Sep 17 2022 to Sep 17 2022 5 p.m.

EVENT HAS ENDED

Where

Natakvalas

75 17th E Main Rd, 6th Block, Koramangala 560095

Event Description

CHARU SURI Charu has become the first Indian composer to collaborate with the legendary Preservation Hall Band jazz drummer, Joe Lastie, in her album RAGAS & WALTZES, produced by GRAMMY-winning Lonnie Park. To hear the entire album : Charu Suri - Ragas & Waltzes https://charusuri.hearnow.com/ Pianist and composer CHARU SURI treads fearlessly between genres pulling global influences that range from the mood-anchoring Indian ragas Sufi music to the trio. Her ground-breaking albums The Book of Ragas and its sequel The Book of Ragas vol. 2 have often elicited the response "I've never heard this type of sound before."

One of the few female composers from India to perform work at Carnegie Hall Charu has lived in four continents and writes music that reflect her journey as both a traveler and her training as a classical music piano prodigy. She has been playing the piano since the age of five and performing since the age of nine and one of her best memories is winning an international piano competition at the age of 15. What started purely as an experiment with her "Book of Ragas" has turned into a niche that she is now increasingly becoming known for. Raga Asavari (Jazz) from "The Book of Ragas vol. 2" In her latest "Book of Ragas vol. 2" which was highlighted by Jazz at Lincoln Center as an August new release Suri uses her native Carnatic and Hindustani ragas (modal scales) as the basis for lyrical and energetic piano improvisations layered by Sufi singing.

All About Jazz has praised her for creating a new sound and her raga compositions have garnered her an Hollywood Music in Media nomination an International Singer Songwriters Association gold record and Global Music Awards as well as praise from fellow GRAMMY voting members. But she is no stranger to the art of the Songbook too (attribute this to her listening to numerous records of Bill Evans and Billie Holiday as a kid). "The New American Songbook" has garnered many awards including a "Band Single of the Year" crystal trophy for her song Bluesy awarded by the International Singer-Songwriters Association (ISSA) in 2021.

Charu has performed at Lincoln Center and other prestigious concert halls around the world including St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She often performs with her band and sometimes as a soloist.

RAVI KULUR - "Maestro Of the Flute" Ravi Kulur was initiated into Carnatic classical music at the age of six. He initially took up the Mridangam and the Kanjira–South Indian percussion instruments–under the guidance of guru E P Narayana Pishardi. Brought up in an atmosphere of music and the love of melody and rhythm, Ravi attended many concerts and voraciously listened to classical music on tapes. When he wasn’t listening to music or performing Ravi would spend hours practicing with his brother K.U.Jayachandra Rao who is a skilled mridangam player and his father. Keen to take up music in the future he always knew music would play a huge part in his life. During his days at college Ravi developed a keen interest in other forms of music experimenting with fusion and world music and discovering Jazz and broadening his knowledge of classical music to include Hindustani classical as well as Carnatic.

In 1999 he decided to take up music professionally. Ravi has ever since grown as an artist carving a niche for himself in the field governed by great maestros and emerged as one of the most sought after flutists from India. His powerful lungs clarity of individuals notes and high-paced fingering techniques are his forte and have been widely regarded with appreciation by music-lovers and critics alike.

Ravi has developed a unique style of playing the flute and plays rare South Indian ragas in complicated rhythmic cycles. His playing field also includes the Bansuri (North Indian flute) western flute and the wind midi controller Kanjira and vocal percussion . Accustomed to performing for international audiences and legends of classical music Ravi has performed in keystone music festivals and famous venues collaborating with artists around the globe. He has extensively toured USA Canada UK UAE Sweden Austria Luxembourg Finland Germany France Italy Spain Holland Belgium Denmark Ireland Switzerland for his Solo Duets Fusion Jazz concerts and Dance productions. After listening to Ravi’s recordings in 2005 legendary musician and ‘Father of World Music’ Pandit Ravi Shankar invited Ravi to join him for the upcoming concerts titled“Festival of India III” in the year 2005-06. The other associated with the previous Festival of India concerts have been the denizens of halls of fame picture frames greats such as Pandit Hariprasad Chourasia Dr L.Subramaniam Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and many others. During this time Pandit Ravi Shankar hailed Ravichandra Kulur as a “fantastic brilliant and very well known flutist from India”. Ravi also tours & performs regularly with Anoushka Shankar around the world reaffirming his position as a sought after flutist. Ravi feels blessed to have worked with Pandit Ravi Shankar and is widening his horizons about North Indian music and world music under the guidance of Ravi Shankar. To date Ravi has played more than 900 concerts and participated in music festivals like WOMAD in UK Roskilde in Denmark, Sfinks in Belgium San Fransisco Jazz Festiva Helsinki Festival, Bangalore Habba and many more and has to his credit about 300 studio session recordings and performed in major venues like the Carnegie Hall in New York Kennedy Centre in DC Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Festival Hall in London the Boston Symphony Hall Chicago Symphony hall Millennium Park in Chicago Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto Baltimore Symphony Hall Disney Hall in Los Angeles Zellarbach Auditorim in University of California at Berkeley The Jazz café in London Joes Pub in New York Opera De Lille in France Passionskirche in Berlin Vienna Kozerthaus Petit Palau in Barcelona Philharmonic Hall in LiverpoolNCPA Auditorium in Bombay Narada Gaana Sabha in Chennai and Sirifort in Delhi. Ravi has also worked with musicians like Dr M.Balamuralikrishna Dr L Subramaniam Charlie Mariano Steve Smith and Vital Information A K Palanivel Hariharan SP Balasubramaniam Kumaresh and Ganesh Tarun Bhattacharya Hans Hartmann Karsh Kale Ranjit Barot Amit Heri Tanmoy Bose Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin trio) etc. Ravi is an ‘A’ graded flutist from AIR & Doordarshan and his music has been broadcasted from National Public Radio in USA FM stations in Belgium Holland and Germany. His music crosses cultural lines and popular Berlin FM station “Multi-Kulti” has interviewed Ravi as well. Ravi also had the opportunity of performing for HRH the Prince Charles of Wales in London. Apart from a solo career Ravi’s musical ventures include

1. Layatharanga six-member South Indian percussion troupe with Ravi as the flutist. Their music has been well received and their take on the world of melody and rhythm is inspirational.

2. Swindia collaboration of European and Indian musicians resulting in an interesting blend of Indian classical with Jazz and Swiss folk music.

3. Mesmerize an acoustic - electronic alliance with musicians from Holland making compositions in rare carnatic melody forms & interesting rhythmic cycles .

Ravi has also composed several albums and Dance productions and has worked for Indian English & German films. He has been conferred with the title “Kala Arathi Rathna” from Arathi school of dance Phoenix Arizona.