This wordpress.com will no longer be used but is still going to remain active …. So please join us at the new home! http://nadabrahma.co.uk/
I want to thank a few of people with their help, Amit Patel and Rajen Shah from Watermarkmedia, Kunal ‘Cabein’ Anand, Tariq Hussain and Dimm Summer for letting me use a part of ethnotechno.com for the header!
The verdant landscapes of Kaziranga set the stage for Angaraag ‘Papon’ Mahanta and Rabbi Shergill. The former is a native of the state, and revered within it for introducing an entire generation to ancient folk melodies that would otherwise have been lost forever. The latter introduces his Sufi-tinged, intrinsically Punjabi sound for a memorable collaboration.
Once a month on a Saturday afternoon, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall is home to Mid-day Mantra. An initiative setup by SAMPAD, an arts organization dedicated in bringing the finest sounds of Asian musicians and artists from the UK and India in a series of chilled out and informal sessions.
Last Saturday saw the highly acclaimed musicians from Banglore. S.V. Balakrishna on Mridangam and R. Raghunandan on Flute. They were joined by my incredibly talented friend on vocals – Ambika Jois, a singer songwriter with unique sound of Indioul blending Jazz, classical Carnatic music and soul.
R. Raghunandan kicked off the performance with an invocation to Lord Ganesha – a beautiful solo on the Flute. Serving as frontline ammunition for the classical piece, it carried the melody and provided harmonies to the music. The eloquent switch between large and small flutes really gave it a moments of sweet playful gestures interjected with deep poignant sounds. Soon to be joined by are the rustic sounds of the Mridangam, a barrel-like hand-drum supplied us with notable improvisation sets dancing amicably with the flute ragas and providing delicate yet strong impressive sounds.
Ambika injected some powerful graceful vocals are a force to be reckoned with, which enhanced the depth and soul of the music. I’ve seen Ambika perform live with Shammi Pithia when she sings more western stuff, however seeing the classical side of her talent really hit home as to how talented this lady is. The sheer supremacy and might of her voice is remarkable. If you ever get an opportunity to see perform seize it as you will not be disappointed.
Ambika will be performing at Mid-day Mantra on Dec 10th …
GODS ROBOTS – a dynamic blend of world class songwriting, energetic stage performance, cutting edge technology and old school musicianship. The duo’s stage show unites original songs with Taamara delivering a powerful combination of english lyrics with nuanced classical India stylings alongside Janaka Selekta‘s hard hitting riddims dubbed from his multi-channel electronics platform. Improvisation is a key element of GODS ROBOTS as they move seamlessly from their original songs to a DJ dance format and back again. High energy and LIVE.
STORMY WEATHER their EP with a seamless blend of catchy English lyrics, classical Indian instrumentation and underground rhythms defines the unique GODS ROBOTS sound.
It is the sound of an infinitely interconnected world where borders are becoming increasing meaningless. Elements of drumstep, dubstep, hip hop, dub and even drum n bass shine as singer Taamara effortlessly moves from soulful and bluesy English lyrics to classical Indian vocal melodies. Their upcoming album especially produced for Bittorrent features virtuoso Sarod player Alam Khan in a rare non-classical Indian music context and Mike Pipes on flute and guitar.
Finally! the episode I’ve been waiting for! … Titled ‘Changing World’ sees two of my friends, singer-songwriter – Monica Dogra and U.K.-based breakbeat performer and producer Shri collaborating with folk collective Rajasthan Roots.
I love it when I read about some of the Indian artists I follow on The Guardian Culture/Music section. This time its a duo by the name B.L.O.T [Basic Love Of Things] who are an arts collective and mixed media performance ensemble consisting of VJ and visual artist Avinash Kumar and DJ and musician Gaurav Malaker who have diabolical plans of redefining electronic music experiences.
Fellow music addicts … Its that time of the week again, the next episode of the Dewarists – a new original series. Part music documentary and part travelogue, the show features inspiring musicians collaborating to create original music while traveling to locations across India.
This week, from the lush green hills of Panshet, to the bustle of Pune, Episode 4 sees the union of two of India’s long-standing classic rock icons — Parikrama and Agnee. Adding flavor to the collaboration is the lilting voice of acclaimed playback singer Shilpa Rao.
London Jazz Festival presents Soumik Datta is an upcoming fantastic gig happening at Rich Mix in 10 days time – Tue 15 November 2011.
Soumik is one of the hottest rising stars in Britain today. Combining his majestic Indian Sarod (19-stringed, musical lute) with underground beats, a dubstep essence, folk and contemporary soundscapes this is set to be an unmissable night of cutting-edge music.
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