Browsing: Music

“New York is such a vibrant cultural city,” says Dr. L. Subramaniam, the master violinist. ” What I like most is that it’s receptive to all different kinds of music.” Indeed, that is the wonder of New York – the way it receives music from all over the world with open arms.

In fact, this is L. Subramaniam’s third concert here in a period of six months: the first was a global fusion concert at Lincoln Center, the second a collaboration with Stevie Wonder and now a classical concert at the Skirball Performing Arts Center on December 9. He will be sharing the stage with his wife, the noted playback singer Kavita Krishnamurti who will be presenting a new repertoire with some classics.

“Music is a vast ocean and no one can claim to know it all. The more you know, the more you realize how little you know. It is an eternal quest.”

-Dr. L. Subramaniam

Music lovers will get a chance to dip into the vast ocean of music with the free Lincoln Center Out of Doors concerts which run through August 12, and on August 8, enjoy a fusion concert with noted violinist L. Subramaniam and his family.

Padma Bhushan L. Subramaniam has had his work performed by the New York Philharmonic and other orchestras. In this fusion concert he will be performing with his wife Bollywood playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthi Suramaniam; Ambi Subramaniam, his violin-prodigy son; Bindu Subramaniam, his daughter; jazz fusion guitarist Larry Coryell; and Corky Siegel, the blues-fusion harmonica player

I caught up with L. Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurthi enjoying a dosa break at a press conference at Chennai Garden and discovered the plans for that rocking evening.

When Carlton Kitto was just a teenager many decades ago in Calcutta, he had a love, and its name was jazz. At first, it was an innocent attraction, but the notes kept calling him, taunting him. It became an obsession and soon the yearning was too great. He had to make a choice between staying back and fulfilling expectations, or leaving to chase jazz where it took him. Fifty years later he’s still playing for crowds in the new documentary that bears his name, “Finding Carlton: Uncovering the story of jazz in India.”
It will be screened at the U.N. on April 30 as part of Indian Mission’s programming for the first International Jazz Day.

Great news for Anoop Desai fans – they are going to get not one but three albums from him this year, as part of the Zero trilogy. Songs like ‘Worth the Wait’, ‘Want your Love’ and ‘OoWee’ can be downloaded for free – in fact the entire ‘Zero.O ‘ can be downloaded. The light-hearted ‘OoWee’ is just the right number to hear now – fun and very danceable, it makes you think of Spring. And Anoop is giving away the album – so here’s a chance to download it and also watch his new music video. Also learn how you can support the efforts of this independent artiste who does not have a big label behind him.

I interviewed Chandrika Tandon for The Wall Street Journal just before the Grammy Awards and asked her for her thoughts on the Prize.
“That’s not the way I think of my life; I don’t think of winning or losing. I think of the Grammys as a happening at a point in time. I’m not trying to use this as a stepping stone to something else. I live by the words of the mystic Kabir:

‘When ‘I’ was there, the Divine was missing.

When ‘I’ left, the Divine took over. ‘

So the quest is to lose myself and go with the flow.”

She spoke about her childhood, her passion for music and how the worlds of business and art intersect. You can read the full interview at The Wall Street Journal

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, the dynamic chairman of Tandon Capital Associates, who has done major restructuring surgeries in the global financial world, is executive-in-residence at New York University Stern, a member of the board of overseers of New York’s Stern School of Business, a member of the President’s Council of International Activities at Yale University, and an arts patron.
There’s more: she has the voice of an angel. ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ is the chant that will calm and strengthen you. Newsbreak: Soul Call has just been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category

Bollywood fans will be intrigued to know that their favorite hunk John Abraham is part of ‘Damaru’, Isheeta Ganguly’s new album – in a very different way than they usually envisage him. Rather than a Bollywood hero, his is the thoughtful, strong voice behind the words of “Bande Mataram” and the Tagore poem, “Where the Mind is Without Fear”.

“You know what it is with me – I’m all heart. I can’t do anything else. Everything I do, for every decision I make – of course I use my brain – but my heart kind of takes over, and I can’t fight it. So music was just something I couldn’t give up.” – Jay Sean

Ganesh Barriya is a young rag picker from the Ahmedabad slums who’s donned headphones in a recording studio to perform on Global Lingo, a cool CD which is featured on I-tunes. Indeed, for several children in the slums, be it in India or Nicaragua, this has become a real life scenario, thanks to Project Ahimsa which has opened up a whole new world of music education for them.

“We needed everything but my father said, ‘Thank you sir, by the grace of god I have everything – but please protect the sanctity of Raag Darbari.’ “

You never know with whom – or for whom – Suphala will be playing next! The wild haired beauty has played the tabla with artistes from Yoko Ono to Norah Jones, from Eddie Brickell to Timbaland.