Podcasts about Carnatic

How has the classical music industry approached representation and how has the new music community forged new paths to embrace diverse musics? On tonight's episode of Obbligato on APEX Express, Isabel Li is joined by violinist Shalini Vijayan, who discusses her vibrant career and reflects upon the ways contemporary classical music can build community.  Violinist Shalini Vijayan, deemed “a vibrant violinist” by Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times is an established performer and collaborator on both coasts. Always an advocate for modern music, Shalini was a founding member and Principal Second Violin of Kristjan Jarvi's Absolute Ensemble, having recorded several albums with them including 2001 Grammy nominee, Absolution. Shalini was also a founding member of the Lyris Quartet, one of Los Angeles' most beloved chamber ensembles. With Lyris, she has performed regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the Green Umbrella series, for Jacaranda Music and helped to found the Hear Now Music Festival in Venice, California, a festival dedicated to the music of living composers in Los Angeles.  Shalini performed for over a decade with Southwest Chamber Music and can be heard on their Grammy nominated Complete Chamber Works of Carlos Chávez, Vol. 3. She has been a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in Chinary Ung's Spiral XII and Tan Dun's Water Passion, including performances at the Ravinia Festival. As a chamber musician, Shalini has collaborated with such luminaries as Billy Childs, Chinary Ung, Gabriela Ortiz, and Wadada Leo Smith on whose Ten Freedom Summers she was a soloist. Shalini joined acclaimed LA ensemble, Brightwork New Music in 2019 and also serves as the curator for Brightwork's Tuesdays@Monkspace series, a home for contemporary music and performance in Los Angeles. As a teacher, she has been on the faculty of the Nirmita Composers Workshop in both Siem Reap and Bangkok and coaches composition students through the Impulse New Music Festival.  Shalini received her B.M. and M.M. degrees from Manhattan School of Music as a student of Lucie Robert and Ariana Bronne. As a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, Shalini served as concertmaster for Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Reinbert de Leeuw and Oliver Knussen. She was also concertmaster for the world premiere performances and recording of Steven Mackey's Tuck and Roll for RCA records in 2000. Shalini was a member of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra for ten seasons and also served as Principal Second Violin of Opera Pacific. She lives in Los Angeles with her son, husband and two dogs and spends her free time cooking Indian food and exploring the culinary landscape of Southern California.  Check out more of her work at:  https://brightworknewmusic.com/tuesdays-at-monk-space/  https://www.lyrisquartet.com/    Transcript  Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the APEX Express.    00:01:03 Isabel Li  You're listening to Obbligato, which is a segment about the Asian American Pacific Islander community, specifically in classical music.  00:01:11 Isabel Li  I'm your host, Isabel Li, and today joining me is Shalini Vijayan, who is a violinist, established performer, and always an advocate for modern music.  00:01:21 Isabel Li  Shalini is also a founding member of the Lyris Quartet, one of Los Angeles most beloved chamber ensembles. With Lyris, she has performed regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the Green Umbrella series for Jacaranda Music, and helped to found the Here and Now Music Festival in Venice, California, a festival dedicated to the music of living composers in Los Angeles. She joined acclaimed LA ensemble Brightwork New Music in 2019, and also serves as the curator for Brightwork's Tuesdays at Monk Space series. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her son, husband and two dogs, and spends her free time cooking Indian food and exploring the culinary landscape of Southern California.  00:02:04 Isabel Li  Well, Shalini, thank you so much for joining me in this conversation today.  00:02:09 Shalini Vijayan  I'm so happy to be with you.  00:02:11 Isabel Li  Awesome. I'd like to just get to know you and your story. How do you identify and what communities do you consider yourself a part of?  00:02:18 Shalini Vijayan  I use the pronouns she, her, and I. Um, I identify as South Asian. I grew up in an Indian family. My parents immigrated to the US in the sixties to teach at medical school. And I grew up with a great deal of Indian culture. And I've spent a lot of time going back and forth to India from the time that I was very young. You know, it's interesting because I feel like in LA, where I live and work specifically, there is so much overlap between all of our different musical communities. You know, I went to school in New York, and I feel like there I was much more, I'm very connected to the new music community in New York and felt really kind of entrenched in that at the time I was there. And after coming to LA, I realized that, um, there are a lot of musicians doing so many different things. That's one of the things I love about Los Angeles, actually. And, you know, I'm definitely very, very rooted in the new music community in LA. And that was where I made my first sort of connections when I first moved to Los Angeles. But I also, you know, worked in an orchestra when I first came to LA. I played in the Pacific Symphony for almost ten seasons, and so I became a part of that community as well. And you know, as the years went on, I also became much more involved in the studio music community of LA studio musicians playing on movie scores, playing on television shows, records, what have you, Awards shows, all sorts of things. And these are all very distinct communities in LA in music. But I see a ton of overlap between all of them. There are so many incredibly versatile musicians in Los Angeles that people are able to really very easily move from one of these groups to the other and, you know, with a great deal of success. And I feel like it gives us so much variety in our lives as musicians in LA, you don't feel like you're ever just in one lane. You can really occupy all these different kinds of spaces.  00:04:23 Isabel Li  Right, yeah. So you're classically trained, from what I know, and you describe yourself as an advocate for modern music. So why modern music?  00:04:33 Shalini Vijayan  That's a great question. I have have had to answer this question quite a bit over the years, especially to non-musicians. And it's always an interesting story for me. You know, as a violinist in particular, you know, we have such a storied history of repertoire and pedagogy, and there is such an incredible, um, library of music that we have access to from the very standard classical repertoire. And there is a great deal to be learned about the instrument and about music from playing all that repertoire. I think at some point when I was in high school, I started to become interested in more modern music. And actually I grew up in Davis in Northern California.   My parents both taught at the university there, at the medical school and in Sacramento. Nearby there was a festival of modern American music that I think still goes on to this day at Cal State University, Sacramento. And it was really a great festival. And at that time, you know, they would bring professional artists, they'd have composers, they'd have commissions, all sorts of things. But at the time that I was like in high school, they also had a junior division to the festival, and I was asked to play a couple pieces in the Festival of, um, Modern Works, and I can't remember at this time what the pieces were, but it left such a huge impression on me. And I think what I really took away from that experience as a kid is that in my studies as a violinist, I was always being asked to sort of live up to this history and this legacy of violin music and violin playing in Western classical music. And it's a very high bar. And it's, um, you know, of course, there's so much great stuff there. But there was something so freeing about playing this music that had either never been played or not been recorded. So there was nothing to reference in terms of listening to a recording, um, and listening to how you, you know, quote, should be playing it that it made me feel, uh, you know, all this, this freedom to really interpret the music, how I felt, rather than feeling like I had to live up to a standard that had been set for me, you know, decades or centuries before. And I think that really something really clicked for me with that, that I wanted to have that kind of freedom when I, when I was playing. And so from there on out, um, you know, when I went to college and I really sought out opportunities in new music as much as I could.  00:07:00 Isabel Li  So you were first exposed to new music when you were in high school. Did that influence your decision to become a musician at all? Or were you already set on becoming a musician and that was just part of what shaped your works over the years.  00:07:15 Shalini Vijayan  I think by that time, I had already decided that I wanted to be a musician. I mean, as you know, so many of us as musicians and I think particularly string players, we decide so young because we start our instruments at such a young age and we start studying so early. Um, that I think by that time I, I had decided I wanted to do music, but this sort of opened another door for me that made me realize that it wasn't just one path in music necessarily. I think it's very easy as a, as a kid and as a violinist to think you admire these great soloists that you see and, you know, people like Perlman and, you know, Isaac Stern, who were the stars of the time when I was growing up. But, you know, you get to be in high school and you realize that hasn't happened yet. It's probably not going to happen. And so, you know, what's then then what's your path forward? How do you find a life in music if you're not going to be one of these stars? And I think, you know, new music really opened up that opportunity for me. And yeah, made me look at things a little differently for sure.  00:08:18 Isabel Li  And currently you're in the contemporary classical music ensemble, Brightwork newmusic, and you curate the ensemble's concert series, Tuesdays @ Monk Space. So how do you go about curating concerts with music by contemporary or living composers? What do you look for?  00:08:33 Shalini Vijayan  Well, right now I'm really focused on trying to represent our new music community in LA at Monk Space, which is such, you know, we have such a diverse community of musicians, not just in the makeup of who the people are making the music or writing the music, but also in just the styles of music. And so I think I try to really represent a very diverse set of aesthetics in our season. Um, you know, everything from, you know, last season we had, uh, Niloufar Shiri, who is a traditional Persian kamancheh player, but she also she can play very in a very traditional way, but she also plays with a jazz pianist. And, you know, it does all this very improvisatory stuff. And, you know, then we would have other programs where everything is very much written out and very through, composed and you know, it's been a very wide variety. And, you know, when I try to build the season, I try to make sure that it's really balanced in terms of, you know, the different types of things you'll be hearing because not every audience member is going to want to engage with every type of music. Um, or, you know, if we if we really stuck to one style and it was just in that language for the whole season, then I feel like we would, you know, alienate potential audience members. But with this, I feel like if we can bring people in for one concert and they're really into it, then hopefully they'll come to something else that is new and different for them and be exposed to something that they may really get into after that. So yeah, I think diversity and variety is really where I try to start from.  00:10:09 Isabel Li  How does that engage the community? Have you observed audience reception to this type of new music when there are composers from all different types of backgrounds?  00:10:20 Shalini Vijayan  Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think that each composer and each artist brings their own community into the space, which and so that's another. I feel like another strong reason why I try to make things very different from concert to concert. And, you know, we have some younger players who come in and bring in, you know, everyone from college students to, you know, their friends and family. And then, you know, really established composers. Like this season we have Bill Roper, who is kind of a legend in the music community in LA. Mult instrumentalist and composer who has been around for decades. And, you know, I think people will come out just because they want to see him and he's such a draw. And, um, you know, I, I also would love to be able to incorporate more world music into the series. Like I said, we did do Niloufar concert, which I felt like I really hoped would like engage with the Persian community in LA as well. And a couple seasons ago we had Rajna Swaminathan, who is, I just think, an incredible artist. Um, she plays mridangam, which is a South Indian percussion instrument, but she also writes for Western instruments, uh, and herself. And we had her and a pianist and then Ganavya, who's a vocalist who's amazing. And, you know, Ganavya had her own following. So we had and Rajna has her own following. So we had a whole full audience that night of people who I had never seen in the space before. And that was for me. That's a success because we're bringing in new friends and new engagement. And, um, I was really excited about that. When I'm able to make those kinds of connections with new people, then that feels like a success to me.  00:12:05 Isabel Li  Certainly.  00:12:06 Isabel Li  Let's hear one of Shalini's performances. This is an excerpt from the 10th of William Kraft's “Encounters”, a duologue for violin and marimba, performed here by Shalini Vijayan with Southwest Chamber Music.  00:12:20 [MUSIC – Encounters X: Duologue for Violin & Marimba]  00:17:18 Isabel Li  An excerpt from William Kraft's Encounters, the 10th of which is called Duologue for Violin and Marimba, that was performed by Shalini Vijayan, the violinist, with Southwest Chamber Music.  00:17:31 Isabel Li  And Shalini is here with me in conversation today. We've been discussing contemporary music and her involvement in the new music scene, specifically in Los Angeles.  00:17:40 Isabel Li  Music is all about community, drawing people together. So going back to how you describe yourself as an advocate for modern music, what are other ways that you have advocated for modern music besides curating the concert series?  00:17:53 Shalini Vijayan  Well, over the years, um, you know, I feel like in all the ensembles I've been in, there's been a real focus on commissioning composers and on performing works that have not been, uh, either performed or recorded before. And I feel like the only way to really get the music out there is to, obviously, is to play it and hopefully to be able to record it. We've worked especially with the lyrics quartet. We've worked with so many young composers in LA either just strictly, you know, contemporary classical composers or even film composers who, um, have works that they'd like to have recorded. And, you know, it's been great to see a lot of those people go on to really amazing things and to be a part of their journey, uh, and to help support them. And, uh, the other thing that the quartet has been heavily involved in and now Bright Work Ensemble has been involved in as well, is the Here Now music festival, which has been going on in LA for well over a decade now. We were involved in the first, um, seasons of that festival. We've been one of the resident ensembles since the very beginning, and that festival is dedicated to the music of LA and Southern California composers. And, um, we have a call for scores every year that we, the four of us in the quartet, are part of the panel that reviews all the scores, along with a lot of our other colleagues, um, who are involved with the festival, and Hugh Levick, who is the artistic director of the festival and has we've worked side by side with him on this for a very long time. And that's also been a fantastic avenue for, um, meeting new composers, hearing new works, having them performed. And the thing I always say about that festival every time it comes around, usually in the spring we have at least three concerts. It's this incredible coming together of the new music community in Southern California, where all these great composers and all these amazing players come together and play these series of concerts, because there's such a vast number of pieces that end up getting programmed. They can't rely on just like one group or one or two groups to play them. So it really pulls in a lot of players from all over town. And I don't know, it always just feels like a really fun time, a fun weekend for all of us to see each other and connect. And, um, and again, just build our community to be even stronger.  00:20:20 Isabel Li  That's really cool. How do you ignite interest in new music? Because this is a genre that I think is slightly underrepresented or just underrepresented in general in both the classical music community and the music industry as a whole.  00:20:35 Shalini Vijayan  That's a great question, and I think it's a really important question for our whole industry and community. How do you engage people in new music and get them into a concert? Um, you know, I think one of the biggest hurdles for classical music in general, I will say, um, when I talk to people about why they don't want to come to a concert or why they don't want to, you know, let's say, go see the LA Phil or, you know, wherever, whatever city they're in, the major cultural music institution. I think there is a misconception generally that, oh, it's, you know, I have to be dressed a certain way or I it's going to be really stuffy. And, um, I, you know, I don't know what to wear or I don't know how I'm supposed to dress or how I'm supposed to act when I'm in the concert. Am I going to clap at the wrong time? You know, is it going to be really long? And, you know, and I and I get it, you know, I mean, I understand why that would be uncomfortable for a lot of people.   And it's not, um, it's something that necessarily everyone has grown up with or that it's been a part of their life. So I think it's really up to us, as you know, when we're on the side of programming concerts or putting together festivals or whatever, um, that we make things more accessible in terms of, um, concert length and interaction with audience. And, um, you know, I think it's I know I've been told so many times and I really think it's important that I think audiences love it when performers talk to them, when they talk about the music and, and set things up for a listener. I think that puts a kind of context on things that makes it so much easier for perhaps a new audience member, someone who's never come to a concert before to feel at ease and feel like, okay, I know what I'm getting into.   One of our, actually our former executive director at Brightwork, Sarah Wass, who was fantastic, and I was very happy to work with when I was just starting out programming, Monk Space had the idea of putting on the program the running time of the pieces, and I think even that is just something that, like, can prepare people for what they're getting into when they're about to listen to something new. And in terms of the music itself, I think that if someone, especially a younger person, doesn't feel like they have any connection to Beethoven or Brahms or Mozart, they might actually feel more connected to someone who is their age or a little older.   Someone who has had similar life experiences to them, or grown up in the same era as them, rather than someone who grew up, you know, in the seventeen hundreds. You know, there can be more of a real connection there, and that that person is writing this music and reflection of their life and their experiences. And, um, you know, again, I think that kind of context is important for a listener. And yeah. And then just lastly, I would say also, I feel like our space at Monk space is very inviting. It's very low key. It's, um, you know, it's casual, it's comfortable. Role. Um, we have, you know, snacks and a bar and, you know, everyone is very relaxed at intermission and has a good time. And I mean, for me, every time we host one of those concerts, I feel like I'm hosting a little party, you know? That's what it feels like for me. And that's what I want it to feel like for the audience as well.  00:23:52 Isabel Li  That brings up a really good point in that new music can make classical music or a new classical music, contemporary music, more accessible to different audiences. And certainly I've definitely heard the complaint from people over the years about classical music being a little too uptight. Would you say that these are two different genres?  00:24:11 Shalini Vijayan  I think that there is overlap, and I think, you know, for an ensemble like ours, like Brightwork, we have chosen to make our focus new music. So that's our thing. That's what we do. Um, and, uh, all of our concerts and our programming reflect that. Very rarely do we do anything that's not considered a contemporary piece. Um, but, you know, if you do look at some of our major institutions, like I think the LA Phil and I think the San Francisco Symphony, um, earlier, you know, like in the nineties under MTT, really started to pave the way for incorporating contemporary music into a standard classical format. And, you know, I think that's been very important. And I think it's really changed the way that orchestras have programmed across the country. And there has been such a nurturing of contemporary music in larger spaces. Now that I think that kind of overlap has started to happen much more frequently. I think that in more conservative settings, sometimes there's pushback against that. And even even, you know, in some of the places that I play, you know, sometimes with with the lyrics quartet, um, we are asked to just purely program standard classical repertoire, and we will occasionally throw in a little short piece, you know, just to try and put something in there, you know, something that's very accessible. Um, and, uh, you know that we know the audience will like so that we can help them, you know, kind of get over that fear of connecting to a newer piece. And I, I think in some ways, that's where the path forward lies, is that we have to integrate those things, you know, in order to keep kind of the old traditions of classical music alive. I think we have to keep the newer tradition alive as well, and find a way to put them in the same space.  00:26:00 Isabel Li  I certainly agree with that.  00:26:01 Isabel Li  Let's hear more of Shalini's work in new music. This is a performance of the first movement of Atlas Pumas by Gabriela Ortiz. Violinist Shalini Vijayan is joined by percussionist Lynn Vartan.  00:26:18 [MUSIC – Atlas Pumas, mvt 1 by Gabriela Ortiz]  00:29:21 Isabel Li  The first movement of Gabriela Ortiz's Atlas Pumas played here by violinist Shalini Vijian, and Lynn Vartan plays the marimba.  00:29:30 Isabel Li  And Shalini is actually joining us here for a conversation about new music, performances, identity, and representation.  00:29:38 Isabel Li  Many Asian American Pacific Islander artists in music have varying relationships between their art and their identity. I was wondering, to what extent do you feel that perhaps your South Asian identity intersects or influences the work that you do with music?  00:29:54 Shalini Vijayan  Growing up, um, you know, I grew up in a in a university town in Northern California and, you know, a lot of highly educated and, you know, kids of professors and, you know, but still not the most terribly diverse place. And then going into classical music. And this was, you know, in the early nineties when I went to college, um, it still was not a particularly it was very much not a diverse place at all. And, um, there certainly were a lot of Asian students at, um, Manhattan School of Music where I did my my studies.   But I would say it was a solid decade before I was ever in any sort of classical music situation where there was another South Asian musician. I very, very rarely met any South Asian musicians, and it wasn't until I went to the New World Symphony in the early late nineties, early two thousand, and I was a musician there. I was a fellow in that program there for three years that I walked into the first rehearsal, and there were three other South Asian, I think, of Indian descent musicians in the orchestra, and I was absolutely blown away because I literally had not, um, other than here and there at some festivals, I had not met any other South Asian classical musicians.   So it was really like that was the hallmark moment for me. It was a really big deal. And coming with my family, coming from India, you know, there is such a strong tradition of Indian classical music, of Carnatic music and Hindustani music. And, um, it's such a long, long tradition. And, you know, the people who have studied it and lived with it are, you know, they study it their whole lives to be proficient in it. And it's such an incredible, incredible art form and something that I admire so much. And I did as a kid. Take a few lessons here and there. I took some Carnatic singing lessons, um, and a little bit of tabla lessons when I was very young. Um, but I think somewhere in middle school or high school, I kind of realized that it was, for me at least, I wasn't, um, able to put enough time into both because both of them, you know, playing the violin in a Western classical style and then studying Indian classical music require a tremendous amount of effort and a tremendous amount of study. And I at that point chose to go with Western classical music, because that's what I'd been doing since I was five years old. But there has always kind of been this longing for me to be more connected to Indian classical music. Um, I'll go back again to Rajna. When I presented Rajna Swaminathan on Monk Space a couple of years ago, it was a really meaningful thing for me, because that's kind of what I'd always wanted to see was a joining together of that tradition, the Indian tradition with the Western tradition. And, um, I'm so happy that I'm starting to see that more and more with a lot of the artists that are coming up now. But at the time when I was young, it just it felt almost insurmountable that to to find a way to bring the two together. And, um, I remember very clearly as a kid listening to this, um, there was an album that Philip Glass did with Ravi Shankar, and I thought that was so cool at the time. And I used to listen to it over and over again because I just again, I was so amazed that these things could come together and in a, in a kind of successful way. Um, but yeah, there is, you know, there there's a part of me that would still love to go back and explore that more that, that side of it. Um, and but I will say also, I'm very happy now to see a lot more South Asian faces when I, you know, go to concerts on stage and in the audience. And, you know, a lot of composers that I've worked with now, um, of South Asian descent, it's been, you know, I've worked with Reena Esmail and Anuj Bhutani and Rajna and, um, there's so many more, and I'm so glad to see how they're all incorporating their connection to their culture to, to this, you know, Western kind of format of classical music. And they're all doing it in different ways. And it's it's really amazing.  00:34:22 Isabel Li  That's fantastic.  00:34:24 Isabel Li  I was wondering if you could maybe describe what this merging or combination of different styles entails. Do you think this makes it more accessible to audiences of two different cultures?  00:34:36 Shalini Vijayan  For me, one example, before I started running the series at Tuesdays at Monk Space, Aron Kallay, who is our Bright Work artistic director, had asked me to come and do a solo show on Monk Space, which I did in November of 2019.  00:34:52 Shalini Vijayan  And at the time, I wanted to commission a piece that did exactly that, that, that, um, involved some sort of Indian classical instrument or kind of the language of Indian classical music. And so I actually did reach out to Reena Esmail, and she wrote me a very cool piece called blaze that was for tabla and violin. Um, and I really had so much fun doing that. And Reena, Reena really has a very fluid way of writing for the violin, which she actually was a violinist, too. So she's she's really good at doing that. But being able to write for any melodic instrument or for the voice, which she does quite a bit as well, and incorporating sort of the tonality of Indian classical music, which obviously has its own scales and, um, has its own harmonic, harmonic world that is different from the Western world, um, but finds a way to translate that into the written note notation that we require as, uh, Western classical musicians. And, you know, I think that's the biggest gap to bridge, is that in Indian classical music, nothing is notated. Everything is handed down in an oral tradition, um, over the generations. And for us, everything is notated. And in Indian classical music, you know, there's much more improvisation. And now, of course, with modern classical music, there now is a lot more improvisation involved. But in our old standard tradition, obviously there isn't. And in the way that we're trained, mostly we're not trained to be improvisers. And um, so it's it was great. She has a great way of writing so that it kind of sounds like things are being tossed off and sounding sounds like they're being improvised, but they are actually fully notated, um, which I really appreciated.  00:36:50 Isabel Li  Yeah.  00:36:51 Isabel Li  So your career has spanned orchestras, recording ensembles, chamber music. Having had so much experience in these types of performance, what does representation in classical music mean to you?  00:37:04 Shalini Vijayan  Well, representation is is very important because we're talking about a tradition that was built on white men from centuries ago, European white men. And and it's again, it's an incredible tradition and there's so much great repertoire. But I'm going to circle back to what you were saying or what you asked me about connecting to audiences and, you know, connecting to audiences with new music. It's I think people like to see themselves reflected in the art that they choose. They choose to consume. And, you know, whether that's movies or television or music, I think that's how you connect with your audience is by being a bit of a mirror.  I think the only way that we can really continue to connect with a diverse audience is by having that type of diverse representation on our stages and on our recordings. And again, also not just the people, but the types of music, too. You know, musical tastes run wide, genres run wide as well. And it's I think It's good for all of us to be exposed to a lot of different kinds of music, to figure out what we connect with the most. And, um, yeah, the only way we can do that is by really, you know, opening our arms to a, a much wider variety of styles of music. And so I, you know, I mentioned improvisation, improvisation earlier. And I think that is something that's now starting to happen so much more in modern classical music. And, you know, I think there's something about the energy that a player has when they're improvising that is maybe not something that an audience member could quantify verbally, but there's a looseness and a freedom there that I think, you know, for a lot of audience members, they probably really can connect to. And, you know, that's a lot of why people go and listen to jazz is because there's so much freedom and there's so much improvisation.   I've been very lucky to be able to work with, um, Wadada Leo Smith, who's a trumpet player and composer. I've worked with him for probably almost ten years now. And um, through Wadada, actually, I have learned to become much more comfortable with improvising on stage and not within a jazz language of any kind or any kind of harmonic structure necessarily, but within the language of his music, which is very unique and very open and very free and, um, but also has a really strong core in its connection to history. And, um, you know, he's written a lot of amazing works about the civil rights movement and about a lot of, you know, important moments in history for our country. And, um, that's been a real learning experience for me to connect with him in that, in that way and learn from him and learn to be more comfortable with improvisation. Because I think growing up, improvisation for me always meant jazz, and that was not a language I was comfortable in. And um, or even, you know, jazz or rock music or folk music or whatever, you know, it was just not something that came naturally to me as a kid to, I mean, I listened to all of it. I listened to everything when I was a kid, but I never played in any of those styles. And I think the older you get, the scarier it gets to start branching out in those ways. But, um, I think, uh, that's been a an incredible, like, new branch of my life in the last decade has been working with Wadada.  [MUSIC – “Dred Scott, 1857,” from Ten Freedom Summers, by Wadada Leo Smith]  00:42:23 Isabel Li  An excerpt of Wadada Leo Smith's music to give you a sense of the jazz influences in these types of contemporary new music pieces that also touch on pieces of history. This was an excerpt from his album, Ten Freedom Summers, which also consists of compositions based on pieces of American history. For example, what we just heard was from a piece called Dred Scott, 1857.  00:42:49 Isabel Li  Now that I realize that we've been having a conversation about new music, I realize that, hmm, when does new music really start? So if you take a look at maybe music history, when does new music really become new music?  00:43:07 Shalini Vijayan  I guess it depends on who you ask, probably. Um, it's it's pretty recent. You know, it has to be really legitimately pretty new. And, um, again, you know, if you ask an audience member, um, and I think of some of my friends or family who are maybe who are not musicians who come to concerts, and I'm always so interested in talking to them and hearing their opinions about things. Um, you know, they will listen to Bartok and say, oh, that sounds like new music to me. But, you know, Bartok, Bartok passed away a long time ago, and it's, you know, and for me, that's more like canon now. You know, that's like now for me, part of the the standard repertoire. But there was a time when Bartok was new music. And I think for, you know, maybe the listeners who are more comfortable with the very diatonic, you know, world of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, then something like Bartok really does sound so modern for me. Boy, maybe around the time that minimalism started, you know, John Adams and Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, all of that for me feels like maybe that's the older like the The edge of new music now even though that was that would be the eighties, probably seventies 80s, you know, but that we're talking about like, you know, fifty years ago. So yeah, I mean, it's not that new, but those are all still living composers. So maybe, maybe that's part of what it is for me is that it's the composers of our era, the composers who are alive, who we can communicate with and ask questions of. And, um, you know, at the very least, if you can't talk to John Adams, you can talk to somebody who has worked directly with him and get their impressions of how something should be played, um, as opposed to composers who have been gone for hundreds of years. And you can't have that level of communication with them. I think that, for me is what new music, new music is about. It's about working with living composers and, um, having that type of interaction.  00:45:15 Isabel Li  Yeah. So would the word or the phrase contemporary classical music, be a little oxymoronic in a sense?  00:45:26 Shalini Vijayan  No, I don't think so. I think it's still part of the same tradition. Um, yeah. I really do think it is, because I think there is a lineage there. Um, for a lot of composers, not all of them, um, that I mean, I think particularly if you're writing for, let's say, an orchestra or a string quartet or sort of one of these very standard classical ensembles. Um, even if you're writing in a very new language and you're writing in a very different way, I think there is still a through line to the canon of classical music. I guess for me, new music and classical music are not mutually exclusive. I think they can be the same. So I don't I don't think they're totally different. I think that there is a lot of a lot of overlap.  00:46:16 Isabel Li  For sure, considering how new music fits into the classical music or the classical music industry as a whole. Have you noticed any sorts of shifts in the classical music industry in the past several decades in regards to diversity, equity, inclusion? And have you just noticed any changes?  00:46:35 Shalini Vijayan  I have noticed some changes. I mean, I think that most organizations in this country are making an effort to be more inclusive in their programming now. And, um, you know, another another South Asian composer who I just think is fantastic is Nina Shekhar. And, um, she has had pieces played by the New York Phil for the last couple seasons. I mean, you know, so on on major, major stages, I feel like now I'm seeing more representation and that is definitely Encouraging and, um, you know, uh, same for Anuj and Rajna and Reena. They've all, you know, had their works done by major ensembles. And, um, I think I think there is definitely movement in that direction, for sure. I think it could always be more.   I think also for women and women composers, women performers, I think that has also always been a struggle to find enough representation of women composers and you know, especially if like as I mentioned before, when you're in a situation where an organization asks you to program a concert, like, let's say, for our quartet and wants much more standard repertoire than it does limit you, you know, how because there isn't much from the older canon. You know, there is. You know, there's Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann and, um, you know, I think in the last five to ten years they've both been played a lot more, which is great. But, you know, I think, uh, there's so many amazing female composers right now that I think are starting to get much more recognition. And I think that just needs to be more, more and more, um, but, uh, you know, that is why, again, like on those programs, sometimes we try to just sneak one modern piece in because it's important for those voices to be heard as well. But yes, I do see some forward movement in that direction with, um, classical programming. And, you know, you just have to hope that the intent is always genuine in those situations. And I think, um, you know, I think that's the most important thing. And giving a platform to those voices is really important.  00:48:59 Isabel Li  How would you go about arts advocacy during this current time when, well, the arts are being defunded and devalued by our current administration and how everything is going on right now?  00:49:10 Shalini Vijayan  Yeah, it's really, really difficult right now. And, um, you know, I think a lot of arts organizations are losing a lot of government funding. Obviously, I know of a couple projects that lost their NEA funding because of DEI, and which is so disheartening. And, um, I think, you know, there's going to be a lot of leaning on private donors to try and, uh, make up that difference or, you know, private foundations to make up the difference in funding, hopefully. And, um, uh, you know, it's yeah, it's scary. It's  a scary time. And I think, you know, even for private funding and, um, private donors, it's, you know, everyone is feeling stressed and feeling concerned about our future right now, just as a country. and there's so much uncertainty. And, um, but I think people who really rely on the arts for all the things that it can provide, you know, an escape and pleasure and, you know, stimulation of a different kind. And especially in a time like this, when you want to be able to get away from maybe what's going on around you, you know, I'm hoping we can find a way to really come together and, um, kind of, you know, rally around each other and find a way to support each other. But, um, I think it is going to be hard for the next few years if we can't find ways to replace that funding that so many people have lost. And I certainly don't think that anyone wants to back away from the progress that's been made with inclusion and representation, you know, just to get funding. So I know we have to be very creative with our path ahead and find a way to, to keep doing what we're doing in this current environment.  00:51:07 Isabel Li  Yeah, on a brighter note, I read about your work with Lyris Quartet earlier this year when you presented a concert with Melodia Mariposa called Altadena Strong with the Lyris Quartet, raising funds for those who have been affected by the LA fires. Can you talk a bit about the power of music? And we're going to end on a stronger note here about the power of music in bringing communities together and accelerating community healing.  00:51:31 Shalini Vijayan  Well, I have to say that concert was really a special one for us. You know, um, so many musicians were affected by the fires in LA. And, you know, I, I've lived in LA for over twenty years now, almost twenty five years and, um, certainly seen my share of wildfires and disasters, but this one hit so much more close to home than any of the other ones have. And, you know, I know at least twenty five people who lost their homes in between the Palisades and Altadena and Altadena in particular.   When I moved to LA, it was a place where a lot of musicians were moving to because you could it was cheaper and you could get a lot of space, and it's beautiful. And, you know, they really built a beautiful community there among all the musicians out there. And it's just heartbreaking, um, to see how many of them have lost everything. And I have to say, Irina Voloshina, who is the woman who runs Melodia Mariposa, and just an amazing violinist and an amazing, wonderful, warm, generous person. You know, she started that series in her driveway during COVID as a way to just keep music going during the pandemic, and it really turned into something so great. And she's, you know, got a whole organization with her now and puts on multiple concerts a year. And when she asked us if we would play that concert for the community in Altadena is, you know, there's no question that we were going to do it. I mean, we absolutely jumped at the chance to support her and support the organization and that community. And people really came out for that concert and were so excited to be there and were so warm and, um, you know, and and she talked to the crowd and really connected with everybody on a very personal level, because she also lost her home in Altadena and, um, you know, it was it was a really meaningful show for all of us. And again, those are the moments where you realize that you can use this art to really connect with people that you may have never met before and show your your love for them, you know, through music, as corny as that may sound, but it's true.  00:53:54 Isabel Li  Yeah, definitely. Well, thank you so much, Shalini, for sharing your visions, your knowledge with new music and community building with us today. Thank you so much for being on Obbligato.  00:54:07 Shalini Vijayan  Thank you so much for having me, Isabel. It was really a pleasure.  00:54:10 Isabel Li  What a wonderful conversation that was with LA-based violinist Shalini Vijayan. If you go to kpfa.org, you can check out more of her work. I put the links to two of her ensembles, Brightwork New Music and Lyris Quartet up on kpfa.org. And thank you for listening to our conversation here on Obbligato on Apex Express.  00:54:32 Isabel Li  We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important.  00:54:42 Isabel Li  APEX Express is produced by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Swati Rayasam, and Cheryl Truong. Tonight's show was produced by Isabel Li. Thanks to the team at KPFA for their support. Have a great night.  [OUTRO MUSIC]  The post APEX Express – 11.13.25 – Obbligato with Violinist Shalini Vijayan appeared first on KPFA.

For the 201st episode of Juicebox Radio, we're thrilled to showcase the talents of Karma Wild, a DJ and producer hailing from Mangalore, India. A key figure in shaping his city's underground scene, Karma Wild's musical journey began at a young age with the keyboard and an early exposure to the rich traditions of Carnatic folk music. Over time, his passion evolved towards deeper, hypnotic, and underground sounds that continue to define his craft today. Having shared the stage with renowned artists such as Kasper Koman, Praveen Achary, Almost Human, and more, Karma Wild has steadily built a reputation for his immersive soundscapes. For his Juicebox Radio debut, he delivers a dynamic one-hour mix that seamlessly blends deep and progressive elements, driven by strong grooves and hypnotic atmospheres. Please welcome Karma Wild and enjoy the journey! // Tracklist // 01. Fer Mora - Your Turn (Mauro Masi Remix) [Oxytocin Records] 02. Zek (AR) - Blazar [Balkan Connection South America] 03. Federico Barga - Gate 24 [Kitchen Recordings] 04. Abity - Symphony [3xA Music] 05. Gonzalo Cotroneo - Adrenaline [SINCITY] 06. Santiago - Naughty [Soulsynth] 07. Tonaco - Extrema (Tomas Garcia Remix) [Luum Records] 08. Montw, Anton Borin (RU) - Obsidian (Fabri Lopez Remix) [Juicebox Music] 09. Gux Jimenez - The Pulse [WARPP] 10. ECHO DAFT, Sam Sick - Samsara [Timeless Moment] 11. 4T6 - Time Bomb [AH Digital] 12. Zek (AR) - Valve [Balkan Connection South America] // Links // Follow Karma Wild on Instagram & SoundCloud Follow Juicebox Music on Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitter, Beatport & Spotify

“Everything in my music journey was my own drive… I actually love this.” Shruthi’s story of “falling in love at first sight” will inspire you. In this edition of the Oxford Series we explore the vibrant fusion of Carnatic and Western classical music through the eyes of a composer who crafts her identity into every … Continue reading "Episode 258: Crafting Identity Through Music with Shruthi Rajasekar"

"When we write about music history, we are mostly talking about artists. There are also fewer biographies, autobiographies and memoirs by instrumentalists. But can the instrument itself become the protagonist to tell us our story? This has been one of my concerns as a practitioner. The ghatam is present in music across the country. It is an instrument with personality and has a central role in folk music. But, in classical music, it takes a back seat. My quest was to foreground a lot of things that are not spoken about in writing about music. This is an attempt to make visible things that are not visible to readers and listeners. These microstories would be good for people to know. This book also comes from a strong conviction that women need to write their own stories; otherwise they don't get written. Difficult things come back to you while writing a memoir but you also make many beautiful discoveries on the way. For me, my ghatam embodies everything that has gone before. My entire life is held in the pot now; it holds my singing as well. All the things I used to express a singer, I now express on the matka," says Sumana Chandrashekar, author, Song of the Clay Pot; My Journey With the Ghatam, Here, she talks to Manjula Narayan about everything from her relationships with her guru Sukanya Ramgopal, her guru's guru Vikku Vinayakram, and master ghatam maker Meenakshi Amma to how appearance plays a big role in the image of a performing artist, misogyny in Carnatic music circles, and the effect of unplanned urbanisation on instrument making. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we talk to Kaushik, Jordan, and Aparna who are the founding members of ReinKarnation. A musical band that specialises in Carnatic music with a Kollywood twist. The members share with us their journey balancing work life and finding meaning through music despite the toughest of challenges. Aparna, also being the author of several children's Tamil books talks about the importance of preserving Tamil culture through the next generation. Join us in one of our most chill episodes so far. Find out more on their upcoming shows here.Find out more on Aparna's books here.==========Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe to our YouTube and other social channels to never miss an update. Thank you for your support and we look forward to sharing more exciting content with you soon!

In this episode, we're joined by Dr Rathika Marsh, aka The Spiritual Psychologist, whose work bridges psychology, spirituality, and embodied healing. With over 17 years of experience, she left behind a traditional psychology career to create her own transformational framework, helping people step into radical responsibility, faith, and freedom.We dive into her spiritual awakening journey, what it means to take ownership of your life, and the healing power of rituals and identity. From her experiences of growing up Tamil and embracing Carnatic vocals, to the moment she walked away from clinical psychology, Rathika shares her wisdom on how healing differs from therapy, why synchronicity matters, and the importance of not carrying what no longer serves us.This conversation touches on radical truth-telling, faith, cultural identity, women's cycles, and the courage to trust yourself, even when it means crumbling everything you thought you knew.(00:00) Introduction(02:45) Rathika's spiritual awakening journey(12:12) - Taking radical responsibility of one's own life(14:09) - On Tamil identity and rituals(17:45) - I've taken up carnatic vocals(19:19) - On quitting traditional psychology to start the Spiritual Psychologist(22:00) - What is healing and how is it different to therapy?(28:15) - Having unwavering faith in something(30:30) - We carry so much around without putting it down(40:32) - Dr. Rathika's offerings and upcoming retreat(51:58) - What does Dr. Rathika have strong game in?Find Dr. Rathika's work on: https://thespiritualpsychologist.co.uk/To be the first to get updates on new episodes, please do give us a subscribe or follow!

What do you call someone who can row at sunrise, sing Carnatic music by afternoon, game into the night, and still find time for theatre, sports, and even beach clean-ups? In this episode, we meet a teen who's living proof that there's no such thing as “too many interests.” Whether it's cricket, basketball, cycling, or trying out something new during lockdown, his life has been about staying active, curious, and outdoors whenever possible. But it's not just about keeping busy—it's also about balance, time management, and discovering who you are through every experience. One thing's for sure: standing still is not an option!

Alvin and German conduct a great conversation with licensed landscape architect and Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner®, Anita Bueno '90. A lifelong learner with a passion for connecting mind, body, and environment, Anita has dedicated her career to exploring the relationship between thought, movement, and our inner and outer worlds. Through the Feldenkrais Method®, Anita uses movement to help people activate and reorganize their nervous systems—empowering them to think clearer, feel better, and show up as their most creative, fully embodied selves. She integrates this work with her practice as a landscape architect, designing spaces that foster connection to nature and sustainable living. For ten years, Anita designed recreation areas for the US Forest Service, and for another decade she founded and directed BuenoLuna Landscape Design (now Cummings Landscape Architecture), a residential design/build firm focused on mitigating climate change through ecologically responsible landscapes. Beyond her professional work, she has lived in India studying yoga and Carnatic dance and music, traveled her ancestral lands of Hispaniola and Central America, and taken on countless creative pursuits—from watercolor painting and playing guitar to sewing her own clothes, figure skating professionally, commercial fishing in the Bering Sea, and bike touring in Mexico and New Zealand. At Colgate, Anita was a proud member of the Women's Rugby team, setting the stage for a life defined by curiosity, resilience, and a fearless spirit of exploration. She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religion from Colgate University.

The Indiana Brothers are a Carnatic music duo from Central Indiana, featuring twin brothers Sarvagh Shrianandh and Suragh Shrianandh. Though they're just 20 years old, the Indiana Brothers have been studying and performing Carnatic music for several years. The Indiana Brothers have performed frequently across the Midwest United States. The duo has also played dates on the West Coast and India. Carnatic music is a traditional form, of South Indian classical music characterized by intricate melodies, complex rhythmic patterns and devotional lyrics. Both Sarvagh and Suragh attend Purdue University. WFYI's Kyle Long recently caught up with the brothers during a break from their studies.

What do Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Grammy-winner Chandrika Tandon, tech titan Nikesh Arora, and wellness icon Deepak Chopra have in common?They're not just successful—they're transformational.

The violin has a storied place in so much of European classical music. But sometime in the 17th century, it began to intrigue maestros from a very different and ancient music tradition. Fred de Sam Lazaro has the story of one American violinist who sought to explore what’s become known as the Carnatic violin. It's for our arts and cultures series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The violin has a storied place in so much of European classical music. But sometime in the 17th century, it began to intrigue maestros from a very different and ancient music tradition. Fred de Sam Lazaro has the story of one American violinist who sought to explore what’s become known as the Carnatic violin. It's for our arts and cultures series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

THIS WEEK's BIRDS:Persian piano improvisation from Morteza Mahjoubi; Angelica Sanchez & Marilyn Crispell (piano duo); piano trio: Landaeus - de Heney - Osgood; Eric Dolphy goes solo;  Charles Mingus & group in Argentina; new music from cellist  Violeta García w.  Camilo Ángeles; Balinese pianist U Yee Nwe; new work from Jon Irabagon; Carnatic vocal work from Roopa Mahadevan; Tulipa Negra & Afrika Star (from Cabo Verde); salsa from Brooklyn Sounds; vintage Congolese rumba from l'Orchestra Bella Bella; and (as always) so much, much more. Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN: https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580 Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere. Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online: PLAYLIST at SPINITRON: https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/20598357/Conference-of-the-Birds and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/  Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks Find WRFI on Radio Garden: http://radio.garden/visit/ithaca-ny/aqh8OGBR

THIS WEEK's BIRDS: Blue Reality Quartet; Kash Killion & The Joel Futterman/Ike Levin Trio; Dorothy Ashby; Dewey Rodman w. Ed Blackwell (lots of new/avant jazz); Carnatic vocal work from S. Sowmya; Bhimsen Joshi (hindustani vocal); cante jondo from Enrique "El Extremeño"; Oula Baba Greek song); cha'abi from Akli Yahyaten, Dahmane el Harrache, & Boudjema el Ankis; bop from Elmo Hope (live at Rykers); compositionl jazz from Charles Bracken; brand new music from Jess Sa Bah; and (as always) so much, much more. (Encore mashup from March 2020, with a few new pieces mixed in...). Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN: https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/20562196/Conference-of-the-Birds via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580 Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere. Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online: PLAYLIST at SPINITRON: https://spinitron.com/m/playlist/view/20496412 and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/  Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks Find WRFI on Radio Garden: http://radio.garden/visit/ithaca-ny/aqh8OGBR

Sponors: Srinidhi's book- "Snippets Of My Soul" marks my debut poetry book, a culmination of the random write-ups that have long lingered as lost-and-found word documents within my computer. Here, you will find a collection of my musings, ruminations, and creative expressions that I hope will inspire you and make you feel something. This is a place where I bake fictional snacks and serve them to you with a side of raw emotions. Whether you are a fellow writer looking for inspiration or a reader seeking a new perspective, I invite you to explore my world of verses in hopes that that they resonate within you as deeply as they have within me. Links: Amazon Flipkart EBookSreenithi is a passionate musician and a dedicated advocate for sign language awareness. She is currently learning Carnatic and Western vocals, along with playing the Veena, and finds deep expression through music.Beyond music, she is deeply involved in sign language education and awareness. As a CODA (Child of Hearing and Speech Impaired Adults), she organizes and conducts sign language sessions with her father.

Sanjay is the musician's musician—a revered vocalist with a devoted following in the Carnatic music community. Known for his profound theoretical understanding and intellectual engagement with the art form, he is a connoisseur of music. In this conversation with Anita and his co-author, novelist, journalist, and screenwriter Krupa Ge, Sanjay delves into his artistic journey and the world that shaped him. The three panellists, united by their shared passion for Carnatic music, discuss the essence of classical music and explore what lies beyond the classical realm, touching on the fluid exchanges between various musical genres. Candid and introspective, Sanjay reflects on the personal and artistic ruminations that led him to write about his musical life, even as he stands at a crossroads in his career, eager to explore new horizons and grow further. Presented by: Westland Non-fiction In this episode of BIC Talks, Sanjay Subrahmanyan and Krupa Ge will be in conversation with Anita Nair. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in January 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favorite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music.

2024 was a defining year for Saregama, one of India's oldest music labels. This is a company that has been around for well over a century. For a long time now, it has been associated with the kind of music your parents and grandparents grew up listening to – the classics, evergreen Bollywood numbers, Ghazals, Carnatic music…you get the drift.  But this year, something changed. Saregama made it clear that it was done banking on old melodies alone. It has been on a mission to make fresh hits. And that mission has largely been successful thanks to Youtube. But there is a flip side to this strategy. In the Youtube-Saregama relationship, the former holds all the power. Tune in. Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Lakshmi Ramgopal is a musician and dancer who performs under the name Lykanthea. Her electro-mythic debut EP, Migration, received much-deserved praise from such outlets as The Chicago Tribune, Noisey, and Public Radio International's The World (and listeners will recognize its track “Hand and Eye” as The Witch Wave theme song). She's collaborated with Savage Sister on their sundrowned EP, and she's been creating and performing music via sound installations and performances for spaces such as The Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and Chicago's Lincoln Park Conservatory. Her new project, Some Viscera, marks a shift in instrumentation, drawing more heavily on her training in South Indian classical (or Carnatic) music, as well as organic sounds from analog instruments, bird song, and lullabies. It touches on atavistic questions of motherhood and personal legacy. When performed live it is an evening-length work of sound and movement that explores childhood, nostalgia, and kinship in the Indian-American diaspora in the wake of India's independence, while questioning the boundaries of classical forms. Embracing the warmth of the sruti box, unprocessed vocals, and strings, Ramgopal's ensemble draws on a wide range of influences to create a work that is as expansive as it is intimate. Some Viscera premiered at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago on September 26-27, 2024, and the music of Some Viscera is now available in a standalone album.In addition to that, performing both solo and with her ensemble, Lakshmi has done site-specific, immersive shows in spaces like Chicago's Edgar Miller's Glasner Studio and Garfield Park Conservatory, and in the middle of a freshwater stream. In 2018 she showed A Half-Light Chorus, which a sound installation commissioned by Experimental Sound Studio, and In 2020 she and visual artist Nancy Davidson showed a site-specific sculpture and sound installation, at Krannert Art Museum. The museum acquired it in 2023. Lakshmi received her PhD in Classics from the University of Chicago, and she is currently Assistant Professor of History at Columbia University, with a focus on the Roman Empire. On this episode, Lakshmi discusses her sonic shift from electronic to analog, music as ancestral offering, and the reincarnating power of love.Pam also talks about the secret magic of lullabies, and responds to a listener's comment about reconciling witchcraft with one's religious upbringing.Songs featured in the episode are all from Lykanthea's new album, Some Viscera:“Bird Song”“Garuda”“The Nightingale”“Cremation”Our sponsors for this episode are Ritual + Shelter, TU·ET·AL, UBU Skills, BetterHelp, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Grimsby Hollow Meadery, and Open Sea Design Co.We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam's monthly online rituals, and more! That's patreon.com/witchwave

Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame 2024 Celebramos a los artistas y profesionales homenajeados en el Salón de la Fama de la Transglobal World Music Chart, el Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame 2024, en las categorías de Artista (Martin Carthy, Jyotsna Srikanth, Petroloukas Halkias, Hermeto Pascoal, Erik Marchand), In Memoriam (Toumani Diabaté, Mercedes Sosa, Camarón de la Isla, Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, Reinette l’Oranaise) y Excelencia Profesional (Percy Yip Tong, Muziekpublique, Simon Broughton), disfrutando con sus músicas. We celebrate the artists and professionals honoured in the Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame 2024, in the categories of Artist (Martin Carthy, Jyotsna Srikanth, Petroloukas Halkias, Hermeto Pascoal, Erik Marchand), In Memoriam (Toumani Diabaté, Mercedes Sosa, Camarón de la Isla, Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, Reinette l’Oranaise) and Professional Excellence (Percy Yip Tong, Muziekpublique, Simon Broughton), enjoying their music. - Erik Marchand Trio - An tri breur - An tri breur - Petroloukas Halkias & Vasilis Kostas - Palio zagorisio - The soul of Epirus - Jyotsna Srikanth - Manasa sancharare - Carnatic nomad: South Indian carnatic music on violin - Reinette L'Oranaise - Enhabbek - Algeria - Mohammad-Reza Shajarian - Tasnif Yad baad - Bidad - Hermeto Pascoal - Forró pela manhã - Hermeto Pascoal e sua visão original do forró - Mercedes Sosa - Gracias a la vida - 20 años - Camarón de la Isla - La leyenda del tiempo - La leyenda del tiempo - Toumani Diabaté - Ahmed Sylla - Toumani, family & frieds - Martin Carthy - High Germany - Martin Carthy - Refugees for Refugees - Amina - Amina

A Violinist Gets Back His Life and Music Pudukkottai Ambika Prasad is an accomplished Carnatic violinist who has performed in several sabhas over decades. Hailing from a family of Hari Katha tradition, devotion was natural to him. He had his first opportunity of performing in Prasanthi Nilayam in 2006 along with Dr O S Arun. After this, he never came to Puttaparthi until Nov 17, 2024, when he was again blessed with the opportunity to offer his music to Bhagawan. But this time, he prayed and pined for it. He had decided he would never touch the violin again after his surgery in Swami's hospital in June 2024 unless Swami gave him the chance to play for Him. And that indeed happened, quite miraculously. In this Satsang, he narrates the series of miracles he witnessed in his life in the recent past, which not only gave him a rebirth but also gifted his music back to him through thrilling instances of His mercy and grace.

"I Don't Start Singing Without Looking at Baba". As part of Bhagawan's 99th Birthday celebrations, a devotional music concert by Dr OS Arun was offered at Bhagawan's Lotus Feet on November 18, 2024, in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam. After the concert, he visited the Sri Sathya Sai Media Centre studios and shared his thoughts. Dr O S Arun is a gifted musician blessed with a mellifluous and sonorous voice that covers a wide range and is rooted in Carnatic music. Among various awards, in 2006 he was decorated with the Kalaimamani title by the Tamil Nadu government. He has acquired global acclaim for his effervescent musical quality, sound knowledge of art and the blending of the two. The Alapana Foundation, set up by him, helps in this intercultural synthesis of various forms of art, while Ratna Sangamam is his social outreach initiative to aid and empower underserved communities.He had the opportunity to offer his music to Bhagawan on Nov 18, 2024, in Prasanthi Nilayam as part of the 99th Birthday celebrations. After this performance, he visited the media centre and did this Satsang where he shared his deep connect with Bhagawan.

The 27-year-old began his musical journey in Bangalore, India. Now, his band Project MishraM brings its signature blend of traditional Carnatic vocals, guitar shredding and synthesizer to international stages.

In which your psychic friend and faithful deejay, hosts a private freakoff of the sonic variety.  Choice cuts from The Soft Boys, Oran Cogan, Prince Fatty, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Ethel Ann-Powell, Tha Lazuras Project, and so many more.  Plus, private press 1970's country gospel, Carnatic music from Southern India, garage rock circa 1960-something, etc., etc., etc.Giving you what the algorithms won't since 2020.

Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (1930-2016) was a legendary Indian Carnatic vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, renowned for his exceptional voice and unique renditions. Born in Andhra Pradesh, he displayed extraordinary musical talent at a young age, giving his first concert at just eight years old. Balamuralikrishna was known for his innovative spirit, creating new ragas and compositions that enriched the Carnatic music tradition. His mastery extended beyond vocals, as he played several instruments, including the violin, viola, and mridangam. He received numerous prestigious awards, including the Padma Vibhushan, for his immense contributions to Indian classical music. Throughout his career, Balamuralikrishna traveled the world, captivating global audiences with his soulful performances. His music was characterized by a blend of tradition and innovation, making him one of the most respected figures in Indian classical music. His legacy continues to inspire generations of musicians and music lovers. KiranPrabha narrates many interesting chapters in his life journey.

In one of the talks today, there were some esteemed musicians. One of them was a world-famous Carnatic musician. What we heard from his accolades, when he was introduced today was that he was an expert at an early age. If anybody wants to guess how early that was, it was 2 years old, and he just went upwards from there. In any case, he was talking about the way in which one may become proficient in music. There's a similar culture in learning music in classical Indian music, Carnatic music in particular, which has to do with getting tutelage from a guru, a musical Guru, and following a particular sampradaya. Because there's always variety in everything, one of the statements that he made stuck with me. He said, did this famous teacher, “Learn from one source for a long time”. He said, “Learn from one source for a long time,” where he said you may have a confusion in your mind. It becomes like a traffic jam of many different styles in music. So, this is something Krishna recommends… (excerpt from the talk ) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For more videos please visit www.fanthespark.com

In the twelfth episode of Season 8 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe speaks with Jazzy J, an Artist and Executive Committee Member of the Indian Association of Manchester. Jazzy J shares his passion for community support, rooted in his upbringing in Mumbai, and discusses his role in the Indian Association of Manchester. He highlights the organisation's efforts to bring together people from various backgrounds, provide platforms for local talent, and support activities that celebrate South Asian culture. The episode covers the importance of patience, kindness, and a forward-thinking approach. The conversation underscores the significance of fostering inclusion and giving people opportunities to showcase their talents. The episode concludes with Jazzy J offering advice for those looking to start similar movements in their communities. In J's own words: “I think I have made an impact by making people believe that if they have a talent that they can come forward and present it. Age does not matter. Form does not matter. Style does not matter. As far as you have it in you, you go ahead and you share it with the world and you enrich it in the way that you feel that is fit for you.' #Community #SouthAsian #culture #Manchester #GM #SocialImpact #NonProfit #Podcast   Did you know:  ·     South Asian culture is a blend of many cultures in and around the Indian subcontinent. It has a rich history of kingdoms, empires, spiritual and artistic movements, and cultural, religious, economic, and political connections to other regions.  ·     South Asian culture has made a significant impact on Britain in various aspects, such as food, clothing, music, words, and the overall ambiance of our towns and cities.  ·      South Asia has a rich legacy of music and dance, including classical music traditions like Hindustani and Carnatic music in India, Ghazals in Pakistan, and Baul music in Bangladesh. Dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Bhangra are art forms that also express emotions and cultural narratives.   Key resources: This is Jazzy J. Indian Association of Manchester   Time stamps of key moments in the podcast episode & transcript: (00:52) Introduction and Finding Passion (02:45) Involvement with the Indian Association of Manchester (03:52) Role and Objectives of the Indian Association (04:51) Supporting the Indian Community (07:46) Challenges Faced in the Journey (10:47) Impact and Encouragement (13:00) Advice for Starting a Community Movement (13:41) Additional Cultural Involvements (14:30) Signature Questions: Mancunian Spirit (20:12) Heartwarming Conclusion   Listen to the episode and read the transcript on www.meetthemancunian.co.uk

In this episode of the Finding Harmony Podcast, Harmony and Russell reconnect with their Sanskrit and chanting teacher, Dr. M.A. Jayashree, who has spent a lifetime immersed in the study and teaching of ancient yogic wisdom. This insightful conversation dives deep into the transformative power of Sanskrit sounds in yoga practice, exploring how these sacred vibrations can influence spiritual growth and inner transformation. Join us as we discuss the significance of mantra, the role of chanting in traditional yogic practices, and how these ancient sounds can be a pathway to deeper spiritual awareness. Our guest shares her personal journey of growing up in India, her experience as a woman studying and teaching Sanskrit, and the profound impact that chanting has had on her life and the lives of her students. Key Topics: The Significance of Saraswati: Our guest explains the meaning behind the Saraswati chant, detailing the symbolism of the goddess of knowledge and her importance in spiritual practice. Growing Up with Yoga and Sanskrit: Learn about our guest's early life in India, where yoga and Sanskrit were integral parts of her upbringing, and how this cultural foundation influenced her spiritual journey. The Power of Chanting: Discover the vibrational power of Sanskrit mantras and how they can transform the mind, body, and spirit. Our guest delves into the science behind these sounds and their role in yogic practices. Education and Tradition: A discussion on the importance of education in traditional Indian families, particularly the role of women in preserving and passing on spiritual knowledge. Balancing Family and Education: Our guest shares her personal challenges and triumphs as she pursued higher education in Sanskrit while managing the responsibilities of family life. The Essence of True Education: Explore the difference between knowledge (Jnana) and wisdom (Vidya), and how true education goes beyond mere information to cultivate a cultured and compassionate mind. Spiritual Practice Through Chanting: Understand how chanting serves as a spiritual practice, akin to pranayama, and how it can lead to a meditative state by focusing the mind and controlling the breath. Jayashree Anandampillai    Dr. M.A. Jayashree is a retired Professor of Sanskrit, currently the director of Anantha Research foundation, Mysore, an institution engaged in foundational research work in the field of ancient sciences of India and also in the field of Sanskrit and Indian culture. She holds a doctorate degree in Sanskrit from Bangalore University on the topic, “Concept of Mind in Indian philosophy” completed under the guidance of Prof K. T. Pandurangi. She has many books, monographs and papers to her credit in the fields of Sanskrit, Ancient Sciences, Indian history, Culture, Music and so on. She holds a vidvat (master) degree in Carnatic classical music and is a Performing Musician. She is an accomplished artist in Mysore school of painting. She is the Vidwatpramukh for ItihasaSankalanaSamiti, Karnataka chapter.   She has a large following of overseas students to learn Yoga Sutras of Maharshi Patanjali and Srimad Bhagavadgita. She has conducted many workshops on chanting of Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita, given lectures on Yoga Philosophy and taught Sanskrit in an easy way in many parts of the world like Hong Kong, Thailand, America & Europe. She has also given several sessions in the “Evolution – Asia Yoga Conference ” in Hong Kong for 3 consecutive years. She has produced many CDs and books as learning aids in the traditional method of oral chanting in the name ‘Srutiparampara' Dr. M.A. JAYASHREE is from from Mysore, Karnataka, in Southern India. She was born and brought up in a traditional Indian brahman family environment. After starting her studies in the scientific field, she became more and more involved in the understanding of Indian philosophy and scriptures. This led her to achieve a deep knowledge of both Yoga and Sanskrit, which she speaks fluently. Dr. M.A. JAYASHREE took her PhD in Sanskrit, of which she has become a popular teacher by working in several educational institutions of Mysore (College and University) alongside her private tuition to Yoga students. She has also studied the traditional Indian music system, and her wonderful voice has allowed her to become a recognized singer. She has featured several CDs on Veda, Yoga Sutra, Sloka and Sanscrit poems. Dr. M.A. Jayashree, along with her brother Prof. M.A. Narasimhan are the founders of the Anantha Research Foundation, Sanskrit & Yoga Research Foundation, Mysore, whose purpose is to bring the wisdom of traditional Indian teachings to contemporary students all over the world.   Links to chanting: https://open.spotify.com/track/28Pax7cpc8H1vUMrabDLHJ https://open.spotify.com/album/54d1Oqhs1v2SyCmWXinXPi?uid=ab9a130b86bada14a636&uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A28Pax7cpc8H1vUMrabDLHJ   Connect with Us (We love to hear from you!) Harmony Slater's Website: http://harmonyslater.com Finding Harmony Community  https://harmonyslater.com/harmony-slater-coaching ⁠Find Harmony on Instagram⁠ Follow the Finding Harmony Podcast on IG ⁠Two Minute Breathwork Session⁠ Yoga Gives Back Fundraiser

THIS WEEK's BIRDS: Nadaswaram music (Carnatic) from Namagiripettai Krishnan; Yusuf Lateef (vintage); Japanese jazz from Toshiyuki Miyama & the New Herd; new music from composer and vocalist Ruiqi Wang; new piano & electronics from Eve Egoyan & Mauricio Pauly; solo piano from Matthew Shipp & Marilyn Crispell; new music from Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio; Ikui Doki and Sofia Jernberg in collaboration; Silvia Bolognesi w. Dudu Kouate & Griffin Rodriguez; samba from Gilson Nascimento, MBP from Elza Soares; Teresa Cristina; Wanda Sá; Manuel Valera New Cuban Express Big Band; Cuban salson from Linda Leida; and, as ever, much, much  more! Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN: https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com/ via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580 Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere. Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online: PLAYLIST at SPINITRON: hshttps://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/19293238/Conference-of-the-Birds and via the Conference of the Birds page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks FIND WRFI on Radio Garden: http://radio.garden/visit/ithaca-ny/aqh8OGBR Contact: confbirds@gmail.com  

Repaso libre a la Transglobal World Music Chart de este mes, confeccionada a través de la votación de un panel de divulgadores de las músicas del mundo de todos los continentes, del que los hacedores de Mundofonías somos cocreadores y coimpulsores. Este mes de agosto del 2024, suenan estupendos nuevos discos desde Grecia, Portugal, Bután, Brasil, India, España, Mali y Tanzania. El número 1 es para las artistas del pueblo wagogo del África oriental The Zawose Queens. A loose review of this month’s Transglobal World Music Chart, determined by a panel of world music specialists from all the continents, of which the Mundofonías‘ presenters are co-creators and co-promoters. This August 2024, we have some great new albums coming from Greece, Portugal, Bhutan, Brazil, India, Spain, Mali and Tanzania. Number 1 goes to East African Wagogo artists The Zawose Queens. – Gidiki – Messaritikos – Perasma – Maré – Cantiga do mar – Maré – Bhutan Balladeers – The day you were born – Your face is like the moon, your eyes are stars – Tiganá Santana – Das matas – Caçada noturna – Jyotsna Srikanth – Mamavasada janani – Carnatic nomad: South Indian carnatic music on violin – Vigüela – La pava – We – Bassekou Kouyate & Amy Sacko – Djonkolon – Djudjon, l’oiseau de Garana – The Zawose Queens – Dunia hii – Maisha 📸 The Zawose Queens (Michael Mbwambo)

In our ongoing series featuring Artists sharing their experiences with Swami, we present Ms Maalavika Sundar speaking about Sri Sathya Sai Baba and her musical journey. As part of Mother Easwaramma Day Celebrations, Ms Maalavika Sundar and her team offered a Devotional Music Program on May 06, 2024, in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam. Following her concert, she graciously shared her reflections at the studios of the Sri Sathya Sai Media Centre. A renowned singer celebrated for her voice and versatility, Maalavika Sundar trained under the tutelage of Smt Padmavathy Ananthagopalan right from when she was just 2 years old. As an All India Radio A grade artist, while she was always appreciated for her skill in Carnatic music, she came to the fore in the early 2000s with her performances on the reality singing show Super Singer and emerging as a finalist on the Indian Idol show wherein her audition video clocked more than 1.7 million views. She is not only a singer but also an artist and songwriter too who loves to collaborate with world musicians of various genres and present the beauty of Carnatic music to younger audiences in an innovative and captivating manner. In 2021, she released her first independent single – Vaa Sakhi to celebrate the uniqueness and glory of Indian womanhood. She is currently learning from Dr Sriram Parashuram.

Snow Raven, also known as Suor, a performer from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in Arctic Siberia, now residing in the United States, performed live at Esalen Institute this winter, during our Go Within Series. Snow Raven is renowned for her unique blend of traditional shamanic practices and modern electronic music, which she uses to connect with and teach about her indigenous culture. Snow Raven's artistic practice is rooted in neo-shamanism. She believes in the interconnectedness of all things. This philosophy extends to her use of technology, which she views as a natural extension of human innovation. She has collaborated on various projects that blend traditional shamanic elements with modern technology, including creating an algorithmic generator of her vocal sounds. She stunned the crowd at Esalen with her riveting performance. Esalen's Sadia Bruce joins us today in this episode to talk about how she came to bring Snow Raven to Esalen. To conclude the episode, Bruce gives us a preview of Esalen's Summer Groove series,an exhilarating celebration of sound, creativity, and movement nestled amidst the breathtaking beauty of Esalen Institute. To learn more, and get tickets, please visit https://www.esalen.org/learn/summer-groove-2024. Some of the artists at Summer Groove: EARTHTONES - a multi-faceted Musician/DJ, who crosses cultures in electronic music from Ambient to House & Cumbia to Hip Hop. As a DJ & international vinyl collector, Earthtones has been one of the forces behind acclaimed global rhythm parties such as International Sunshine & Beat Tropíc, ambient hi-fi events such as The Listening Garden, and the Commune Festival. AMY SECADA - a multi-disciplinary visionary artist of the Monacan Indian Nation specializing in neo-ritual audiovisual works and performance art to spread awareness of environmental injustice and Indigenous cultural and social rights. HRISHI an Indian songwriter and artist based out of Washington, DC. Trained in South Indian classical music (Carnatic music) for over 10 years, he blends his cultural influences with his love for pop song-writers such as Jon Bellion, Lauv, and Chris Martin. NALA SINEPHRO a Caribbean-Belgian composer, producer and musician living in London. Her music fuses meditative sounds, jazz sensibilities, folk and field recordings. Her musical practice is rooted in the study of frequency and geometry and guided by the premise that sound moves matter. SECULAR SABBATH an alternative educational institution and intentional community, born out of an ambient music experience that first took place in 2016, hosted and designed by founder Genevieve Medow Jenkins, who was born and raised at Esalen. LAVENDER DIAMOND Magical, whimsical songsmith Becky Stark will pull at your heart strings and tune your spirit. It's gonna be a good time!!

Tendemos puentes musicales que nos llevan por la India, Indonesia, Finlandia, Eslovaquia, Noruega y España a través de novedades y anticipos discográficos, incluyendo un estreno mundial en exclusiva. We build musical bridges that take us to India, Indonesia, Finland, Slovakia, Norway and Spain through new releases and record previews, including an exclusive world premiere. – Varijashree Venugopal – Ranjani – Vari – Jyotsna Srikanth – Ninnuvina – Carnatic nomad: South Indian carnatic music on violin – Peni Candra Rini – Manik jekantung – Wulansih – Lassi Logrén – Ages ago – Jouhikko – Building Bridges – Huskesnor – Spev – Alba Haro – Lo que sueña de noche (zorongo gitano) – Lo que sueña de noche (zorongo gitano) [single] – Diego Amador & José María Bandera – Ziryab – Paqueando – Luis Moneo – No recibo carta (seguiriyas) – Metal fundío 📸 Jyotsna Srikhant (Pritpal Ajimal)

This lecture explores the very limits of music: investigating historical efforts to catalogue musical materials including the melacarta of Carnatic music, the wazn of Arabic maqam, Slonimsky's Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns, Schillinger's Encyclopedia of Rhythms, Forte numbers, and contemporary attempts to ‘pre-copyright' every possible melody yet to be written.It also tackles the bigger questions: how much music might exist, whether it ever will be exhausted, and if there are any boundaries of our musical perception and imagination.This lecture was recorded by Milton Mermikides on 16th May 2024 at LSO St Luke's Church, LondonThe transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/music-infiniteGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://gresham.ac.uk/support/Website:  https://gresham.ac.ukTwitter:  https://twitter.com/greshamcollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeSupport the Show.

Visaka Hari is a renowned Carnatic music vocalist, storyteller, and performer of Harikatha, a traditional form of storytelling that combines music, drama, and narration. She is known for her captivating performances that blend spirituality, culture, and entertainment. This is an interview about her upcoming performance at the Swara-Laya Fine Arts Society's annual music festival in Sydney. Produced by Renuka Thuraisingham. - Swara Laya Fine Arts Society நடத்தும் Sydney Music Festival ஜூன் 8ம் 9ம் திகதிகளில் நடைபெறவுள்ளது. இதில் கலந்துகொள்ளவிருக்கிறார் பிரபல இசைக்கலைஞரும் ஹரிகதா காலட்சேப கலைஞருமான கலைமாமணி விசாகா ஹரி அவர்கள். அவருடனான உரையாடல் இது. நிகழ்ச்சித் தயாரிப்பு றேனுகா துரைசிங்கம்.

In this episode we dive into the atomic elements of composition that we can observe in Raaja's music. How does he use sentence structures and motifs in his compositions? Can we really tell apart where Carnatic ends and Western touches begin in his music. Briefly we also cover one stark difference between MSV and Raaja. Topics Covered: What are sentences and how have they been used by Beethoven and Mozart? How do sentence structures show up in Raaja's music? What is a motif and why does it often form the kernel of the full composition? How has Raaja used various motifs in his film songs? Participants: Mahesh Deepauk Bala Chidambaram Musical References: Subramanyena (Notes) Kaatumalli Sakkarakattikku

The April episode discusses the war of words and ideologies that has erupted in India's Carnatic music circles over a prestigious award being conferred by the Madras Music Academy on controversial musician TM Krishna. The Colourism debate in Kerala's Mohiniattam circles and the removal of gender bias in KALAMANDALAM

This week, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, and Anand Vardan are joined by music producer and public health consultant Dr Aiswarya Rao.On the controversy around TM Krishna being conferred the Sangita Kalanidhi award by the Madras Music Academy and the Carnatic music fraternity's response, Rao says it is an “intra-Brahmin musician dispute”. One faction wants to “take Carnatic music to the masses”, while the other wants to maintain its “hegemony”. On Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, Manisha says the PMLA Act is “scary”. “You cannot get bail in PMLA till the court is satisfied that there is prima facie no case.” This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app.General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans. Click here to support us. Timecodes00:05:40 - Headlines00:12:20 - TM Krishna's Sangita Kalanidhi award controversy00:31:32 - Arvind Kejriwal arrest00:59:57 - Letters01:16:13 - RecommendationsHafta letters, recommendations, songs and referencesCheck out our previous Hafta recommendations.Produced and recorded by Aryan Mahtta, edited by Hassan Bilal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sid Sriram transcends geographical boundaries and delves into his transnational identity on his debut English album ‘Sidharth.' The Carnatic musician, playback singer, songwriter and producer sat down with Vocalo host Bekoe before his Chicago performance on March 4 at Lincoln Hall to talk about the South Indian cultural influence on his music and the album. ‘Sidharth' is Sriram's first all-English release, a moody blend of R&B and pop with strong elements of Carnatic music, the South Indian sub-genre on which he was trained. This interview was produced and edited by Bekoe. Keep up with Sid Sriram on Instagram @sidsriram.

 Music has played a complimentary role in all our lives. In this tuneful episode, Malathi Renati has a chat with Lakshmy Iyer, a music exponent in Carnatic classical, veena and musical whistling. They talk about the importance of music education from primary to higher education and touch upon its resonating impact across a wide spectrum of areas from learning difficulties and therapy to neurological conditions like Alzheimer's and post trauma care. Do check out Takshashila's public policy courses: https://school.takshashila.org.in/courses We are @‌IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram. https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/ You can check out our website at https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

St. Paul actor, vocalist and community organizer T. Mychael Rambo wants everyone to know about “The Sounds of Gospel” presented by 2nd Chance Outreach this weekend at the Cowles Center in Minneapolis.  The two-hour show highlights the range and evolution of gospel music, from spirituals to psalms to contemporary songs. Rambo says to expect an evening of music that will have you clapping your hands, stomping your feet and raising up a shout for more.The performances are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Padma Wudali of Minneapolis describes herself as an amateur musician who plays the veena, a South Indian Carnatic classical instrument similar to a lute. She is excited to see local musician Shruthi Rajasekar take to the Ordway stage this Sunday. Presented by the Shubert Club Mix, Rajasekar's show is entitled “Parivaar — a Celebration of Community as Family.” (“Parivaar” is Hindi for “family.”)Rajasekar's music combines both Carnatic and Western classical traditions. Wudali loves her approach to this performance: in addition to presenting her own original, commissioned work, Rajasekar has invited other South Asian Twin Cities artists working in theater, music and visual arts to take part in the performance, thus celebrating the local creative community. The performance will include a new work by Rajasekar commissioned for the event and film, dance and writing by other Twin Cities performers.  Schubert Club Mix is a regular event designed to make classical music feel less formal and more approachable to audiences. The performance is Sunday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Ordway in St. Paul. Children and students can attend for free. Shruthi Rajasekar video Musician Leslie Vincent of White Bear Lake saw the one-person play “Honey, I'm Home” twice during its first run, and she's excited that the show is back for a new run at Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis.In “Honey I'm Home,” the main character is a brick house who wants to be a home to a new family. From there, writer and actor Madeleine Rowe goes on to play other characters as well.It's a show that combines comic clowning and poignant, heartfelt observations about the metaphorical houses we inhabit. Vincent recalls the two performances she saw last time felt “so different, because both audiences were so different, and the performer Madeline Rowe is incredibly adept at reacting to an audience.”The show opens tonight and runs through Feb 24. 

On today's show, a new global center for Korean Food at the University of Arkansas. Plus, the status of federal interest rates and their impact on Arkansas. And, Carnatic music inside the Firmin-Garner Performance Studio.

Enjoy a set featuring jazz inspired by a Persian mathematician, Omar Khayyam; jazz which blends with Hindustani and Carnatic music; jazz that meets a chamber string quartet; jazz that pays tribute to Joni Mitchell; and a whole bunch of other jazz permutations. The playlist features Dhafer Youssef [pictured]; Shakti; Miguel Atwood-Ferguson; Imogen Ryall; Joe Lovano, Marilyn Crispell, Carmen Castaldi; Per "Texas" Johansson; James Brandon Lewis, Lutosławski Quartet. Detailed playlist at https://spinitron.com/RFB/pl/18395861/Mondo-Jazz (up to "These Are Soulful Days - Movement II"). Happy listening!

In the world of tech and innovation, understanding the journey behind success can be as inspiring as the achievements themselves.On this episode, I'm joined by Rama Akkiraju, Vice President AI/ ML for IT at NVIDIA. Rama shares her remarkable journey from Hyderabad, India, to becoming a leader in one of the most dynamic fields today.Key Takeaways:(00:48) Rama's role and her journey in the AI industry.(02:21) The impact of Rama's family background on her career.(09:04) The pivotal role of Rama's brother in shaping her goals.(13:19) Rama's early interests and education in Carnatic classical music.(17:23) Challenges faced during the transition to English-medium education.(21:50) Rama's experience and focus during her engineering studies.(27:28) Cultural and academic adjustments in the US.(32:53) Landing a career-defining role at IBM Research.(39:04) The vital role mentors play in personal and professional growth.(44:26) How continuous learning enhances career growth.(52:50) The pace and impact of the AI revolution on Rama's career.Resources Mentioned:Rama Akkiraju - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramaakkirajuNVIDIA - https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/Thanks for listening to the Indianness podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation with leaders of Indian origin. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the show. #Indian #IndiaBusiness #India #Indianness

THE ARWEN LEWIS SHOW - Featuring Reewa - Singer-Songwriter, Pianist, International Pop Star "I've Always Wanted to Leave My Footprints in The Sands of Time" Reewa is a multi-talented artist who has mastered Western, Carnatic, and Hindustani vocals. She plays classical piano. Reewa is an award-winning songwriter and collaborator. Her compositions have been chosen by DJ Ravin to feature on the world-renowned lounge music label ‘Buddha Bar' in Paris. One of her tracks ‘Love and Desire' was selected in the 16 Greatest Hits of Buddha Bar. Her debut single "Maula (One Above)" received the Pepsi Mirchi Music Award for the Best Independent Song Of The Year. Reewa has also featured in a music video alongside Kenny G representing India- Reewa sang in Chinese. Reewa says… “In India, stars are not made, they are born. Music is not a business, it's a way of life. The respect for music as one of the highest art forms reflects in the training that musicians put into their musical studies.” Find Reewa! On Instagram: @reewarathod On Facebook: www.facebook.com/RathodReewa Subscribe on YouTube -www.youtube.com/@ReewaRathod555 The Arwen Lewis Show Host | Arwen Lewis Executive Producer | Jeremiah D. Higgins Producer - Sound Engineer - Richard “Dr. D” Dugan https://arwenlewismusic.com/ The Arwen Lewis Show is Brought to you by John DeNicola and Omad Records https://www.omadrecords.com/ On Instagram, Follow Arwen Lewis Here: @thearwenlewisshow @arwenlewis www.thejeremiahshow.com On Instagram @jeremiahdhiggins https://linktr.ee/jeremiahdhiggins

THE JEREMIAH SHOW - Featuring Reewa Reewa is a multi-talented artist who has mastered Western, Carnatic, and Hindustani vocals. She plays classical piano. Reewa is an award-winning songwriter and collaborator. 
Her compositions have been chosen by DJ Ravin to feature on the world-renowned lounge music label ‘Buddha Bar' in Paris. One of her tracks ‘Love and Desire' was selected in the 16 Greatest Hits of Buddha Bar. Her debut single "Maula (One Above)" received the Pepsi Mirchi Music Award for the Best Independent Song Of The Year. Reewa has also featured in a music video alongside Kenny G representing India- Reewa sang in Chinese. Reewa says… “In India, stars are not made, they are born. Music is not a business, it's a way of life. The respect for music as one of the highest art forms reflects in the training that musicians put into their musical studies.” On Instagram: @reewarathod On facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RathodReewa Subscribe on YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/@ReewaRathod555

We sit with Indian-American musician, music producer, and songwriter Sid Sriram, who is currently one of the most popular playback singers in India and has recently released his English-language studio album, 'Sidharth'. Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://brownhistory.substack.com/ Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

Vocalist, musician, and songwriter Sid Sriram joins Abhay for a conversation about his new album 'Sidharth' and the journey of creating it.  They chatted about the power of silence, about different influences, and about the value of healing.(0:00 - 2:15) Introduction(2:15) Part 1 - Practice, silence, unlearning(19:55) Part 2 - 'Americanisms', listening skills(31:05) Part 3 - Measuring success, healing(42:22) Conclusion

Welcome to Cyrus Says!Use the Coupon code 'CYRUS2023' to get Rs. 4799/- off on your EVEN subscription.Become a member of Club Cyrus SaysOn Cyrus Says this week, Cyrus is joined by an Indian classical musician and a member of the erstwhile Royal Family of Travancore - Prince Rama Varma. Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, known colloquially as Prince Rama Varma, is a direct descendant of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal.He is a Carnatic vocalist as well as an exponent of the Saraswati Veena. He is also recognized as a music teacher, musicologist, writer and orator. He has performed at concerts and conducted music workshops all over India and in several other countries including the United States, UK, Netherlands, France, UAE, Malaysia and Singapore.He spoke to Cyrus about his royal background and how his life has shaped over the years, how music got into the picture, and some hilarious stories about T. V. Gopalakrishnan, the well-renowned musician and music teacher - Also Rama Sir's Guru. He also shared w/ us a rather erotic French song & the story behind it. Tune in for this and much more!Subscribe to the Cyrus Says YouTube Channel for video episodes!Check out the Cyrus Says Official MerchListen to Cyrus Says across Audio PlatformsIVM Podcasts | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Gaana | Amazon Music | Jio SaavnEmail your AMA questions to us at whatcyrussays@gmail.comDon't forget to follow Cyrus Says' official Instagram handle at @whatcyrussaysConnect with Cyrus on socials:Instagram | TwitterAnd don't forget to rate us!-x-x-xDisclaimer: The views, opinions, and statements expressed in the episodes of the shows hosted on the IVM Podcasts network are solely those of the individual participants, hosts, and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of IVM Podcasts or its management. IVM Podcasts does not endorse or assume responsibility for any content, claims, or representations made by the participants during the shows. This includes, but is not limited to, the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. IVM Podcasts is not liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages arising out of or in connection with the use or dissemination of the content featured in the shows. Listener discretion is advised.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suma Subramaniam shares NAMASTE IS A GREETING, a sweet, universal text shining a light on a word with significance far beyond yoga class, and SHE SANG FOR INDIA, a picture book biography about M.S. Subbulakshmi, a powerful Indian singer who advocated for justice and peace through song.    BOOK DESCRIPTION: Namaste Is a Greeting by Suma Subramaniam; illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat Page Length: 32 pages Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3 What is namaste? It's found in a smile, a friendship, a celebration. It exists in silence; it can be said when you're happy or when you're feeling low.  For one small girl in a bustling city, namaste ("I bow to you") is all around her as she and her mother navigate a busy marketplace--and when she returns with a little plant and chooses to give it to an elderly neighbor, it can be seen in the caring bond between them. In a sweet, universal text, debut author Suma Subramaniam shines a light on a word with significance far beyond yoga class, while artist Sandhya Prabhat makes the concept of mindfulness come alive in delightful illustrations likely to draw children in again and again.   She Sang for India: How M.S. Subbulakshmi Used Her Voice for Change by Suma Subramaniam; illustrated by Shreya Gupta Page Length: 40 pages Ages 4 to 8 Before M.S. Subbulakshmi was a famous Carnatic singer and the first Indian woman to perform at the United Nations, she was a young girl with a prodigious voice. But Subbulakshmi was not free to sing everywhere. In early 1900s India, girls were not allowed to perform for the public. So Subbulakshmi busted barriers to sing at small festivals. Eventually, she broke tradition to record her first album. She did not stop here. At Gandhi's request, Subbulakshmi sang for India's freedom. Her fascinating odyssey stretched across borders, and soon she was no longer just a young prodigy. She was a woman who changed the world.   NOTABLE QUOTES: (5:26) “My family was not made rich by wealth, but we were made rich by people.”  (10:59)  “The power of such diverse friendships is the, you know, is, is the bonding and the hope that it brings in times of adversity.” (12:42)  “There is no Carnatic music without M.S. Subbulakshmi, and there is no M.S. Subbulakshmi without Carnatic music.” (18:11) “Art and music are great tools to channel our energy and bring about a positive change, especially in the minds of young people.”  (18:57) “One doesn't need to know the language to appreciate good music.”  (20:14) “You are loved. And this holiday season I hope you pay attention to species of all kinds who are lonely or who are having a difficult winter, and you give them a little bit of your time.”    ADDITIONAL LINKS: Website - Suma Subramaniam M.S. Subbalakshmi performing "Bhaja Govidam" Purchase the Book - Namaste is a Greeting Purchase the Book - She Sang for India   TALK ABOUT THE EPISODE: Namaste is a sanskrit word. Can you recall what it means? What moments in your day have you practiced namaste? And what opportunities might you have to practice namaste before the day's end? M.S. Subbulakshmi was a famous carnatic singer. How would you describe the music that she made? What does it make you feel? Does it remind you of any music you've heard before? What instruments could you hear in the recording that was shared? What is activism? And what barriers or limitations did M.S. Subbulakshmi work to break down or to make possible for others after her through her music?  BONUS: Suma mentioned her dog in her introduction and said that the dog likes to do something that, I'm guessing, is not a typical thing that dogs like to do. Can you recall what she shared?   CREDITS: This podcast episode of The Children's Book Podcast was written, edited, and produced by Matthew Winner. For a full transcript of this episode, visit matthewcwinner.com.  Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).  Our music is by Podington Bear.  Podcast hosting by Anchor.  We are a proud member of Kids Listen, the best place to discover the best in kids podcasts. Learn more at kidslisten.org.   DISCLAIMER: Bookshop.org affiliate links provided for any book titles mentioned in the episode. Bookshop.org support independent book stores and also shares a small percentage of any sales made through this podcast back to me, which helps to fund production of this show.