Congo
Square JazzFest 2009
2nd Edition
19
November to 22 November 2009,
Dalhousie Institute
Saturday, November 21, 2009
6 PM : Friends of Fusion
It’s Friends coming together to do fusion. That’s the whole idea. Our friend and percussionist Branavan Ganesan from North Carolina so describes us as 'the Buena Vista social club of India'. FOF performs Hindustani Classical Songs with a contemporary approach and attitude.
Some of us listened to Indian Classical seriously from an early age while the others developed a taste for it gradually. We have treated some Indian Classical Standards with ingredients of Jazz, Funk, Hip-hop, Latin and a wee bit of rock. Our Repertoire includes Ragas, Bandishes, Thumris, a variety of folk music from the entire sub continent, Bhajans, Bhatiyalis, Rabindrasangeet and other forms. We have incorporated in them the sound of today. In other words it's heritage Indian music in the sound of today.
FOF is a union of generations, traditions, cultures and perspectives. It is a unique space where strains of melodic blues guitar riffs, timbales and congas from the streets of Latin America find its way into the soul of a distant Bhairavi as the sun rises in the quiet shores of Patiala.
Band lineup: Rajkumar Sengupta : Electric guitars, Neel Dutt : Accoustic guitars, Deboprotim Baksi: Drums,
Arko Mukherjee: Vocals, Bijit Bhattacharya: Bass
7 PM : Wolfgang Netzer – Ranajit Sengupta
WOLFGANG NETZER
Wolfgang Netzer’s professional career began during his studies at the Conservatorio Villa Lobos in Rio de Janeiro, as well as private lessons from the Brazilian composer and piano/guitar virtuoso Egberto Gismonti. In Rio, Wolfgang worked as a studio musician with Nara Leão, Nana Caymmi, Mauricio Carrilho, Joao de Aquino, Bello de Carvalho. In 1985 he released his first solo LP Mantroja.
While a number of solo performances followed as a guitarist and performer of his own works, including more intensive studies in the former film composer Erich Fersti as well as studying compositions at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich. In 1986 he formed the trio SAMAMBAIA with the release of the CD Afra. In 1989 with the formation of BAVARIO and 15 years of continuous performances and tours yielded four CDs (Yes Exactly, Maschkara, Hoi, Barabash).
During these years Wolfgang also9 made himself a name as a film composer, setting to music of about 30 TV movies, mostly in the documentary field. Together with the director Lorenz Knauer, they received three Gold Awards and two Silver Awards in the important American documentary film festival. Even the theme music to Michael Moore’s FAHRENHEIT 9/11 comes from Wolfgang’s pen. Recent trips abroad combine with live performances and further studies to Istanbul, Cairo, and local artists of Budapest.
RANAJIT SENGUPTA
Ranajit`s musical passion began with Mandolin and performed for Air at the age of six. His first record on Light Instrumental Music (Mandolin) released by INRECO (Hindusthan Records) in 1979. In 1987, Ranajit switched over to Sarode (String Instrument) under the tutelage of Late Ustad Dhyanesh Khan, followed by advanced training under Sarode maestro Ustad Ashish Khan. He has also participated in many workshops conducted by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in India and the United States.
Ranajit has obtained his Graduation & Master’s degree in Music from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, securing 1st Position. Enlisted as lecturer (NET Qualified) for Indian Universities by the Government of India (UGC) since 1993.
Besides being an "A" grade Sarode Player of All India Radio since 1994, Ranajit has been touring extensively in the United States, Canada, Latin America and various European Countries including Germany, France, England, Scotland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Greece, Italy, Russia, Denmark, Estonia, Belgium, Croatia and the Caribbean Islands for concerts, lectures and workshops.
He represented India in international Music Festivals in Paris, Hamburg, Moscow, Martinique, Tallinn, Zagreb, etc. In the year 2003 & 2004 he has performed at the Banga Mela & Rabindra Mela in the United States. In the years 2002 & 2003 he has represented at the Banga Sanskriti Sammelan in the United Kingdom.
This project has got Ranajit Sengupta on Sarod, Wolfgang Netzer on different guitars and oud, one Tabla Player from Kolkata, Indian Vocals by Shirin Sengupta & Ratul Shankar on assorted Percussions.
8:30 PM : Jonathan Singer Band
Jonathan Singer is a multi-percussionist based in New York City. He is a graduate from the Interlochen Arts Academy, Berklee College of Music and Queens College. An active educator, Singer teaches at Queens College, CUNY, and in schools in and around New York. He has presented lecture-demonstration presentations at the Berklee College of Music, Queens College, University of Pennsylvania, The Boston Conservatory, University of Washington, and Queensborough Community College. As a marimba soloist, Singer has performed with the Blue Lake Festival Orchestra, Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, and Detroit Symphony. Recent performance credits include an international tour with the Philharmonic of the Americas, performances with the San Francisco Ballet, Adrienne Cooper, Allison Carvalho, Marimolin, Thiago de Mello, Michael Winograd's Infection, Adam Rudolph's Go: Organic Orchestra, Yiddish Princess, and the South Indian percussion group Akshara. Singer will spend the 2009-10 academic year in Chennai, India, receiving advanced training in Carnatic music as a Fulbright scholar. Singer leads the Brooklyn-based furry novelty ragtime band, The Xylopholks, dressed up a skunk. The Xylopholks have been recently been featured in the Village Voice's "Best of New York." The Xylopholks will be touring India in January and February of 2010.
Singer will spend the 2009-10 academic year in Chennai, India, receiving advanced training in Carnatic music as a Fulbright scholar.
Vedanth Bharadwaj
Vedanth Bharadwaj has been pursuing music as a full time career for the last eight years. He has formally learnt Carnatic classical music for over fifteen years from Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan and currently under the tutelage of Sri Ramamoorthy Rao for advanced Carnatic and Hindustani vocal training for the last six years. He is a qualified guitarist from the Trinity College of Music, London.
Vedanth has composed music for many films, documentaries, advertisements, and albums. His self-produced debut album is called Maati Kahe, a compilation of songs from the Bhakti Movement written by mystic saints such as Kabir, Namdev, Mirabai, Tulasidas, Surdas, and others.
Vedanth has given concerts all over India and recently performed at prestigious venues such as the Ladakh Music Confluence ’09 and the TED India Conference ’09 in Mysore.
Vedanth is a Post Graduate in Psychology and an MBA in Corporate Communication. |
