Raga Sangeet Creative brings an Indian classical music concert celebrating Diwali and spiritual unity through traditional sounds to the Wende Museum this week, so Samarth Nagarkar told us what we can expect…
How did this project come to be? Who is involved?
Noor grew out of a simple conviction: that Hindustani classical music, one of the world’s oldest and most sophisticated concert traditions, belongs in the heart of a community, not just in concert halls for specialists. Raga Sangeet Creative Inc., the nonprofit I founded and lead as Artistic Director, presents this concert as part of our Diwali season programming, with the support of the City of Culver City’s Performing Arts Grant. Performing with me are Suhail Yusuf Khan on sarangi and Vivek Pandya on tabla — both leading instrumentalists in the tradition.
Describe the sound…
I perform Khyal, the predominant form of North Indian classical vocal music. It is a tradition built on a melodic framework called raga, that paints an evocative musical character through distinct melodic and rhythmic movements. A Khyal performance is largely improvised within that framework, so no two performances of the same raga are ever alike. It is music that rewards close listening, with enormous depth beneath the surface, spanning a wide range of moods — from introspective and meditative to exciting and exhilarating.
What are your career highlights so far?
I’ve performed at Lincoln Center, Central Park SummerStage, UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall, the NMACC in Mumbai, and at festivals and venues across the US, India, and Europe. I trained under two of the great masters of the tradition, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar and Pandit Dinkar Kaikini, and I’m a former scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata. I’m also the author of Raga Sangeet, a book on the theory and practice of the tradition, and I present lectures and masterclasses at universities across the country. I recently joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, where I am building the institution’s Indian classical voice program.
Do you have any recorded music available?
Yes — my music is available on Spotify.
Have you performed in Culver City before?
This is my first time performing in Culver City — even though I’ve been living here for over three years — and I’m very much looking forward to it. I’ve had a strong connection with Los Angeles audiences: last year I had sold-out performances at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall and the Sierra Madre Playhouse, and I’ve also performed at the LA Philharmonic’s Noon to Midnight Festival. So while Culver City is new territory for me on stage, LA is not, and I’m excited to bring Noor here for the first time.
What can we expect from the set this time?
An evening of live Hindustani classical music in an intimate setting — ragas and compositions that reflect the idea of oneness and unity. A concert that invites the audience to be part of the creative process. The evening begins with a reception, a community meet-and-greet at 6 PM, followed by the performance at 7 PM. Admission is free, and no prior knowledge of the tradition is needed.
What else do you have coming up?
November is a busy month of solo concerts. The day after Noor, I’ll be performing Tri-Dhara: Legacy of Gharanas, presented by Music Circle, on Saturday, November 14 at Herrick Chapel at Occidental College in the Eagle Rock/Pasadena area of Los Angeles. The day after that, I’ll be performing at Sachi Surana Gaao, presented by Sangeethaamsha and BayRaagis Baithak, on Sunday, November 15 at the ICC in the SF Bay Area. The following week, on Friday, November 20, I’ll be performing Arpan, presented by IFAASD, at the Seaside Center for Spiritual Living in Encinitas.
Raga Sangeet Creative performs at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 13 at Wende Museum’s Community Center.
Elsewhere this week
Culver City’s music venues have a full calendar of entertainment this week. For the Cinema Bar, that includes the Hot Club of Los Angeles (every Monday), Open Mic Night every Wednesday, and more. For more information, go to thecinemabar.com.