United
Nations of Indian Classical Music
(rescheduled
after Cyclone Oswald)
New
Date: Saturday February 23rd
@
The Queensland Multicultural Centre
102 Main Street, Kangaroo
Point
Doors
open 6pm, Show starts 630pm
Tickets:
Online/Concession/Bemac Members $20 / Full price $25 / Buy
Tickets
The
Inaugural Event In BEMAC’s New ‘Crossings’ Series
Presenting
on Saturday February 23rd (rescheduled after Cyclone Oswald), United
Nations of Indian Classical Music brings together 7 accomplished
Indian classical artists from around the world in a celebration of
Indian classical culture. This world class concert will be the
first in BEMAC’s new Crossings series. Join us this year at
the Queensland Multicultural Arts Centre as we criss-cross the globe
on a musical odyssey featuring artists from India to Sudan, Iran
to Japan, Vanuatu to the Northern Territory and who knows where else!
Experience
the calm of ancient Dhrupad vocals by Yuki Taniguchi Flindell
(Japan), the beauty of Bharat Natyam dance by Mathuja Bavan (Sri
Lanka) and the exhilaration of high energy khayals and geets by Tahir
Qawwal (Canada). The programme will culminate in a dynamic jugalbandi
(duet) between Saikat Bhattacharya (India) on sitar and Vinod
Prasanna (India/Melbourne) on bansuri (bamboo flute). Accompaniment
will be provided by special guest tabla maestro from Sydney, Maharshi
Raval (India) and Brisbane’s own Shen Flindell (Australia). Event
sponsors Sitar Restaurant will be providing delicious veggie samosas
and chai during the interval.
Featured
Artists
Vinod
Prasanna - Bansuri (India/Melbourne)
Born
into one of India’s greatest flute-playing families, award-winning
bansuri (flute) virtuoso Vinod Prasanna shines as an outstanding
performer of authentic traditional and contemporary Indian music.
Vinod’s emotive melodies, exquisite improvisations and divine flute
song distinguish his performance of Indian classical, world and
meditation music. Simply, Indian music at its finest. Currently
residing in Australia, Vinod is a performing and recording artist,
teacher, craftsman and ambassador of the Bansuri. Vinod has more than
17 years of performing and teaching experience and continues a family
legacy that celebrates more than two-and-a-half centuries of Indian
music.
Saikat
Bhattacharya - Sitar (India)
Having
regularly performed in the Queensland Multicultural Music Festival,
the Woodford Folk Festival and several other public and private
programs around Brisbane, Saikat Bhattacharya has been playing the
Sitar for over twenty years citing it as his passion and devotion.
Tahir
Qawwal - Vocal (Canada)
A
passionate and highly skilled performer, Tahir Qawwal has trained
with the highest masters of Indian Classical music and Sufi Qawwali
music; performing and teaching vocal styles such as Geet, Ghazal,
Bhajan, Thumri, classical and folk himself around the world for 12
years.
Mathuja
Bavan - Bharat Natyam (Sri Lanka)
From
an early age Mathuja was interested in music and various art forms –
she is a keen student of piano and carnatic violin - but Bharatha
Natyam occupies a very special place in her heart and has seen her
perform solo, and in groups across New Zealand, Townsville, Gold
Coast and Brisbane.
Yuki
Taniguchi Flindell - Dhrupad vocal (Japan)
Through
Mantra, Kirtan and Indian Classical Music, Yuki became interested in
the power of sound. After several years studying yoga, kirtan and
mantra in USA and Japan, Yuki now spends half the year in India
studying Dhrupad vocal under Pt. Ritwik Sanyal, Sanskrit, and Mantra
Yoga, giving concerts and teaching in Japan and Australia.
Maharshi
Raval - Tabla (India/Sydney)
Having
performed on television programs including X-Factor and Good News
Week, Maharshi has been a student of Tabla - winning first
prize for National Youth Festival Tabla Competition in 1994 – for
over 25 years. He has travelled extensively to various parts of the
world as an accompanist to Indian Classical Vocalists,
Instrumentalists and Kathak Dancers and runs a music institute: Shree
Gajanan Cultural Mission - The Institute of Indian Classical Music
and Dance.
Shen
Flindell - Tabla (Australia)
Now
an established performer in the Indian classical music circles of
Australia and Japan, Shen Flindell has also had successful concerts
in India. Not only is he capable in the 4 fields of vocal
accompaniment, instrumental accompaniment, Kathak dance accompaniment
and tabla solo, but has also given successful accompaniment in
Carnatic vocal, Odissi and Bharat Natyam dance performances.
BEMAC’s
New ‘Crossings’ Series:
Transcend boundaries and experience the musical odyssey of global
sounds, as ‘Crossings’ encapsulates the beats, rhythms and
flavours of life.
The
Queensland Multicultural Arts Centre
The
Queensland Multicultural Centre (QMC) is a brand new purpose-built
facility that will allow for all Queenslanders to share their
diversity through the arts. With an acknowledgement that diversity
and understanding can be strengthened by sharing our cultural
background it is intended that the Centre become a preferred venue
for community-based arts and cultural organisations. Built through a
partnership between the State Government and Australand, the Centre
features a 224 seat capacity theatre and auditorium and state of the
art boardroom & conference / meeting facilities, and is poised to
be the jewel in the BEMAC crown as they, in partnership with the
State Government, drive the vision collective vision for the Centre,
through management of its venues and facilities.
25 YEARS OF BEMAC
BEMAC
(Brisbane
Multicultural Arts Centre) is Queensland’s lead agency dedicated to
identifying, developing, presenting and promoting artists from
migrant and refugee backgrounds and world music practitioners. BEMAC
present an annual program of world music and multicultural arts in
venues and galleries across the state by local, national and
international artists.
In
celebration of their 25th
year BEMAC has rolled out a whole host of new programs and events as
well as making some exciting additions and changes to their existing
ones. Visit www.bemac.org.au
for more information.
All
Media Enquiries:
Heapsaflash:
Music Media Management