. His album 'Transformation' won Best Fusion Album 2012 in the Indian Recording Artists' Academy Awards, and his recreation of 'Vande Mataram' won the 2012 Global Indian Musician Award for Best Single. Bickram has also composed music for films such as Little Zizou and Jal (with Sonu Nigam).
Rhythmscape has some of India's finest musicians on a variety of instruments, and as one of India's leading new age acts, the band has performed in the Barcelona Forum (which has featured Bob Dylan, Lenny Cravitz, Phil Collins and others); the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London; the Cobo Arena, Detroit; and Joe's Pub, New York.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai | Music Academy | 07.30 p.m | 3000 | 1800 | 600 | 350 | 200 |
The concert will be a meeting of musical genres from around the world. It will feature Shenkar's original compositions, either written or co written by him.
Shenkar (aka L. Shankar) has enthralled audiences and critics across the world as composer, arranger, producer, singer, violinist and performer. He has played with Frank Zappa, Talking Heads, Pete Townsend, Lou Reed, Sting, U2, Madonna and more. He co-founded the famous Shakti with John McLaughlin. Shenkar plays on his own creation, the ten-string stereophonic Double Violin built by Ken Parker. He has worked on numerous soundtracks including Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.
Megadeth's Mike Albert is a famous guitar virtuoso who has also cut several solo albums. In the early 80s, he joined El Chicano, which led to a CBS contract, four hit albums and tours with Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, Santana, Eric Clapton, Billy Cobham and many others. In 1985, Mike took over as lead guitarist for Megadeth, co-headlining with Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus and Testament. He has been working with Shenkar on live shows and recordings over the last few years.
M. Lalitha and M. Nandini, known as the LN Sisters, are well-known for their versatility in Carnatic, world, fusion and Western Classical music and have performed at several world music festivals. They were the among the first South Indian musicians to perform live and be interviewed on BBC Radio 3. In recent years, they have been collaborating with their uncle Shenkar on several projects.
Maynard Grant is a reputed drummer with over 3,500 live shows to his credit. He has played with bands such as the Tommy Menez quartet, Juravi, Junkyard Groove, Second Coming, Medium Rare, Frank Dubier, Body and Soul, Rendezvous, and Molotov Cocktail. In 2012, he played at the Jazz Yatra Festival in Sri Lanka with Frank Dubier.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kochi | Kerala Fine Art Hall | 07.30 p.m | 750 | 500 | 300 | 200 | 100 |
Korea's award-winning new wave music group Noreum Machi will premiere in India bringing its mix of spectacular percussion, haunting shamanistic chants, and enchanting movement. Founded in 1993, Noreum Machi takes its name from a term used by Korean minstrels to indicate a combination of skill and timing, referring often to players so skilled no one dares follow them. Critics and audiences have called Noreum Machi a fascinating and future-oriented ensemble because of the way the artists connect with the audience, their obvious pleasure in performing and the emotions they share as they move between tradition and modernity. Noreum Machi artistically transforms traditional Korean music into something that is resoundingly contemporary.
Noreum Machi specialises in virtuoso percussion known as Samul-Nori, which has its origin in shamanism and animism. Samul means 'four objects' and Nori means 'play' and it is performed primarily with four traditional instruments -Jang-Gu, Buk, Jing, and Kkwaenggwari. The Jang-Gu represents rain, the Buk clouds, the Jing wind, and the Kkwaenggwari represents thunder storms. The first two also represent the sound of earth, while the second two represent the sound of heaven.
Noreum Machi has performed in Brazil, Canada, Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, France, Belgium, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Morocco, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, and more.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kochi | Kerala Fine Art Hall | 07.30 p.m | 750 | 500 | 300 | 200 | 100 |
| Bangalore | Good Shepherd Hall | 07.30 p.m | 1000 | 650 | 400 | 250 | 150 |
| Chennai | Music Academy | 07.30 p.m | 3000 | 1800 | 600 | 350 | 200 |
Cellist Yo Yo Ma once said, "Indian Ocean does with Indian music what I've always wanted to do with Chinese music". Gear up for an evening of exhilarating Indian music, re-invented by the country's foremost folk rock band. Listen to sounds that are native to the subcontinent merge seamlessly with traditions of other genres like jazz and rock. From spirituality to Sufi poetry to a call for revolution... the band's music will take you on a journey that juxtaposes the ancient with the contemporary and the past with the future.
Formed in the early 90s, Indian Ocean has been one of the spearheads of the Indian rock scene. Their unique sound of contemporary rock mixed with classical, jazz and fusion have earned them a cult following. The band has managed to maintain this inimitable sound in all its albums and has received some rave reviews from critics and audiences. Some of the themes the band explores in its songs are Sufism, environmental consciousness and mythology. Definitely exclusive in what they do, Indian Ocean has toured all over India and played all over the globe.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad | Ravindra Bharathi | 07.30 p.m | 750 | 500 | 300 | 200 | 100 |
The Shillong Chamber Choir, founded in 2001 by Neil Nongkynrih, sings a variety of music ranging from Bollywood to Western Classical. The versatile choir has performed with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Fitz William Quartet as well as with Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Usha Uthup. Their Christmas album in 2011 became the highest selling in the country for non-cinematic music.
Having won the India's Got Talent show in 2010, the choir performed in Rashtrapati Bhavan for the visiting US President Barak Obama. They have performed across India and toured Europe, the UK, Canada, North America and South-East Asia. They have won many awards including three gold diplomas at the 6th World Choir Games (2010) in China for Musica Sacra, Gospel and Popular Music and the Silver Medal for Folk Music at the 2009 World Choir Championships.
Neil Nongkynrih, pianist, music director and composer, is the founder of the Shillong Chamber Choir. He studied at the Trinity College and the Guildhall School of Music. British band Radiohead's Philip Selway is Neil's student. He has won wide recognition for his music, including CNN IBN's Indian of the Year, Special Achievement Award 2010, and the U Tirot Sing Award 2011.
| City | Venue | Time | Season (Amount in Rs.) | Daily (Amount in Rs.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai | Music Academy | 07.30 p.m | 3000 | 1800 | 600 | 350 | 200 |