Festival of Music and Dance from India
Sponsored by the UCSD Music Department and the Center for World Music
Friday, October 19, 2001 Pre-Concert Discussion 6:30 p.m. , Concert at 8:00 p.m. Mandeville Auditorium, UCSD An Evening of North Indian Classical Music Arup Chattopadhyay, Tabla Solo Tarun Bhattacharya, Santoor Recital Arup Chattopadhyay, Tabla.
Arup Chattopadhyay is recognized today as one of the outstanding and most sought after tabla artists of the younger generation. As a premier disciple of the world renowned maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Arup has established himself internationally both as an accompanist and soloist. Arup accompanies many of IndiaÕs leading musicians, including Pandit Ravi Shankar. Most recently, he has toured extensively with sitarist Kartik Seshadri throughout the United States and Canada. Tarun Bhattacharya is one of IndiaÕs finest performers on santoor. A disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, Tarun initially studied with his father Robi Bhattacharya and later with Dulal Roy. Tarun brings a special type of sitar/sarod ornamentation to the santoor. He has performed around the world. His most recordings have been released on the Music of the World label.
Saturday, October 20, 2001 Pre-Concert Discussion 6:30 p.m., Concert at 8:00 p.m. Mandeville Auditorium, UCSD An Evening of North Indian Classical Music Lakshmi Shankar, Vocal Recital Arup Chattopadhyay, Tabla Kartik Seshadri, Sitar Recital Arup Chattopadhyay, Tabla.
Lakshmi Shankar The magic of her magnificent voice, her sense of proportion and the emotional content of her singing are only some of the qualities that have made Lakshmi Shankar one of the foremost and popular vocalists of India. Having trained with many well-known masters, including Professor B.R. Deodhar and Ravi Shankar, she has participated in all the important music festivals around the globe. Her rich repertoire and versatility have earned her laurels, not only from her own country, but internationally. Sitar virtuoso Kartik Seshadri is internationally acclaimed as one of IndiaÕs outstanding musicians and the foremost disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar. Since his recognition as a prodigy at the age of six, KartikÕs relentless touring and continued success now makes him one the most sought after soloists in major venues throughout the world: The Kennedy Center and The Lincoln Center, and the SRA and SAPTAK Music Conferences in India. Kartik has also performed with Pandit Ravi Shankar in major halls internationally, including Carnegie Hall. His consistently brilliant performances are marked for their expressivity, rich tonal sensibility and exciting rhythmic intricacy.
Friday, November 2, 2001 at 8:00 p.m. Erickson Hall in Mandeville, UCSD An Evening of North Indian Classical Vocal Music featuring Shweta Jhaveri
Shweta Jhaveri is one of the foremost Indian classical female vocalists of the younger generation and is among the very few vocalists who has been adored from a young age by audiences in India and abroad. She is the first female vocalist to represent the state of Gujarat on national and international platforms. Shweta's specialty is the Khyal form which reflects the depth of her artistry and her unique way of presenting her mellifluous voice and aesthetic, classical spirit. She has also performed and composed khyals and bhajans and also sings tappa and thumri styles.
Friday, November 16, 2001 at 8:00 p.m. The Performing Arts at The Neurosciences Institute, La Jolla, California. An Evening of Odissi Dance featuring The Patnaik Sisters.
The Patniak Sisters began their training in the U.S. at an early age and travel frequently to India to study from the Gurus of Odissi dance. In California, the Patnaik Sister have performed at UCSD, UCSC, UCSB, UCI, Stanford, among others. They have represented India for six years at the highly acclaimed "Nations of San Diego." Recently, the sisters choreographed and danced in Odissi style in the 1998 MTV Award Night, broadcast live throughout the world as the superstar Madonna sang the opening song "Shanti /Ashangi", from her recent album "Ray of Light." All Pre-concert Discussions are free to the public and concerts cost of $10 for general audiences and $8 for students/seniors.
The Musical Tradition: The system of Indian classical music known as Raga Sangeet can be traced back nearly two thousand years to its origin in the Vedic hymns of the Hindu temples. The basis of IndiaÕs ancient musical tradition is the guru-shishya-parampara (master-student relationship), an oral tradition taught directly to the students by his/her guru rather than by the system of written notation used in the west. The very heart of Indian music is the raga: the melodic form upon which the artist improvises his performance. A raga is the projection of the artistÕs inner spirit: a manifestation of his most profound feelings and sensibilities. Odissi is one of the seven recognized forms of Indian classical dance. It is from the eastern state of Orissa and dates back to the 2nd century BC. Odissi is well known for its lyrical nature, grace, fluid movements and asymmetrical body style. Some of Odissi postures can be seen today in the relief sculptures of ancient Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples and caves of Orissa.
Open Dialogue: The artist in attendance for these public forums are some of the most renowned and revered musicians and dancers of India representing different "gharana(s)" (styles); their personal experiences regarding their musical careers as well as the performance, practice and pedagogy of Indian classical music and dance will be the focus of the discussion. The musicians and dancers will focus on the key aspects of the Indian classical musical and dance traditions as it pertains to the: 1) the history and theory of the music and dance. The musicians will discuss and demonstrate the intricate and complex concepts of Raga and Tala which serve as the basis for improvisation within Indian classical music. 2) the musicians and dancers will also address the practice, pedagogy and performance of this live and thriving musical and dance tradition. Musicians and dancers will discuss the ways in which this oral tradition has continued through the centuries and have been adapted to newer methods of pedagogy. 3) Also with the numerous years of touring in the US and Europe, the artists will assess the cultural and musical impact of Indian Classical music and dance in the West and throughout the world.
