Join us as we celebrate and reflect on our exhibition Old Traditions, New Narratives with a special virtual concert featuring a collaboration between Qais Essar (rabab) and Kamaljeet Ahluwalia (santoor) followed by a performance by Hamza Akram Qawwal Ensemble. Hosted by Meera Dugal.
Promotional partner: Old Town School of Folk Music
Free with registration.
Old Traditions, New Narratives: Reflections in Sound is now free to the public, made possible by a generous donation. We encourage you to consider making a tax-deductible donation to South Asia Institute so that we can continue to produce arts programming and support independent artists. Donations can be made by selecting the donation option when registering on Eventbrite.
About the musicians:
Qais Essar
Qais Essar is a contemporary Afghan composer, instrumentalist and producer who channels his melodic designs through the rabab, a 2,500 year old instrument from Afghanistan. He has toured extensively, sharing his new genre of music nationally and internationally. His first LP, The Green Language (2014), quickly became an Amazon #1 bestseller, followed by Tavern of Ruin (2016) and The Ghost You Love Most (2018). In 2017, Qais was recruited by director Nora Twomey to compose an original song for her Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated film, The Breadwinner (produced by Angelina Jolie). He earned a Canadian Screen Award for “Best Original Song” for his piece The Crown Sleeps. Additionally, he orchestrated a sold-out run of the musical Tear a Root from the Earth at the Ice Factory festival in New York. Essar continues to be featured in festivals and venues around the world including the Newport Folk Festival, SxSW, The Kennedy Center, and Treefort Music Festival.
Kamaljeet Ahluwalia
Kamaljeet Ahluwalia uses her Indian classical roots to walk an innovative path on the santoor, a rare and exquisite hammered dulcimer/zither that can simultaneously explore vast sublime melodies and intricate detailed rhythmic patterns. She is part of the new wave of Asian musicians emerging from the UK and began her training at the age of 7 under Sitar Maestro Dharambir Singh (MBE). She continued her studies with Santoor Maestro Harjinderpal Singh and is currently under the tutelage of legendary Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.
Together with her husband Jas, a tabla player, the duo founded the art and music production company Absolute Focus, through which they have written and produced music for live concerts, video games, theatrical trailers, and film/television scores such as Disney Jr’s Mira: Royal Detective.
Kamaljeet and Jas bring their spiritually rooted relationship to the stage and their performances, instrumental Indian classical journeys, take audiences from meditative introspection to dazzling energy-filled heights.
Hamza Akram Qawwal Ensemble
Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers, grandsons of the revered Munshi Raziuddin, have been acclaimed for their riveting interpretations of qawwali, the ecstatic improvisational Sufi vocal tradition.This award-winning ensemble represents the 26th generation of the seven centuries-old Qawwal Bachon ka Gharana of Delhi founded by Saamat bin Ibrahim, the first qawwal of the subcontinent and principal student of mystic Amir Khusrau.
Hamza and his brothers, Taimoor and Abdul, have studied with the renowned Naseeruddin Saami, as well as with their uncle, Farid Ayaz Qawwal. They have toured globally and performed at many festivals.
The ensemble builds a state of ecstasy through rhythmic handclapping, drumming and powerful vocals and performs songs that range from 13th century mystical Persian poems to more recent poems in Urdu and Punjabi.
About the host:
Meera Dugal
Meera Dugal is the Artistic Producer at The New York Public Library for Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Prior to this role, Meera worked with leading arts organizations in New York City ranging from globalFEST, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Arts Brookfield, and The David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. 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.
Meera is also currently the co-producer of Raga Maqam, a multimedia arts project investigating the shared roots of Indian and Iraqi music working with partners at The India Center Foundation and Brooklyn Raga Massive as well as composer Amir El Saffar and 14 artists to support ensemble development, fundraising, and strategic partnerships and touring. Meera also serves on the Brooklyn Raga Massive Advisory Board and is a member of Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA). She is also a practicing visual artist, click here to view some of her work!