ensemble

Composer, trumpeter, santur player, and vocalist Amir ElSaffar has been described as “uniquely poised to reconcile jazz and Arabic music,” (the Wire) and “one of the most promising figures in jazz today” (Chicago Tribune). A recipient of the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award and a 2018 US Artist Fellow, ElSaffar is an expert trumpeter with a classical background, conversant not only in the language of contemporary jazz, but has created techniques to play microtones and ornaments idiomatic to Arabic music that are not typically heard on the trumpet. Additionally, he is a purveyor of the centuries old, now endangered, Iraqi maqam tradition, which he performs actively as a vocalist and santur player. As a composer, ElSaffar has used the subtle microtones found in Iraqi maqam music to create an innovative approach to harmony and melody, and has received commissions to compose for large and small jazz ensembles, traditional Middle Eastern ensembles, chamber orchestras, string quartets, and contemporary music ensembles, as well as dance troupes.

Arun Ramamurthy artistic director, violin

Arun Ramamurthy is a versatile violinist, composer and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. A disciple of the celebrated Carnatic violinist brothers, Dr. Mysore Manjunath & Sri Mysore Nagaraj, Arun has carved a niche for himself as a multifaceted artist, performing internationally in both traditional Carnatic and Hindustani settings as well as cross genre creative projects. He has performed with master musicians from around the world like Dr. Balamurali Krishna, Smt. Sudha Raghunathan, Ud. Mashkoor Ali Khan, Reggie Workman, Kenny Werner, Jamey Haddad, Adam Rudolph, Hamid Drake, Marc Cary and more. He leads the Arun Ramamurthy Trio, an ensemble creating original work and bringing a fresh approach to age-old South Indian classical repertoire. Arun is the recipient of the New Jazz Works Commission from Chamber Music America in 2019. He is a co-founder and active musician and curator for Brooklyn Raga Massive, the popular raga-inspired artist collective. He also created the concert series Carnatic Sundays at Cornelia Street Café, an iconic jazz venue in New York’s West Village.

Abhik Mukherjee sitar

Abhik Mukherjee is a Kolkata-born sitar player of the Etawah-Imdadkhani gharana. He was initiated to sitar at the age of six by his father, Sri Tarit Mukherjee, and Sri Bimal Chatterjee while simultaneously receiving vocal instruction from Sri Kaylan Bose. He has since taken talim, or training, from Pandit Arvind Parikh and Pandit Kashinath Mukherjee, themselves disciples of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan. He is a gold medalist in musicology from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, and has also received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, India.

Amina Ahmed visuals

Amina Ahmed was born in East Africa and is a Kutchi Turk Indian. She grew up in England and has lived in Iran and the USA. Ahmed is a graduate of Winchester School of Art and the Chelsea School of Art. She received her MFA from the Royal College of Art (1991), where she specialized in Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts and was awarded the Barakat Trust prize for excellence. A visual artist, educator and activist, Ahmed is a board member for the Muslim Women’s institute for Research and Development, and Advisory board for Zanbeel Arts and Twelve Gates Gallery and Women’s Voices Now. Her projects are inspired by her interests in human rights and coalition-building. She has worked with several non-profit art institutions in the US and UK. Her work has been exhibited in the USA South Asia and Europe, Ahmed is a former studio member of the EFA NYC and is currently a Studio Resident at Mana Contemporary NJ. She lives in NJ.

Dena ElSaffar viola, violin, kemanche, joza

Dena El Saffar, of Iraqi and American heritage, was exposed to Arabic music in the suburbs of Chicago, where she grew up attending Iraqi gatherings with her family. She began learning the violin at the age of six. At age 17, completely engaged in classical music, she accompanied her father to Baghdad and became enchanted by the music of Iraq and the Middle East. In 1993, while obtaining a classical music degree from Indiana University, she founded the group Salaam, a Middle Eastern music ensemble that has performed throughout the United States. She has studied with Hamid Al-Saadi, Munis Sharifov, Mohammed Gomar and Anwar Abudragh, and has performed with the master Musicians of Jajouka and Youssou N?dour. Dena, who plays the viola, violin, joza and kemanche, has also performed with Central Eurasian ensembles, salsa groups, bluegrass, blues and rock bands.

Firas Zreik qanun

Firas Zreik received a full-scholarship from the prestigious Berklee College of Music where he studied for five years, graduating with two bachelor degrees in Performance & Jazz Composition with high distinction. Firas has recorded & performed with master musicians and artists from all over the world, including Roger Waters, Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Goshal, Simon Shaheen, Bassam Saba, Amal Murkus, Fabrizio Cassol, Amir Al-Saffar, Aynur Dogan, Raghu Dixit, Marwan Khoury, Abeer Nehmeh and many more.

In addition, he performed all over the United States, Europe & the Middle East, both as a Kanun player and as a musical director in some of the most prestigious venues and festivals such as Boston Symphony Hall, Lincoln Center-NY, Carthage International Festival – Tunisia, Savannah Music Festival, Institut de Mont Arabe – Paris, Teatro Mediterraneo – Napoli, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Smithsonian Museum – Washington DC, Palais des Congrès – Belgium, Berklee Performnce Center, The Jazz Gallery – NY & many more. His mother, Amal Murkus is a leading Palestinian singer of international renown. Firas is the musical director of her band, he also recorded on her latest album, in addition to writing and composing many of her recent songs. The two have toured together in Europe, USA & the Middle East and are currently working on new albums.

George Ziadeh oud

George Ziadeh was born and raised in Birzeit, Palestine, and pursued music from a young age. In 1986 he moved to the United States, where he studied ‘oud with Simon Shaheen and classical singing and voice with Youssef Kassab, with whom he has toured extensively across the country. George has performed and lectured with such ensembles and institutions as the University of Chicago’s Middle East Music Ensemble with Issa Boulos, the University of Colorado (Boulder), Alwan for the Arts, the United Nations (invited by Kofi Annan), and annually at the Columbia University Department of Ethnomusicology. In 2008, George was a featured solo and ensemble performer in the “Brooklyn Maqam” Festival of Arab Music. From 1995 to 1997 George taught at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Ramallah and at Birzeit University. George is considered an authority in maqam and Arab classical repertoire.

Hamid Al Saadi vocals

Hamid Al-Saadi is one of the last living masters of the Baghdadi maqam, a repertoire developed for centuries along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. He is in the United States through the assistance of the Artists Protection Fund of the Mellon Foundation. Presented with support from Aramco. "Maqam goes back to old Mesopotamia, which connects all of us," Al-Saadi has said. "This civilization is the root of modern Western culture."

Jay Gandhi bansuri

Jay Gandhi’s music has been shaped by years of intensive training under the legendary bansuri maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, and is reflective of the artist’s devotion to his guru and a diverse range of musical influences. Gandhi initially trained in vocal music under Smt. Kum Kum Sanyal and later bansuri under Pt. Ronu Majumdar and Pt. Raghunath Seth. In 2004 he completed an Individual Major in Jazz Performance at Oberlin College/Conservatory of Music (Ohio), studying privately under such jazz luminaries as the saxophonist Gary Bartz and the trumpeter Marcus Belgrave.

Nitin Mitta tabla

Nitin Mitta is one of the most sought after tabla players in the music world and has quickly established a reputation as an artist with a rare combination of technical virtuosity, spontaneity, clarity of tone, and sensitivity to melodic nuance. He is an acclaimed accompanist who has performed with some of India’s most celebrated musicians including Pandit Jasraj, Pandits Rajan and Sajan Mishra, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Ustad Nishat Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez and Pandit Nayan Ghosh. He has also made a mark as a versatile musician in other spheres, his most recent collaboration with 2010 Grammy Nominee Vijay Iyer and Guitarist Prasanna on their new Album titled "Tirtha".

Mari Tanaka tanpura

Born in Kyushu, Japan, Mari Tanaka was raised in Shinto and Japanese Zen philosophy. After a near-death experience, Mari explored ancient techniques for her own self-healing and began studies of energy work in earnest. She is a practitioner of meditation, fascinated by the nexus of mind, body and spirit. Mari also explores the potential of sound — using the Indian classical drone instruments, the tanpura and shrutibox, to create sonic spaces for for meditation and journeying as well as wide range of music including, raga, jazz, ambient and orchestral projects. From Lincoln Center to Carnegie Hall, she has shared the stage with notable musicians like Reggie Workman, Amir El Saffar, Brandee Yonger, Andy Statman, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Adam Rudolph, Charles Burnham, Marc Cary, Eric Whitacre, Jay Gandhi, Steve Gorn, and Brooklyn Raga Massive.

Naseem Alatrash cello

Naseem Alatrash is a globally acclaimed Palestinian cellist and a classically trained musician and improviser in diverse styles. Following his studies at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Ramallah, Naseem was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music. He is a two time recipient of the "string player of the year" from the National Competition of Palestine. Later he received his Masters degree in Cello performance at the Global Jazz Institute at Berklee College of Music. At Berklee he studied with Grammy winning pianist Danilo Perez, oudist/violinist Simon Shaheen, Cellist Eugene Friesen, Cellist Owen Young of the Boston Symphony and Violinist/Bassist Rob Thomas. A soloist, recording musician, chamber musician, composer and teacher, Naseem continues his global performance career. Naseem has been featured at Newport Jazz Festival, The Dominican Republic Jazz Festival, Abu Dhabi Music Festival, Lebanon’s Zouk Mikael International Festival, The Nancy Jazz Festival, Lebanon’s Beit Aldeen Festival, Jerash Festival, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center.

Roopa Mahadevan vocals

Roopa Mahadevan is known for her powerful and emotive voice. At home in many eras and styles, Roopa Mahadevan is versatile among Carnatic (South Indian classical) performers, bringing the art form and her explorations in genre, text, and theater to audiences in the U.S. India, and South Asian diaspora. Based in New York City, Roopa frequently collaborates with artists in jazz, creative/improvised music, and R&B/soul genres and has her own crossover ensemble Roopa In Flux. Roopa also directs the innovative Carnatic choir Navatman Music Collective and is an active member of Brooklyn Raga Massive. Through her creative endeavors, Roopa is driven by an instinct to find joy, build community, and celebrate difference.

Tim Moore percussion

Tim Moore grew up in the Midwest, and began playing drums at the age of 11. A natural percussionist, he began performing with different groups early on, gaining experience in a variety of genres including jazz, blues, salsa and rock. After earning a computer science degree from Indiana University in 1989, he worked on the East and West Coasts as a computer programmer, but in 1993 he left that world in order to devote himself to music. In his quest to become a better, more diverse musician, he began learning rhythms and instruments from around the world, eventually bringing his focus to Middle Eastern percussion. He has studied Arabic percussion with Wessam Ayoub, Sattar Al Saadi, Lateef Al ‘Abeedi, N. Scott Robinson, and Mohammed Khalil Salih. Tim plays the dumbek, riqq, naqqarat, bendir, tabl and zanbur, as well as drum set, bass and guitar. Tim is married to Dena El Saffar, and enjoys spending his free time with their two children, Jamil and Layla.

Trina Basu violin

Violinist Trina Basu is an improviser and educator living in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Miami, Fl, Trina grew up in learning Western Classical music, playing in orchestras and attending arts magnet schools. She later studied jazz, traveled to India to learn Carnatic classical music and has sat in on numerous folk jam sessions. Being of mixed heritage, Trina's musical interests reaching beyond her Western classical roots, was inevitable. Her unconventional path as a violinist is largely influenced by her South Asian and North American roots, identity as a mixed-race woman and her experiences working with creative musicians practicing across multiple genres and disciplines. Trina co-leads raga chamber folk ensemble Karavika, who have two self-released albums, titled Sunrise and Of Earth and Sky. They have been praised by All About Jazz as "a liquid and organic brew that sounds inevitable, as if it's existed forever."

Zafer Tawil oud, percussion

Jerusalem-born Zafer Tawil is an accomplished Palestinian musician whose areas of expertise include the oud, violin, qanun, and Arab percussion. Zafer performs across the US and in the Middle East and holds workshops in oud technique and Arabic music theory. He was part of the Spirit of Fez U.S. Tour 2006 and has performed with some of the most celebrated world music artists, including violinist and oud master Simon Shaheen and Rai singer Cheb Mami. Zafer is continuously exploring the boundaries of Arab music, and has worked collaboratively on many concerts involving classical Indian and Persian music, as well as Jazz fusion. You can catch Zafer playing one of his many instruments at extravagant private celebrations near his Brooklyn neighborhood, and at cultural centers such as Alwan for the Arts in Manhattan.

David Ellenbogen co-producer

David Ellenbogen is a prolific musician, producer and radio host in New York City. He is known as the founder and Executive Producer of the Ragas Live Festival an annual 24 Hour/24 Set experience featuring over 80 musicians; a radio host at WKCR 89.9 FM-NY, and as a guitarist and artistic director of the popular Brooklyn Raga Massive artists collective. Over 200 hours of interviews and concerts that David has produced are archived at his podcast NYC Radio Live, which has featured artists from over 40 countries. As a curator, David has produced events from the Newport Jazz Festivals to Lincoln Center and has worked as consultant for the likes of Airbnb and the Rubin Museum of Art.

Meera Dugal co-producer

Meera Dugal is a super helpful fan. As a producer, curator, and strategist for in-person and virtual events, she works relentlessly and passionately to connect people for ecstatic experiences with the performing arts. Meera has worked with leading arts organizations in New York City ranging from globalFEST, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Arts Brookfield, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. While at Lincoln Center, Meera helped create a more diverse and inclusive community of artists at the David Rubenstein Atrium by curating and producing performances and educational activities aimed at creating arts experiences reflective of the myriad of immigrant and expat communities present in all 5 boroughs. Additionally, she was the Director of the Lincoln Center Student Advisory Council. During her time as the Manager of Global Curation at arts + tech collective Shared_Studios, she oversaw ideation and execution of in-person and virtual programming in 40+ cities around the world on topics ranging from the arts, innovation, civic engagement, and joy.

Raoul Bhavnani producing partner

Raoul Bhavnani is the Founding Director and Board President of The India Center Foundation, a national, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to the study of the Indian subcontinent, the promotion of its cultural life, and the unique relationship between India and the United States. Based in New York City, The India Center hosts dialogues and exhibitions, mounts programs, educates audiences, and fosters debate focused on India’s future as well as its rich and varied past. It is also a home for the ever-evolving stories of Indian Americans in the form of a comprehensive oral history archive. The India Center is a platform for both established and emerging experts and artists exploring the evolution of the world’s largest and most complex democracy.