Friday, November 1, 2013

The Meditative Music of Dhrupad Spans the Globe: Duet Vocal Concert -- Friday, November 22 at Meherabode

Concerts at Meherabode is delighted to join the Music Circle in co-producing a special concert featuring two Dhrupad singers (senior students of the celebrated Gundecha Brothers) and a pakhawaj (percussion) accompanist.  Branan Silvius Dubh, Inuoe Sou, and Dnyaneshwar Deshmukh will be making their debut U.S. tour.  The concert will be held at 8:00 PM, Friday, November 22, at Meherabode.

This announcement will be updated with more details very soon.
Below are bio-notes about the artists.
Australian-born Branan Silvius Dubh has studied Dhrupad singing for over 10 years with the Gundecha Brothers (who are both recipients of the coveted Padma Shri Award from the Government of India, and have dedicated their lives to teaching and perpetuating the Dhrupad tradition along with extensive, world-wide concertizing). Acclaimed as one of the finest Western exponents of this rich, sober, and spiritually-elevating style of singing, Branan is a recipient of an Ian Potter Cultural Trust award (an Australian grant for outstanding emerging artists) to further his studies in India   When not continuing his studies in India, he performs in both traditional and innovative contexts, and teaches music mainly from his home in Perth, Western Australia.

Japanese-born Inoue Sou began to study music when he was six years old.  The successor in a family lineage of traditional Shinto flute players, Sou began his study of Indian classical music on bansuri (Indian bamboo flute) in Japan.  Wishing to delve deeper into the mysteries of Alaap [meditative musical improvisation], he travelled to India in 2008 for full-time, 7-days-a-week study of Indian classical vocal music in the ancient Dhrupad style from the Gundecha Brothers at the their unique music school, Dhrupad Sansthan, located at the geographical heart of India in the countryside on the outskirts of the city of Bhopal -- the only traditional Dhrupad gurukul in India, where Sou continues to study.  Prior to coming to India, he trained in traditional Japanese shrine music (Kagura Ongaku) on flute and drums from Makino Saburo.  Sou has been performing in this genre since 1984, and has played in many shrine ceremonies in Japan.  As a soloist, he has performed since 1989 in Japan and other countries around the world.  Before coming to India, Sou studied Hindustani classical music on bansuri (Indian bamboo flute) from Mr. Nakagawa Hiros, a disciple of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, in Kobe, Japan, beginning in 2003.

India-born Dnyaneshwar Deshmukh has been a student of pakhawaj (Indian barrel-drum) for 12 years, and in 2009 began his study on that instrument with Pandit Akhilesh Gundecha at Dhrupad Sansthan in Bhopal.  He has also studied with Panduranga Appa Datar.  Dnyaneshwar has performed all over India in various major concerts and conferences both as a solo artist and as an accompanist.

See Branan's and Sou's YouTube links, or go to dhrupad.com/the-meditative-dhrupad-music-of-india-spans-the-globe for further information.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Vibrant Voice of the Soul: Sandip Ghosh in Concert Sunday, Oct. 6th



Please join us in welcoming Pandit Sandip Ghosh, the vocalist with the golden voice, together with accompanists Dayita Datta (vocal), Pt. Shashanka Bakshi (tabla), and Pankaj Mishra (tabla).  The musicians will regale us with Khayal (literally "imagination"), Thumri ("coloration"), Bhajan ("adoration"), and other traditional Indian forms of joyous, ornate, vocal astonishment.

      Date:  Sunday, October 6, 2013 
     Time:   3:00 p.m. 
   Venue:   Meherabode (Avatar Meher Baba Center)
Location: 1214 S. Van Ness Ave., LA, CA 90019

  • Suggested donation:  $15 (students $12, children free)
  • Second recital in our Autumn Concert Series
  • Prior to concert, starting at 1:30 p.m., an Organic Vegan Lunch will be served outdoors (under canopies, at no extra charge). Come early & join the music-lovers gathering for this convivial event. 
  • Email: Meherabode.concerts "at" gmail.com
Hope to see you at the event!
Yours in music,
David Raphael Israel

ps:  I'll post photos from last week's concert after a few days . . .

pps: prior to the Lunch, beginning at 11:30 AM, there is a regular Sunday meeting, which this week will be comprised of readings about the phase of Meher Baba's archetypal work known as the "NEW LIFE."  For more info on this and other programs at Meherabode, see:  NEW LIFE MONTH (October 2013 programs)

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Meherabode is located off Arlington Ave. (between Olympic Blvd. and Pico Blvd.)  From Arlington Ave., turn east onto 12th Street. (The big, black iron gate to Meherabode is at the end of one short block, on the left side of the street.) Just a 5-minute drive north from the Arlington Ave. exit off of Interstate Highway 10.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Three upcoming concerts at Meherabode!

Dear friends and well-wishers....

We are delighted to announce an upcoming autumn concert season of Indian classical music, to be held at Meherabode -- continuing our new initiative (begun this past spring) of opening the doors wide to music-lovers in the greater Los Angeles area, to share in the elevating & delightful artistry of notable exponents of classical & devotional music from India.

Here's a quick run-down of three upcoming concerts tacked down so far for this season.
All of these live-music events will be held at Meherabode.  The first two concerts are on Sunday afternoons.  The third concert is on a Friday evening.

Sunday, September 29th, beginning at 3:00 pm 
Hindustani (North Indian) vichitra vina artist Suman Laha
accompanied by Hindole Majumdar on tabla (hand-drums)

Suman Laha has developed his own distinctive version of a vina -- bearing close similarity to the traditional Indian vichitra vina, while also sharing some qualities with an American slide guitar. Suman, whom we esteem as one of Los Angeles' hidden musical treasures, is schooled and rooted in dhrupad-style vina music. His Meherabode concert will include both dhrupad-based and khayal-based instrumental expositions of Indian classical ragas. He will be joined by the vivacious Hindole Majumdar, who comes to us on tour from his native Kolkata.

Sunday, October 6th, beginning at 3:00 pm [time to be confirmed]
Hindustani (North Indian classical) vocal artist Pt. Sandip Ghosh
performing together with upcoming vocalist Dayita Datta
accompanied by Pankaj Mishra on sarangi
and by Pt. Shashanka Bakshi on tabla

A quartet of Kolkata artists will regale us with the ornate beauties of khayal [literally "imagination"] and other classical vocal-music forms. Sandip Ghosh is outstanding among India's current generation of Hindustani-music vocalists, gifted with a rich and melodious voice. In addition to khayal, he is also noted for his performance of Bhajan [devotionals], Nazrul Geeti [poet Nazrul's songs], Rabindra Sangeet [poet Tagore's songs], and Shyama Sangeet [traditional Bengali songs devoted to the divine Mother Kali]. Dayita Datta, Pankaj Mishra, and Shashanka Bakshi are all Kolkata-born artists who now spend a significant amount of time in Southern California. This concert brings them together with Dayita Datta's celebrated music-teacher, Sandip Ghosh.

Friday, November 22nd, beginning at 8:00 pm [time to be confirmed]
Dhrupad vocalists Branan Dubh and Inoue Sou
accompanied on pakhawaj (barrel-drum) by Dnyaneshwar Deshmukh
(Co-produced by Concerts at Meherabode and Music Circle)

Dhrupad is a deep and stately form of North Indian classical singing, regarded as the oldest extant style of classical vocal music in India. Vocalists Branan Dubh (Australia-born) and Inoue Sou (Japan-born) are advanced Dhrupad acolytes of the renowned Gundecha Brothers, both of whom have studied this rich, sober, arcane and spiritual vocal-musical tradition at Dhrupad Sansthan (the Gundecha Brothers' residential music-school in Bhopal, in the literal center of India) over a period of many years. Percussionist Dnyaneshwar Deshmukh is likewise an advanced student from Dhrupad Sansthan. This is the artists' debut U.S. tour, and we are delighted to co-present this duet-vocal recital in collaboration with the Music Circle [a distinguished LA-area presenting organization founded by the late Pt. Ravi Shankar and Harihar Rao in the early 1970s].

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Prior to each concert, a free lunch [yes there is such a thing] will be served to concert-goers who arrive early -- featuring an organic & vegan repast.

Further details about these concerts will be circulated (including on this blog) soon. This is simply a "save that date!" heads-up!

Looking forward to seeing many of you at these musical events in the upcoming season!

Namaste,
David

Monday, May 6, 2013

Coming Sunday June 2nd:
The Bewitching Hansa Vina performed by
Barun Kumar Pal
with Arup Chattopadhyay (Tabla)

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
The second event in our Spring Concert Series at MEHERABODE, an early evening concert, will feature two distinguished and wonderful maestros of North Indian classical music

Pandit Barun Kumar Pal playing Hansa Vina, with
Pandit Arup Chattopadhyay playing Tabla

Date:   Sunday, June 2, 2013
Time:   6:00 p.m.
Venue: Meherabode
Location: 1214 S. Van Ness Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019


Hansa Vina is a unique Indian slide guitar, with sympathetic strings.

Barun Kumar Pal studied North Indian classical music under tutelage of the late Pandit Ravi Shankar for many years.

[further background info about the two artists will be added to this announcement within the next day]




  • Suggested donation: $15 general admission ($12 for students; children 12 years of age or younger are admitted free of charge)
  • Advance / reserved tickets now available:  BARUN.bpt.me (at Brown Paper Tickets)
  • See also:  The Bewitching Hansa Vina (Facebook EVENT page)

  • Just prior to this concert, beginning at 5:00 p.m., an Organic Vegan Dinner will be served (free of charge) to all present. So come early!
    The dinner will feature organic millet [a nutritious whole grain], daal [spiced lentils], tofu and vegetables, and will also include a surprise contribution from "underground chef" Isaiah Frizzell)
  • Part of a Spring Concert Series co-produced by MEHERABODE and OTHER SHORE ARTS
    This is a new initiative, launched this year, aiming to produce exceptional concerts of Indian classical and devotional music at MEHERABODE for the enjoyment of LA-area music-lovers

  • Any questions can be addressed to me at:  Meherabode.concerts@gmail.com
Hope to see you at this special musical event!
Thanks!
David


LOCATION NOTE:  MEHERABODE (the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California) is located off Arlington Avenue, between Olympic Blvd. and Pico Blvd. From Highway 10, take the Arlington Avenue exit and head north on Arlington Avenue. After passing Venice Blvd. and Pico Blvd., turn east onto 12th Street (which is the first block north of Pico Boulevard, and is 2 blocks south of Olympic Boulevard). The big iron gate to MEHERABODE is at the end of a short block, on the left side of the street.

See also the location via Google Maps, HERE.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Mailing List! (email)

At our debut concert (April 21), I gathered several email addresses, to begin to put together a mailing list for this new concert series at Meherabode.  Those addresses will form the first nexus of our email list.
To be added to the list, you can simply send an email to:
meherabode.concerts 'at' gmail.com
with "Mailing List" (or words like that) in the subject line. 

You'll be added with gratitude!

Your humble servant,
d.i.  [aka David Raphael Israel]

Welcome to
CONCERTS AT MEHERABODE
(the blog)


Welcome to to this new blog, serving as a hub for information, feedback, networking, and communication relating to the new series of concerts happening at Meherabode (the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California, located at 1214 S. Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90019).  As future concerts are planned and confirmed, information about them will appear here.

In fact we have more concerts coming up in the first half of June.
Details will appear here within the next couple of days.

The first concert we produced at Meherabode featured the wonderful Indian classical vocalist Indrani Mukherjee, accompanied by Pankaj Mishra (sarangi) and Subhajyoti Guha (tabla), and was held (at 2:00 pm) in the afternoon of Sunday, April 21, 2013.
 
That concert is described in the Brown Paper Tickets [BPT] page devoted to the event, seen here:  Persuasions of Springtime (Indrani Mukherjee Concert). A delightful time was enjoyed by all.
 
Below are a few photographs from that premiere Indian classical music concert at Meherabode.




[photo courtesy of Robin Sukhadia]
 [photo courtesy of Robin Sukhadia]


 [The happy trio, outdoors at Meherabode] 




[photo courtesy of Robin Sukhadia]

Looking forward to more such events in upcoming days & moons!
Yours truly,
d.i.

p.s.: this blog is just being launched today.
I'll gradually be adding links, features, and details -- so kindly bear with me.