Dover Lane Music Conference is the longest running annual Indian Classical Music festival in Kolkata and possibly whole of India.  This year the festival is dedicated to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th Birth Anniversary.  The line-up for the 60th Dover Lane Music Conference in Kolkata has been announced and it is, as always, something special.  It promises another 5 nights offering some of the Best of Indian Classical Vocal, Tabla, Pakhawaj, Sitar, Shenai, Violin, Rudra Veena, Bansuri, Sarod and Harmonium performances from an all-star host of performers.

Each program begins at 8pm and continues through the night.  Its a wonderful experience, to sit with thousands of others, opening ones heart to the subtle and stirring magic of India Classical Music.  As the evening gives way to night and night gives way to early morning, the Ragas mellifluously flow from one into another, often in accordance with the sections of the day.  The festival takes place from 23rd – 26th January 2012 at Nazrul Mancha, Rabindra Sarobar, Kolkata, India.

The listing is shared here for your pleasure and more information can be found at the Official Website :-   www.doverlanemusicconference.in

 22^nd January 

Ali Ahmad Husain Khan (Shehnai)

Girija Devi (Vocal)

Shujaat Husain Khan (Sitar)

M. Venkatesh Kumar (Vocal)

Aashis Khan & Alam Khan (Jugalbandi-Sarod)

23^rd January

Mohi Baha’uddin Dagar (Rudra Veena)

Amiya Ranjan Banerjee (Vocal)

Manilal Nag (Sitar)

Ajoy Chakraborty (Vocal)

Shahid Parvez (Sitar)

24^th January

Kaushiki Desikan (Vocal)

Rajendra Prasanna (Flute)

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande (Vocal)

Amaan Ali Khan (Sarod)

Rashid Khan (Vocal)

25^th January 

Ruchira Panda (Vocal)

Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod)

Manjiri Asanare Kelkar (Vocal)

N.Rajam (Violin)

Jasraj (Vocal)

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Arabic dub is an age old sonic concept, whose sound echoes through time round sandstorm laden pyramids. Dubsahara practices this ancient form of Cameltronica in fine style.  His recent set at Sonica Festival was a masterful excursion through the ultraworlds, navigating symphonic sinewaves in etheric motion.  It was a study in fluid dynamics and inference patterns of fractal geometry skillfully fused with traditional arabic melodies.

Enjoy more sonic incense from the master of desert mashups:-
Isotantric by dubsahara

Khaleeji Dub (first build) by dubsahara

Camel Straw Syndrome by dubsahara

Human Shaped by dubsahara

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We approach a new paradigm in Modern Indian music as the seeds of Advaita have taken root and bear fruit.  The journey has magical moments and with the inSight of world class producer, John Leckie, this record reflects the deep sound that these musicians can weave while fusing classic rock elements of guitar, bass and drums with the Indian instrumentation of sarangi and Hindustani classical style vocals.

Its not the concept that is new, but the level of skill in the execution of such notions.  The variety of tracks move through different of integration and for our taste the opening track, “Rasiya” displays something special of true originality and finesse.

Although the album as a whole reveals the difficulties in bringing together the disparate elements of rock / classical / fusion to create a convincing new whole sound, there is a solid musical journey throughout the album.  One or two tracks on the album seem to follow the old models of song creation but we feel Advaita will be better served shifting into the sonic hyper-dimensions of new sound that they have touched on already, particularly with the opening track “Rasiya”.

Official Website

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Kabir (also Kabira)  (1440—1518) was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement. The name Kabir comes from Arabic Al-Kabir which means ‘The Great’ – the 37th Name of God in the Qur’an.

Exciting news from Mumbai with the unfolding of the KABIR FESTIVAL, a 10 day extravaganza of Mystic Music, Poetry, Film and Arts running from January 14th to January 23rd.  The Kabir festival follows on from The Kabir Project (www.kabirproject.org) which wa founded by Shabnam Virmani, a documentary film maker who spent 6 years travelling with folk singers who sing the mystic songs of Kabir.  This festival is something of a showcase of  those travels and the films, music and booksthat were produced as a result.

The Kabir project is a 6-year initiative undertaken by filmmaker Shabnam Virmani as an artist-in-residency project at Srishti. It brings together the experiences of a series of journeys exploring how this 15th century mystic weaver poet lives in diverse social, political, religious and spiritual spaces in India (and Pakistan). The core inspiration of the project is music, and Kabir comes alive in documentary films, 2 folk music videos and 10 music CDs and poetry books through the power of song.

The films (Had-Anhad: Journeys with Ram & Kabir, Koi Sunta Hai: Journeys with Kumar & Kabir, Chalo Hamara Des:  Journeys with Kabir & Friends are interwoven in significant ways, but each can be viewed independently

The extraordinary line up of traditional talent will display the enormous variety of this spiritual, mystic lineage in all its gracious beauty.  All programs are free to attend on a first-come first-served basis.  It is a delight to know such events are taking place to introduce the Youth of India to their cultural and spiritual heritage in such a way and we wish the organisers well on their quest to uphold and maintain the connections to this tradition.  This is the first Kabir festival in Mumbai and we look forward to its establishment as an annual celebration of one of the Greatest Mystic Poets India has ever known.

Please visit the excellent websites for more info about this enchanting festival:-

Official Site

www.thekabirfest.com

Blog

www.kabirfestivalmumbai.wordpress.com

Kabir Project

www.kabirproject.org

Tell me, O Swan, your ancient tale.

Tell me, O Swan, your ancient tale.
From what land do you come, O Swan? to what shore will you fly?
Where would you take your rest, O Swan, and what do you seek?

Even this morning, O Swan, awake, arise, follow me!
There is a land where no doubt nor sorrow have rule: where the terror of Death is no more.
There the woods of spring are a-bloom, and the fragrant scent ‘He is I’ is borne on the wind:
There the bee of the heart is deeply immersed, and desires no other joy.

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