“A place where everyone expects and gets the highest quality performances of Indian classical music.” - BBC Radio 3

Darbar International South Asian Music Festival , 3-5 April 2009 Leicester, Gateshead, Nottingham, Dewsbury, Cobham and Birmingham – March 28 to April 12 2009 Festival Programme

Contents

We are delighted to welcome you to the Darbar Southbank Centre, London International Festival of South Asian Music 2009 Purcell Room Sessions at London’s Southbank Centre. Friday 3rd April 4 Saturday 4th April 6 Beyond the capital, the Festival also takes Sunday 5th April 8 place in Leicester, Cobham, Dewsbury, Nottingham, Gateshead and Birmingham – in Queen Elizabeth Hall all more than 30 concerts. Sunday 5th April 14

We are proud to say that outside of , the Hall, Surrey Festival – which brings together classical Tuesday 7th April 16 traditions from across the sub-continent – is the largest event of its kind and rides on the back of Across England widespread media and artistic acclaim. Darbar Festival across the country 18

Over three packed days, we invite you to explore Tickets India’s spectacular diversity of musical traditions Booking events at the Southbank Centre 22 from across the sub-continent: north Indian Booking Yehudi Menuhin Hall 16 Hindustani, south Indian carnatic, – Booking events across the country 18 India’s oldest form of music, and exhilarating collaborations bringing together music from across genres. Photographic Exhibition 12 Darbar Book 13 This year’s Festival brings over 50 artists Partners, Sponsors and Supporters 20 presenting 20 instruments including Dhrupadi Contact Darbar 21 rabaab originating from Afghanistan, Jori percussion from Punjab and saxophone from the world of blues and jazz. To receive information about Darbar events register on www.darbar.org.uk Discover new ragas specific to particular times of the day in morning, afternoon and evening concerts. Talk to the artists in the ‘Audience with…’ sessions and mingle with them outside of the concerts. Take a glance at our exhibition of world-class photography from previous Darbar festivals and enjoy the free events on the Southbank Centre.

Most of all come and experience some of the highest quality classical music heard in this country.

Finally, book early to get big savings!

Sandeep Singh Virdee Artistic Director Kulbir Singh Natt Director “One of the nicest things about the Darbar Festival is that every year one encounters something totally unexpected, something totally different and something brand new.” BBC Radio 3 2009 Festival Programme Friday Morning, Session 1 3rd April 2009 10.00am Purcell Room From £9 (as part of ‘Festival Pass’) up to £15 Southbank Harmeet Singh Virdee – Sitar Centre Bhupinder Singh Chaggar – Harmeet opens a three-day music fiesta with gentle morning ragas on sitar displaying serenity, vibrancy and beautifully composed improvisations.

Bhupinder comes from the Benares style of playing this ever-versatile instrument.

Harmeet Virdee

Rahul Sharma – Santoor Subhankar Banerjee – Tabla

Sit back and enjoy the sublime, meditative sounds of santoor played by the virtuoso talent of , son of the illustrious Shiv Kumar Sharma. Rahul, who has Box office: performed throughout Europe and USA, southbankcentre.co.uk is accompanied by Subhankar Banerjee, /darbar one of India’s finest tabla maestros. 0871 663 2500 ‘...sounds that sing, soar and soothe to Book more, pay less: create music as vibrant as a Himalayan Series discounts of hillside and equally exotic... Rahul Sharma, up to 40% take me away.’ Pulse (USA) Book early, pay less: Festival pass only £99! Rahul Sharma 2009 Festival Programme Afternoon, Session 2 Evening, Session 3 2.30pm 6.30pm From £9 (as part of ‘Festival Pass’) up to £15 From £15 (as part of ‘Festival Pass’) up to £25

Audience with Somjit Das Gupta – Exploring Somjit Dasgupta – Rabaab the heritage of the Dhrupadi rabaab Sukhwinder Singh (Pinky) – Jori

Somjit Das Gupta is not only one of the Sukhwinder Singh most gifted musicians playing the and Dhrupadi rabaab, but he has also a distinguished authority on Indian instruments. Somjit, who’s personal collection dates back some 300 years, shares his passion in an illustrated musical discussion.

Somjit Das Gupta

Somjit Das Gupta is one of few maestros playing Indian classical music on the Dhrupadi rabaab – a forerunner to the sarod – that originated hundreds of years ago from Afghanistan.

He is accompanied by Pinky on Jori from Punjab, a rarely heard percussion instrument resembling tabla.

Jesse Bannister – Saxophone – Carnatic vocal Anuradha Pal – Tabla Jyotsna Shrikanth – Violin – Mridangam Jesse Bannister effortlessly drifts between indo-jazz and ragas on saxophone. A talented musician and composer, Jessie is accompanied by world’s first female professional tabla player, Anuradha Pal, who’s been thrilling audiences since being hailed as a ‘child prodigy.’

“...a unique sound that will challenge the Aruna Sairam horizons of saxophone players for many decades.” Prepare yourself for a treat with spell binding singing from Aruna Sairam, in her first UK Jesse Bannister tour. Aruna’s concerts attract crowds that create “traffic jams around the auditorium.”

Accompanying her is the prestigious talent of Patri Satish Kumar and Jyotsna Shrikanth, a musician of dynamism and finesse.

“Best of all, there was the gifted South Indian singer Aruna Sairam, singing with a mesmerizing combination of sheer inventive abandon and virtuosic musical.” LA Times 2009 Festival Programme Saturday Morning, Session 4 4th April 2009 10.00am Purcell Room From £9 (as part of ‘Festival Pass’) up to £15 Southbank Sindhu & Indu Pathmabaskaran – Centre Carnatic Vocal Kiruthika Nadarajah – Violin Aravindhan Baheerathan – Flute Senthuran Premakumar – Mridangam Dharmesh Parmar – Tabla

Sindhu and Indu Pathmabaskaran lead a line-up of rising carnatic stars singing beautifully crafted melodies and dynamic invloving percussion.

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande – Hindustani Vocal Jyoti Goho – Harmonium Subhankar Bannerjee – Tabla

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande is one of the finest classical divas from the north Indian classical tradition. Her performances, always of exceptionally high quality, include silver-toned renditions of khayal and poetic bhajans. Box office: southbankcentre.co.uk Ashwini Bhide /darbar 0871 663 2500

Book more, pay less: Series discounts of up to 40%

Book early, pay less: Festival pass only £99!

“A truly awesome singer who mesmerised the audience in an enthralling performance.” The Hindu 2009 Festival Programme Afternoon, Session 5 Evening, Session 6 2.30pm 6.30pm From £9 (as part of ‘Festival Pass’) up to £15 From £15 (as part of ‘Festival Pass’) up to £25

Audience with Shashank Subramanium – Ustad Faiyaz – Dhrupad Vocal Exploring the heritage of carnatic flute Mohan Shyam Sharma – Pakhawaj

Shashank, widely considered to be one of Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar the leading Indian classical flautists, engages in a musical discussion about the one of the most celebrated musical instruments of India and a life steeped in musical accomplishments from a young age.

Shashank Subramanium

Transport yourself to the temples of ancient India with deeply devotional dhrupad. Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar represents the 20th generation of dhrupad singers within the Dagar family. Traditionally his family perform dhrupad as a duet, but Wasifuddin successfully presents the dynamic of a duet in a solo performance.

Ganesh & Kumaresh – Carnatic Violin Duet Pandit Tejendra Majumdar – Sarod R. N. Prakash – Ghatam (clay pot) Pandit Kumar Bose – Tabla Patri Satish Kumar – Mridangam Tejendra Majumdar Ganesh & Kumaresh

Tejendra Majumdar makes the sarod - the most majestic sounding of Indian instruments – sparkle. He plays with delicacy and Brothers Ganesh and Kumaresh, a unique emotional maturity to create a breathtakingly musical partnership, continue the carnatic beautiful sound. He is accompanied by theme with a violin concert of power, the larger than life Pandit Kumar Bose, precision and an incredible virtuosity. the torchbearer of the Benaras .

“…an incredible performance of unrivalled “…unquestionably one of the great sensitivity, expression and tonal quality.” maestros of the sarod.” Times of India L.A. Times 2009 Festival Programme Sunday Morning, Session 7 5th April 2009 10.00am Purcell Room From £9 (as part of ‘Festival Pass’) up to £15 Southbank Dr Vijay Rajput – Hindustani Vocal Centre Ustad Fida Hussain – Harmonium Manjeet Rasiya – Tabla

UK-based Dr Vijay Rajput, disciple of the illustrious north Indian vocalist Pandit , is one of Britain’s most talented classical vocalists. Here he presents poetic morning ragas to ease you into Sunday.

Dr Vijay Rajput

Purbayan Chatterjee – Sitar Shashank Subramanium – Carntic Flute Patri Satish Kumar – Mridangam Sukhwinder Singh (Pinky) – Tabla

Speed, virtuosity and mercurial invention combine to create a unique sound by world- class musicians from the two ends of India. Purbayan Chatterjee plays the sitar with a maturity beyond his years. Shashank, a child-prodigy of the south Indian flute, plays Box office: the instrument with an irresistible panache. southbankcentre.co.uk /darbar Purbayan Chatterjee 0871 663 2500

Book more, pay less: Series discounts of up to 40%

Book early, pay less: Festival pass only £99!

“The combination of the airy and the sinuously metallic is immediately arresting, and the players’ speed, virtuosity and mercurial invention are nothing short of astounding.” Daily Telegraph (UK) 2009 Festival Programme Afternoon, Session 8 Evening, Session 9 2.30pm 6.30pm From £9 (as part of ‘Festival Pass’) up to £15 From £15 (as part of ‘Festival Pass’) up to £25

Audience with Wasifuddin Dagar – Aniruddha Bhattacharya – Khayal Vocal Heritage of Dhrupad Jyoti Goho – Harmonium Bhupinder Singh Chaggar – Tabla Ustad F. Wasifuddin Dagar, who represents the 20th unbroken generation of dhrupad Aniruddha Bhattacharya singers in the Dagar family, is one the most eloquent speakers on the dhrupad music, its associations with the ancient temples of India and his own impressive family lineage.

Wasifuddin Dagar

Aniruddha Bhattacharya sings with an irresistible eloquence. Aniruddha, who is one of the strongest, most exuberant young voices in the world of north Indian classical music, begins the closing session Darbar Festival.

Pandit Kumar Bose – Tabla solo tribute to Pandit Kishen Maharaj Pandit Ramesh Mishra – Sarangi Rupak Kulkarni – North Indian Flute Anuradha Pal – Tabla Pandit Kumar Bose makes a welcome return to the Darbar Festival in a tribute concert to the legendary Pandit Kishen Rupak Kulkarni Maharaj who passed away last year. For those of you who missed his outstanding performance in the first Darbar Festival in 2006, this is one not to be missed.

Pandit Kumar Bose

Sit back and enjoy the sensual beauty of the Indian (Bansari) flute with Rupak Kulkarni, disciple of the world-renowned Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia. Rupak’s concerts are a treat, combining the elements of the ancient vocal Dhrupad and the more recent genre, “One of the ultimate tabla players of our Khayal. He is accompanied on stage by one of time, Kumar Bose.” the very few world-class female tabla players. Sense “Ragas are soliloquies and meditations, passionate melodies that draw circles and triangles in a mental space, a geometry of sounds that can turn a room into a fountain, a spring, a pool.” Octavio Paz 2009 Festival Programme

“When I close my eyes and begin to sing, there is only darkness... slowly, light comes, then the beginnings of colour.” Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar “fantastic imagery, candid back stage pictures by a world class photographer” Gurwinder, EastWestPhotography

Music and Artists in Images A Reportage photographic exhibition at Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer A unique photographic and video insight 3 – 5th April 2009 into Indian classical music, the artists and FREE ENTRY the Darbar Festival by Arnhel de Serra. 2009 Festival Programme Darbar International South Asian Music Festival

Reflections on the Darbar Festival and the state of Indian classical music in Britain in the early 21st Century written by musicians, Darbar people involved in the arts and music writers, with some fantastic high-quality photographs Arts Culture “a beautiful book that captures the true essence of Indian classical music in Heritage modern Britain” Rakesh Chaurasia, Flute maestro

“fond memories captured in words and pictures” Pandit Kumar Bose, Tabla maestro

“a real treasure” Purbayan Chatterjee, Sitar maestro

Book comes with a DVD of extended excerpts of concerts from the Darbar Festival 2008 broadcast on SkyArts television.

Hardback RRP:£30

Festival Price: £20

Publisher: Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Order your copy: [email protected] 2009 Festival Programme

Sunday 5th April 2009, 5.00pm £12 and £15 Queen Elizabeth Hall, (10% discounts for children Southbank Centre under 16 or students)

Box office: southbankcentre.co.uk 0871 663 2500

“She has the soul, the voice and the charisma, superb” Pt Shankar

Guest Artist Urban Love

Nina Virdee – Vocal Purbayan Chatterjee – Electric Sitar Hary Kumar Siva – Electric violin Giuliano Modarelli – Spanish guitar R.N. Prakash – Ghatam Sukhdeep Dhanjal – Tabla Harmeet Virdee – Music Arrangments

Nina Virdee – whose soulful voice effortlessly glides the airwaves – leads a line-up of stars to present a potent mixture of jazz, flamenco, western soul, ‘house’ dance and Indian classical to create cutting-edge music in the premier of her ‘Urban Love’ tour.

Purbayan Chatterjee, an outstanding musician, plays the electric sitar; Hary Kumar Siva plays with exuberance on the 7-string electric violin and Giuliano Modarelli adds guitar riffs with an Iberian flavour guitar. Sukhdeep Dhanjal and R.N. Prakash drive the percussive beat on tabla and ghatam, while Harmeet Virdee provides the groove with live electronic music. 2009 Festival Programme

First half performace: Percussion Duet: Tabla and Mridangam

Subhankar Banerjee and Patri Satish Kumar combine dynamic percussive rhythms from north and sound India.

Tablature!

Four tabla players. Four percussionists. Four composers. 30 years after the Blair-Peach Riots in Southall, Tablature! showcases the best that musicians from different cultures can do without the barriers of separation. In a project curated by one of Southall’s outstanding residents, Kuljit Bhamra has helped develop a new, universal system for writing music for the tabla. Hear the results with four new pieces fresh from the white heat of creative collaboration.

Tabla: Subhankar Banerjee, Sandeep Raval, Gurdain Rayatt, Dharmesh Parmar and Kuljit Bhamra.

Percussion: Adam Clifford, Scott Lumsdaine, Manny Arciniega and Daniel Bradley on percussion.

Composers: Jatanil Banerjee, Evangelia Rigaki, Roberto Rusconi and Luke Styles 2009 Festival Programme

Tuesday 7th April 2009 8.00pm The Yehudi Mehunin Hall Cobham, Surrey

Tickets £15

Box Office 08700 842020 boxoffice@ yehudimenuhinschool.co.uk www.menuhinhall.info

Address: Stoke d’Abernon Purbayan Chatterjee Cobham, Surrey KT11 3QQ Sitar Pandit Kumar Bose Tabla

A rare opportunity to hear two of the finest Indian classical musicians without a sound system.

Purbayan Chatterjee, who began performing at the age of five and already has an international career of more than 25 years. Recognised as one of the great young exponents of sitar, he displays an inventiveness that has established him among the elite musicians playing this evocative instrument, made famous by the collaborations between Pandit and Yehudi Menuhin.

Accompanying Purbayan is Pandit Kumar Purbayan Chatterjee Bose, who played with Pandit Ravi Shankar during the seventies and also worked with orchestral compositions conducted by Yehudi Menuhin. Today, he is one of the world’s most sought after tabla players.

Pandit Kumar Bose 2009 Festival Programme

Shivir A call to musicians...... and aspiring musicians

Every year artists taking part in the Darbar Festival take part in the Darbar Shivir where they teach UK based musicians to the highest level.

The Shivir residential retreat is an intense learning experience for the most promising UK based musicians and teachers.

During the Shivir, maestros from the 2009 Festival will be teaching a unique oral musical heritage that has been passed down through many generations of musical families.

Potential applicants will be assessed before they are accepted. Darbar Shivir

Ustad who led the Sitar Shivir 6 – 8 April 2009 in 2007 said: “Shivir’s are much more than Yehudi Menuhin School summer schools or workshops. They provide Cobham, Surrey a greater capacity for teaching. I can teach a whole piece which will be with them for their To fully benefit from the Shivir, potential whole life.” applicants are encouraged to attend the retreat as a residential student. Debipriya Das, from the Tarang group of young musicians, said the experience “has Teachers and disciplines: been awesome. All the students are of a very • Pandit Kumar Bose – Tabla high standard, and this has created a • Tejendra Majumdar - Sarod challenging atmosphere of learning.” • Subhankar Banerjee - Tabla • Purbayan Chatterjee – Sitar • Ashwini Bhide – Vocal • Shashank Subramanium – Carnatic Flute

If you are interested to find out more please email Darbar’s Artistic Director, Sandeep Virdee on [email protected] 2009 Festival Programme

Gateshead The Sage Rahul Sharma Ganesh & Kumaresh 1st April Darbar & Gem Arts www.thesagegateshead.org

Dewsbury Town Hall Aruna Sairam 28th March Darbar, Kala Sangam & Manasamitra 01924 324 501

Nottingham New Art Exchange Rupak Kulkarni 1st April Darbar & New Art Exchange 01159 248 630 Darbar International South Asian Leicester Music Festival 2009 Curve Darbar 2-day Festival 11-12th April 2009 www.curveonline.co.uk Birmingham Niskham Centre Jesse Bannister London 1st April Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Darbar & Sampad Aruna Sairam workshops www.birminghamboxoffice.com 30th March – 2nd April Darbar & Vani Fine Arts 020 7386 0924 Harrow London Harrow School Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Tamil Concert Anuradha Pal 29th March 29th March Darbar & Ratnam Foundation Darbar, Bharatiya 07956 541 844 Vidya Bhavan & Chakardar 020 7386 0924 London Cobham Southbank Centre Yehudi Menuhin Hall Darbar 3-day Festival Purbayan Chatterjee/Kumar Bose 3rd-5th April 7th April www.southbankcentre.co.uk Key Darbar Darbar Festival 08700 842 020 Workshop Other events Cobham Yehudi Menuhin School Darbar Shivir Music Retreat 6-8th April [email protected] 2009 Festival Programme

Don’t miss a beat... To receive information about Darbar events register on www.darbar.org.uk 2009 Festival Programme

Special Thanks

Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust is a charity that relies on the support, goodwill and generosity of many funding bodies, organisations, companies and individuals.

Without their continued support the quality and diversity of the Darbar Festival would not be possible. The Darbar team would like to pay a special thanks for their contributions: Funders Partners

The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Sponsors

Media Partners

Photographers

Arnhel De Serra Jonathan Worth James Nader Ratnam Foundation Julian Dyson Kajal Nisha Patel Kalapremi Rajen Mistry Sandeep Virdee Sense World Music 2009 Festival Programme

If you wish to become involved in the work of Darbar, email [email protected]

Supporters & Volunteers

Christoph Bracher Prasad Debipriya Das Parminder Chadha Dharam Varia Prantik Gupta Dharambir Singh Pritpal Nijjar Dharmesh Parmar Priya Prakash Gunwant Kaur Randeep Lall Harmeet Singh Virdee Ranjana Ghatak Kishor Ravat Suzana Serbic Manjit Rasiya Contact

Darbar Arts Culture Heritage 264-266 Leicester Road Leicester LE18 1HQ

Telephone +44 (0) 1162 987 387

Fax +44 (0) 1162 987 487

Email [email protected]

Website www.darbar.org.uk

Facebook Darbar Arts Culture Heritage

YouTube www.youtube.com/darbarfestival

Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/darbar

To receive information about Darbar events register on www.darbar.org.uk 2009 Festival Programme Booking Information Darbar Festival – Purcell Room, Southbank Centre 3rd to 5th April 2009 From 7th Up to 6th March – March Early Bird Prices Friday 3rd April Session 1 Harmeet Virdee (sitar) £15 £12 10am – 1.30pm Rahul Sharma (santoor) Session 2 Audience with Somjit Das Gupta £15 £12 2.30pm – 5.30pm Jesse Bannister (saxophone) Session 3 Somjit Das Gupta (rabaab) £25 £20 6.30pm – 10.30pm Aruna Sairam (carnatic vocal)

Saturday 4th April Session 4 UK artists carnatic performance £15 £12 10am – 1.30pm Ashwini Bhide (khayal vocal) Session 5 Audience with Shashank Subramanium £15 £12 2.30pm – 5.30pm Ganesh & Kumaresh (carnatic violin) Session 6 Wasifuddin Dagar (dhrupad vocal) £25 £20 6.30pm – 10.30pm Pandit Tejendra Majumdar (sarod)

Sunday 5th April Session 7 Dr Vijay Rajput (khayal vocal) £15 £12 10am – 1.30pm Purbayan & Shashank (sitar & carnatic flute) Session 8 Audience with Wasifuddin Dagar £15 £12 2.30pm – 5.30pm Rupak Kulkarni (flute) Session 9 Aniruddha Bhattacharya (khayal vocal) £25 £20 6.30pm – 10.30pm Pandit Kumar Bose (tabla solo)

Cost of 9 sessions if each session is booked as a separate transaction £165 £132

Book More, Book Early, Pay Less – Festival Pass £99! Make big savings by booking early to obtain early bird discounts and booking multiple sessions in a single transaction. Book all 9 sessions (Festival pass) before 6th March and see all 18 events for just £99! – a massive saving of 40% off the full price of £165. From 7th March Up to 6th March

Book 3-5 sessions in a single transaction Saving 10% Saving 20% Book 6-8 sessions in a single transaction Saving 13% Saving 25% Book all 9 sessions in a single Saving 24% so that Saving 40% so that transaction to buy the Festival pass a Festival pass costs a Festival pass costs £125 £99!

Booking the 4 sessions (3, 4, 5 & 7) with carnatic artists This booking can be made in 3 ways.

4 separate transactions from 7th March £70 1 x £25 plus 3 x £15 A single transaction from 7th March £63 Saving 10% A single transaction up to 6th March £56 Saving 20% 2009 Festival Programme

Go for a Gold Festival Pass!

An exclusive offer for music fans and connoisseurs. For £2501 you get:

• Premier seats in the front 3 rows with artists and VIP guests throughout the Festival.

• An invite to the Pre-Festival dinner with the artists and opening of the Darbar Photographic exhibition on 2nd April 2009.

• An Indian dinner with the artists on Friday and Saturday night after the concerts at a Five-Star hotel.

• Two photographs taken by a professional photographer with artists of your choice from this year’s Festival.

• A signed copy of the newly published book on Indian Classical Music by the 10 artists who are featured in the book and attending this year’s Festival.

Please note that the Gold Pass can only be booked by phone. Booking tickets for Southbank concerts

Online: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/darbar

By Phone: 0871 663 2500 (9am - 8pm each day)

In Person: Royal Festival Hall Box Office, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX How do I get to Southbank Centre?

By Tube: Embankment or Waterloo stations.

By Rail: Waterloo, Waterloo East or Charing Cross.

By Bus: Bus numbers 1, 4, 59, 68, 75, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 243, 341, 521, RV1 X68 stop on Waterloo Bridge.

Car: SatNav postcode: SE1 8XX. Access to Southbank Centre car parks is from Belvedere Road. Open from 7am to 1am.

Disclaimer: Information in this brochure is correct at the time of 1. £250 if you book before 6th March 2009. going to print. Darbar cannot be held responsible for unforeseen The price price after 7th circumstances that may result in changes to published programme. March 2009 is £300.