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Home , Anindo Chatterjee, Shubha Mudgal, Titi Robin

An Exclusive Fusion Concert featuring celebrated Dancers and Musicians from and France at the Royal Opera House,

For Immediate Release

Alliance Française de Bombay, The French Institute in India, Royal Opera House, Mumbai and Avid Learning present Khushboo: An Evening of Indo-French Music and Dance. A medley of talented musicians and dancers from France and India come together for a unique performance that highlights the best of both cultures and uncovers synergies between them while celebrating unique aspects of each!

Please read below for a description of the performance:

Eight masterful performers with eclectic talents and skills including Composer and Musician Titi Robin on and Buzuk, Murad Ali Khan on Sarangi, Rajasthani Folk Dancer Gulabo Sapera, Dancer Mahua Shankar, Vocalists Shuheb Hasan and Zohaib Hasan, Amaan Ali Khan on and Dino Banjara on Percussions will come together to create multidisciplinary dance and musical magic!

Sarangi Maestro Murad Ali Khan and French composer Titi Robin have been working together on joint artistic projects for the last ten years, from the first recording of Laal Asmaan in Bombay (Blue Frog Label) to the international show Les Rives and their more recent album Rebel Diwana produced in Belgium. Padma Shri Gulabo Sapera and Titi Robin began their collaboration in the early ‘90s with the Gitans album, the first of a long series of recording, videos and numerous tours around the globe. These maestros reunite on our stage along with traditional Indian dance disciplinarian, Kathak star, Mahua Shankar.

This concert will bring to life the tribal-gypsy dance style from and classic instruments and sounds from Europe - a wonderful blend of cultures. The originality and innovative flair of each performer perfumed with the emotive soulfulness of each discipline results in a unique blend that transcends cultural boundaries and language barriers.

This international collaboration now comes to our stage for the first time in Mumbai.

This concert is a continuation of our association with the prestigious Alliance Francaise de Bombay and this will be our fourth collaboration with them. with whom we have presented many Western Classical musical programmes over the years with the aim of revitalizing the genre and popularizing it among Mumbai audiences.

The Royal Opera House, Mumbai provides a unique platform in the city for people to encounter the breadth of musical genres, cross-disciplinary musical dialogues, such as this, and eclectic fusion collaborations. We are keen to support and showcase unique events that defy easy categorization and blend the traditional with the contemporary, and find synergies in fascinating ways. This event celebrates the best of French & in unique concert with traditional and folk dance.

Join us to experience an exhilarating blend of cultures and disciplines by Indian and international maestros.

Where: Royal Opera House, Mama Parmanand Marg, Mumbai – 400 004 When: Saturday, 1st February 2020 | 7:00 PM onwards Tickets: www.insider.in Press Email / Call: Ayeshah Dadachanji on [email protected] / +91 9820155297

About the Performers

Titi Robin is a French composer, musician and improviser. His style combines Mediterranean world including Gypsy, Oriental and European cultures. He plays guitar, Turkish buzuq, , Arabic ’ and other instruments of both European and Moorish origin. Early in his career, he performed at Arab and Gypsy community festivals that gave him the opportunity to test his musical approach. The musicians accompanying him are almost exclusively from minority groups (such as Berber Moroccan Abdelkrim Sami). In 1984 he appeared (guitar, ‘oud and buzuq) in duet with Hameed Khan, an Indian tabla player originally from . In 1987, he founded the "Johnny Michto" band, which combined Moroccan Berber rhythm with the electric buzuq, bass, and . He has collaborated with Rajasthani gypsy, Indian, flamenco, and Pakistani musicians. He is a musical polymath equally at home in a variety of musical environments and cultures.

Born in a family of musicians originally from Moradabad, Murad Ali Khan is a sixth generation sarangi player. The intensive training he had under his grandfather Ustad Siddique Ahmad Khan and father Ustad Ghulam Sabir Khan has stood him in good stead, and he is presently regarded as one of the leading sarangi players of the younger generation. His ancestors, Ustad Sagheer Ahmed Khan Sahab, Ustad Fakir Ahmed Khan Sahib, Ustad Rafique Ahmed Khan Sahab and his grandfather later Ustad Siddique Ahmed Khan Sahib were all renowned sarangi players, musicologists and gurus of the Moradabad . Beginning his performing career at the early age of ten, Murad Ali won the first prize in the All India Radio national music competition held in 1992. An 'A' grade artiste of the All India Radio, he has also been a frequent performer at several music festivals in India and abroad. He has received accolades for his accompaniment to many noted vocalists and tabla players. Unfettered by orthodox musical beliefs, Murad Ali has on several occasions participated in cross-cultural and experimental musical endeavours. He had honor and privledge of playing sarangi for Bharat Ratna Pt. Shankar jiAnd got Pt. ji's Blessings. Murad Ali also has composed Music for his own Band Called SOUL- SAMVAAD and " 7 ESSENCE". A Classical Music and Dance Group. Maestros Vidushi Smt. Shubha Mudgal ji and Ustad Sahab have played a great role in Murad Ali's musical journey. Murad Ali Khan also been fortunate to accompany Maestros of India like PT. Ajoy Chakrobarty, Pt. Rajan Sajan Mishra, Pt. , Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, Padma Vibhushan Smt Girja Devi Ji, Vidhushi Ashwini Bhide, Ustad , Pt. Anindo Chatterjee, Ustad Sabir Khan, Ustad Akram Khan etc. He has received numerous awards like the Sarangi Ratna Award, Ustad Yuva Puraskar from Sangeet Natak Acadamy, Sanskriti Award, Aditya Vikram Birla Award and Kala Kiran Award.

Gulabo Sapera was born and raised in a family of snake charmers. The foremost performer in the Kalbelia style, she has taken the dance to new heights and has travelled the globe educating people about this little-known art form. Kalbelia is the traditional, celebratory dance of the snake charmers and an integral part of their heritage. She is very active in the musical work of Titi Robin. The Government of India awarded her the civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2016. Mahua Shankar, classical Kathak danseuse and a performing artist for over a decade, is an extraordinary young dancer, adding subtle innovations to the Kathak repertoire while preserving the tenets of the classical style. Mahua, with her enchanting stage presence, has earned acclamation for her intense, sensitive & graceful Kathak presentations. Mahua is an Empanelled artist of ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) and also a Graded artist of Doordarshan, . She has been very recently certified by CID UNESCO (Paris, France) and has been made a member for the year 2019. Zohaib Hasan and Shuheb Hasan belong to the Moradabad Gharana and come from a long lineage of renowned musicologists, famous vocalists, and Tabla Maestros. They started their initial training in Indian Classical music with the Late. Ustad Siddique Ahmed Khansahab – an established Maestro of Sarangi and Vocals. They have also undergone rigorous training under the living legend of Sarangi Ustad Ghulam Sabir Khasahab through the traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara. Both are highly sought-after artists and have performed in respected festivals in India including the Taj Mahautsav (Agra), Kathak Mahautsav (Delhi), Jaipur Literature Festival, Delhi Youth Festival, World Sufi Spirit Festival (Jodhpur), Kala Ghoda Festival (Mumbai), and the Kumbh Festival amongst others. Their talent is also sought on foreign shores with performances in Paris, Istanbul, Senegal, Nairobi, Morocco, Germany, Switzerland, and Latin America under their belt.

Amaan Ali Khan is an Indian classical musician who plays the sarod. He is the eldest son and disciple of the Sarod Maestro and grandson of Haafiz Ali Khan. He belongs to the seventh generation in an unbroken chain of the Senia Bangash School. He was initiated by his father into the fine art of Sarod playing and gave his first public performance at age eight. Amaan’s musical style is marked by its precision in tunefulness, bold and resonant strokes, along with tradition and continuity of Indian Classical Music. Amaan’s performances have evoked creditable applause. Today, Amaan is considered one of the finest Sarod players in the world and has obtained a very special place for himself among music enthusiasts across continents. He is an inspiration for the younger generation of musicians. He continues to enchant audiences with his virtuosity, sheer brilliance and charismatic stage presence. Amaan has performed at numerous main stream venues in India and around the world. In October 2002, Amaan received the Provogue Society’s Young Acheivers Award for performing Arts. He was a recipient of the MTV’s Lycra Award for the Most Stylish person in Music in 2006. In 2007, he was honoured by the Mayor of the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma with the Keys to the City along with an Honorary Citizenship and the Bharat Shiromani Award for Instrumental music. He was also felicitated by the Swiss brand Raymond Weil for his achievements over the years at the launch of their new collection of timepieces titled Freelancer, in 2011. In 2014, Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash performed at the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, Norway on as well as the Nobel Peace Prize Concert along with the lineup of Queen Latifa, Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt and Laura Mvula. In addition to playing the Sarod, Amaan co-authored a book with Ayaan titled ‘Abba-God’s greatest gift to us’ on his father’s life in November 2002. Roli Books, Lustre Publications published the book as a part of their ‘Family Pride’ series. Amaan has also anchored Top Drive, the all new television series on Star World that was aired in January 2003 for five episodes. He also took part in the relay for the 2004 Athens Olympics in New Delhi in June 2004. In early 2010, he co-authored his second book with Ayaan called ‘50 Maestros 50 Recordings’ for Harper Collins and also released an album called “The Music Room” and ‘Sarod Symphony’ with his father and guru. In 2013, their project Headwaters released. The collaboration is with Malcolm Dalglish, a renowned Hammered Dulcimer player from the US. A project, with its interplay of ancient voices and images.

Dino Banjara is a Percussionist, Dancer and Artistic Director. he is son of the famous Kalbelia dancer Gulabo Sapera. He has founded two bands: Jaipur Beats and Gypsy Banjaraz.

About Partners

Alliance Française de Bombay Established in Mumbai in 1938, Alliance Française de Bombay is the only official French Language Learning and Cultural Centre recognised by the Embassy of France in India. The organisation is part of an international network and works under the umbrella of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an Indian board. Alliance Française de Bombay has evolved in sync with the geographical and cultural expansion of Maximum City and caters to over 6,000 students every year across its 5 centers. Collaborating closely with prestigious cultural institutions in Mumbai, Alliance Française de Bombay seeks to promote cultural exchanges between France and India. 2018 marked the 80th year of the organisation!

The French Institute in India (IFI) is the Education, Science and Culture service of the Embassy of France in India. It facilitates academic and scientific exchange between higher institutes of learning and research, enables student mobility, and promotes French language and artistic and cultural partnerships. Cooperation between India and France takes place through a number of sectors: Arts & Culture, Books & Ideas, French Language & Education, Study in France programme, Academic Partnerships, Science & Technology, as well as Innovation and Multimedia. To know more, visit www.ifindia.in

Royal Opera House, Mumbai is widely touted as Mumbai’s Cultural Crown Jewel and India’s only surviving Opera House. The original idea for the space was conceived of in 1908, inaugurated in 1911 by King George V, and eventually completed in 1916. The design incorporated a blend of European and Indian detailing. The space became a cinema in later years before falling into disrepair and shutting by the 1990s. Fittingly, the space has been owned by the Royal Family of Gondal since 1952 and was eventually restored by conservation architect, Abha Narain Lambah under the leadership of His Highness, Maharaja Shri Jyotendrasinhji of Gondal. The Royal Opera House Mumbai, now one of the last remaining Baroque structures in the city, reopened after 23 years in October 2016. The building was included on the 2012 World Monuments Watch to raise awareness about its history and significance, and support preservation efforts. The building has since been recognized with an Award of Merit in the 2017 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The restored facilities feature a 575-seater 3-level auditorium with an orchestra pit and state of the art technological upgradations, including acoustics, stagecraft, lighting and air-conditioning, alongside retaining the old-world charm of the proscenium stage, the royal boxes and the magnificent regal chandeliers. Some more enhancements to the venue include a motorized screen, co-axial ceiling speaker system, Four-zone volume control and all round wifi access. Today, it stands as a key performance and creative hub in the city’s cultural landscape, while being a premier heritage landmark. Facebook: MumbaiOpera Twitter: @MumbaiOpera Instagram: @mumbaiopera

Avid Learning, a public programming platform and cultural arm of the Essar Group, has conducted over 1150 programs and connected with more than 140,000 individuals since its inception in 2009. Driven by the belief that Learning Never Stops, AVID’s multiple formats like Workshops, Panel Discussions, Gallery Walkthroughs, and Festival Platforms create a dynamic and interactive atmosphere that stimulates intellectual and creative growth across the fields of Culture & Heritage, Literature, Art and Innovation. Facebook : www.facebook.com/Avidlearning; Twitter : www.twitter.com/Avidlearning; Instagram: @avidlearning