Ragamala World Music 2017 Program Book
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RAGAMALA 2017: WELCOME SCHEDULE Ragamala 2017 A CELEBRATION OF INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC + DANCE For the 5th year, spanning 15 hours and featuring dozens of performers, Ragamala offers a FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Presented in collaboration with Kalapriya Foundation, Center for Indian Performing Arts jaw-dropping assortment of Indian classical music from some of its greatest and emerging Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music + Dance A CELEBRATION OF INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC + DANCE practitioners. Ragamala functions as the perfect, immersive introduction to the classical music Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 of India. Not only are both the music of the north (Hindustani) and the south (Carnatic) + Millennium Park, Great Lawn FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 - 6:30PM-10AM Chicago Cultural Center represented, but listeners will also get the rare chance to hear ragas performed at the time of 78 E. Washington Street, 3rd Floor Preston Bradley Hall, 3rd Floor day they were originally composed for—a facet of the tradition lost in the west. 6:30pm-10am 78 E Washington Street Presented in collaboration with Kalapriya Foundation, Center for Indian Performing Arts 6:30pm-6:30am The word “raga” has a Sanskrit origin, meaning "coloring or dyeing". The term also connotes an Evolution of Songs from Indian Films: 1930-2017 emotional state referring to a "feeling, affection, desire, interest, joy or delight", particularly 6:30-7:30pm SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 related to passion, love, or sympathy for a subject or something. In the context of ancient Anjali Ray, vocals with Rishi Thakkar, tabla and Anis Chandnani, harmonium Yoga + Gong Meditation Indian music it is often devotional and used as a prayer. The term refers to a harmonious note, (Sunset at 7:12pm) Millennium Park, Great Lawn melody, formula, and building block of music available to a musician to create a heightened 201 E. Randolph Street sensory experience for the listener. 8am-10am The stories of “Ahimsa: Non-Violence” 7:50-8:50pm 2017 is a special year for India as they celebrate 70 years since they won freedom from the Priya Venkataraman & Troupe Bharat Symphony - 70th Anniversary of India’s Independence British on August 15, 1947. To commemorate this milestone and the rich musical tapestry of Dance Choreography & Direction: Priya Venkataraman Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion India, DCASE has commissioned legendary Carnatic violinist, L. Subramaniam, to score and Dance Performance: Priya Venkataraman & Kalapriya Dance Academy 201 E. Randolph Street perform the Bharat Symphony with some of India’s greatest artists, Kavita Krishnamurti Subra- Music Composition & Vocals: Shiv Subramaniam 3pm maniam, Debashish Bhattacharya, Tanmoy Bose, and the Elmhurst Philharmonic Orchestra and Violin: Sruti Sarathy World Premiere Work Commissioned for World Music Festival Chicago 2017 Elmhurst Community Choir conducted by Joanne May. Mridangam: Ravi Subramaniam Nattuvangam: Ahila Devi Vigneswaran In addition, DCASE has commissioned the Kalapriya Center for Indian Performing Arts to premiere two dance productions to address the increasing need for non-violence and compas- Rhythms of India sion in Chicago, our nation and globally. “Ahimsa” and “Sanctuaries” featuring bharatanatyam 9:10-10:25pm dancers, Priya Venkataraman and Mythili Prakash, in their respective performances, dramatize Anindo Chatterjee, tabla with Anubrata Chatterjee, tabla and Rohan Misra, sarangi these on-going global challenges and highlight Chicago’s commitment to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of Chicago as we experience the stories, the cultures, that celebrate Chicago’s Sanctuaries status as a sanctuary city. 10:45-11:45pm Dance Choreography + Performance: Mythili Prakash Ragamala and World Music Festival Chicago 2017 reaffirm the city’s commitment to welcome Music Composition and Vocals: Aditya Prakash everyone. One Chicago serves as the visual depiction of Chicago’s value promise that everyone Nattuvangam: Kasi Aysola is welcome in this city no matter their race, religion, background or sexual orientation. Chicago Mridangam and Kanjira: Rajna Swaminathan is a city of immigrants and that diversity is what makes us great. And no matter the road you Violin: Shiva Ramamurthi travel to get here, Chicago will always be a welcoming city to all. Jugalbandi We sincerely hope you enjoy the fifth edition of Ragamala and your travels to World Music 12-1:30am Festival Chicago 2017! Alam Khan, sarode with Ambi Subramaniam, violin with Salar Nader, tabla and Mahesh Krishnamurthy, mridangam Hindustani - Santoor + Tabla from North India 1:50-3:05am Satish Vyas, santoor with Anindo Chatterjee, tabla Music from Abhang & Carnatic Traditions 3:25am-4:40am Shiv Subramaniam, vocals, Sruti Sarathy, violin, Arjun Ramachandran, mridangam Jugalbandi 5-6:10am Roopa Panesar, sitar with Prishanna Thevarajah, mridangam and Nitin Mitta, tabla DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPECIAL EVENTS CITY OF CHICAGO, MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL Suprabhatham Also featured is Rajna Swaminathan, who performed in last year’s Ragamala with her sister and singing, all caressed with instrumental flourishes borrowed from India. As Cory Frye of Indie such as the violin into Indian traditions; finally, the last movement will embrace the modern devel- Awakening the Gods violinist, Anjna Swaminathan. A protege of mridangam legend, Umayalpuram Sivaraman, she is Music Reviews has written, “The Indian factor makes this one all it can be, I can imagine a opments that have arisen in the wake of independence. Joining Subramaniam is an all-star cast 6:15-6:30am one of only a handful of female mridangam artists in the world. As a composer, Rajna leads the bonfire burning with Indian drummers sitting around in a circle with Anjali singing in the round. including the acclaimed Bollywood singer Kavita Krishnamurti—who is also fluent in classical Choir comprised of Conductors from Chicago Children’s Choir ensemble RAJAS, a project that brings together musicians from Indian classical and jazz It’s a masterstroke, simply mind blowing in every way.” But there’s more to Ray’s music than pop. traditions--master percussionists Tanmoy Bose, Radhakrishnan Narayanaswamy, and Mahesh Conducted by Ahila Devi Vigneswaran backgrounds to collectively explore new textural and improvisational horizons. She currently Tonight she’ll be sharing her mastery of Indian classical music, but remaining true to her own Krishnamurthy, slide guitar pioneer Debashish Bhattacharya, and the composer’s own daughter (Sunrise at 6:25am) pursuing a PhD in Music at Harvard University. creative impulses, she allows some of her more mainstream tendencies to seep into her work, Bindu, an accomplished singer. For the Chicago performance the elite soloists will be joined by the offering listeners an ideal and inviting pathway to experience the rigor and splendor of Hindu- Elmhurst College and Community Philharmonic Orchestra. Yoga + Gong Meditation at Millennium Park, Great Lawn stani tradition. Her program will evoke the tradition by using the lens of Bollywood films, recast- Zen Yoga Garage + GongLab ing those indelible, infectious melodies in a sparse setting where she’s joined only by tabla 8am-10am player Rishi Thakkar and harmonium player Anis Chandnani. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Bharat Symphony - 70th Anniversary of India’s Independence Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion 201 E. Randolph Street 3pm Alam Khan and Ambi Subramaniam with Salar Nader and Mahesh Krishnamurthy ALL AGES Young sarod master Alam Khan is the son of the legendary Ali Akbar Khan, who not only popular- Elmhurst College Philharmonic Orchestra and Elmhurst Community Singers World Premiere Work Commissioned for World Music Festival Chicago 2017 ized the traditional 25-stringed fretless instrument, but also belongs in the same class as Ravi The Elmhurst College Philharmonic Orchestra held its first annual World Music Festival in 2011 at Shankar for his role in introducing the glorious beauty and complexity of Indian classical music to the encouragement of guest lecturer Srini Krishnan, Headmaster of the School of Music in FEATURING: the western world. He studied under his father and as a teenager he regularly performed with him Anindo Chatterjee with Anubrata Chatterjee Chennai, India that was founded by A.R. Rahman, composer of Slum Dog Millionaire. That festival Dr. Lakshminarayana Subramaniam onstage across the US, Europe, and India. He has expanded his approach beyond traditional Anindo Chatterjee, a student of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh, is one of Indian classical music’s was such a great success that it subsequently became a regular event on campus, transforming Ambi Subramaniam sounds in collaborations with artists as diverse as the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bob Weir of the Grate- greatest tabla players. During his career he’s performed with many of the tradition’s greatest into a series in 2013 with multiple events throughout the academic year. Featured programs have Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam ful Dead, and film composer Michael Andrews. Ambi Subramaniam is also a scion of Indian instrumentalists including Imrat Khan, Ravi Shankar, Shahid Parvez, Manilal Nag, Amjad Ali included “Global Rhythms–Music of India,”“Olé! The Musical Influence of Spain,”“RUSSIA!” “The Bindu Subramaniam classical music royalty; his father is the brilliant violinist L. Subramaniam, with whom he began his Khan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Shivkumar Sharma, among others. In 2009