The New Yorker, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal all agree that Brooklyn Raga Massive is a pioneer.
“Riveting ... Soulful … Preserving the past while blurring genres in an inventive spirit” “The Massive members are proud of their open-minded outlook. New forms are being created that are indigenous to Brooklyn ...”View Full Article >
“Expanding the notion of what raga—the immersive, epic form of Indian music—can mean... BRM members seek to redefine classical Indian music in the new century”View Full Article >
"Brooklyn Raga Massive has been fusing Indian Classical music, US minimalism and deep jazz to stunning effect. They believe in the power of music to transcend cultural boundaries and reach deep spiritual regions."View Full Article >
The idea of the Massive was not only to encourage dialogue between established and young musicians, but also to broaden the audience for these forms in hyper-cosmopolitan New York.... They’ve collaborated with Africans and Cubans, and presented tributes to musicians such as John Coltrane and Ravi Shankar, the believers in cross-cultural experimentation. The interaction between the artists and audience is organic.View Full Article >
Its expansive otherness, its core rasa, remind of the feeling I get when listening to my heroes; Cherry, Sanders, Sun Ra, Coltrane. It is an authoritative step forward in the evolution of a truly global, celestial, cosmic “world” music.View Full Article >
Two of the most interesting bands in the USA....In the jazz world, not since Sun Rahas this reviewer heard anything so successful at reaching the parts other music generally fails to reach. This double album feels like a milestone in the evolution of truly world music.View Full Article >
"There are precious few opportunities to enjoy a frosty beverage while slipping into the transcendental time warp of a classical Indian raga — which makes the Brooklyn Raga Massive's peripatetic Wednesday night events kind of like the Alamo Drafthouse of Indian classical music."View Full Article >
"Some of the formalities often associated with an Indian classical concert have been stripped away by organizers... more like a house concert, not the usual rarified formal atmosphere created for classical performances in India... so there is room to be social as well as have a serious listening environment"View Full Article >
Sublime...a gorgeously complex tapestry of sounds, hues and sensationsView Full Article >
A deeply attractive, aesthetically accessible, yet extremely complex tapestry of sounds, hues, and aural sensations. A major work that establishes the ground for infinite possibilities in improvisational interaction for an ensemble, as well giving flesh to an expansive musical language that edifies players and listeners equally.View Full Article >
In New York, we’re going to Brooklyn Raga Massive classes. It’s classical Indian music with a Brooklyn twist... We’re trying to make sure (our son) understands he’s half-Indian... What I’m interested in seeing is how those expressions of Indian culture have evolved over time.View Full Article >
Brooklyn Raga Massive brings its energy and style upstate to Hudson Hall, performing Terry Riley’s Indian-influenced minimalist masterwork “In C.”View Full Article >
"The music itself is the result of a grassroots movement... known as the Brooklyn Raga Massive... Having brought about a revitalisation of the ragas, it would be safe to call them the Raga Ambassadors of the Big Apple."View Full Article >
"It’s a big thing for us to present an ever increasing range of artists who are stretching the boundaries of music,” said Kenny Savelson, the executive director of Bang on a Can. “This group of artist based here are taking Indian tradition and they’ve basically been pushing forward into new territory."View Full Article >