BRM Concert + Jam Session ft. Sandhya Sanjana & Friends
Known for using her voice as an instrument for improvisation, Sandhya Sanjana brings her Indian classical vocal training into conversation with jazz and global music traditions to dazzling effect. For this special show, Sanjana will be joined by her myriad of talented friends including firebird trumpet player Indofunk Satish, tabla player Shivalik Ghoshal, and pianist Surya Botofasina. The concert will be followed by a jam session at 9:00pm - all are welcome!
Schedule: 7pm Doors Open | 7:30 - 9:00pm Concert | 9:00-11:00pm Jam Session
About the Artists
Sandhya Sanjana is a vocalist who integrates Indian classical vocals with jazz and world music. She was classically trained in India under various gurus. Later she discovered other musical genres and started fusing these styles into her musical vocabulary. Her forte is to use her voice as an instrument for improvisation. Living in the melting pot which is Amsterdam, she has encountered many musicians from various countries and has enriched her music through interacting with them. In the last years, she has toured and performed extensively all over the world.
Indofunk Satish is a veteran of the New York City improvised music scene. Beginning with his eponymous band Indofunk in the early 2000s, he has brought a unique style of Indian classical/jazz/funk fusion to every project he has played in, including rock (Bruce Springsteen, Jesse Malin), jazz, electronic, and world music (The Master Musicians of Jajouka, Brooklyn Raga Massive).
Surya Botofasina is a Spiritual Being, a Spiritual Musician, a Spiritual Artist, on a Spiritual Quest, this is his orientation, his focus, practice, and identity as a Father, a Friend, a Family Member, "a child of the Ashram." Born and Raised in California, Surya credits his Mother Radha Botofasina (a Devotee, Student and Mentee of Swamini Turiyasangitananda Alice Coltrane,) as his primary and most essential Musical Influence. "Without my Mother," he says," there is no music, no person, no piano, no California, no Ashram.”
Shivalik Ghoshal comes from a musical family. From the age of seven, Shivalik has been a student of Sree Kinner K. Seen of Punjab gharana since 1989. Kinner-ji’s father, Pandit Lachman Seen, is the gurubhai of the late Ustad Alla Rakha Khan-Saheb. Presently, he is a student of the tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri of the Lucknow gharana since 1997. Shivalik has had the honor and privilege of accompanying maestros like Pandit Manilal Nag, Smt Girija Devi, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Phalguni Mitra and Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussain. Last but not least, Shivalik has performed all the tabla drumming in the Oscar winning soundtrack of the 2004 docu-drama, “Born Into Brothels.” In 2013, Shivalik participated in the "The Jungle Book" Musical with Walt Disney Theatrics, working with, Toni-winning theater director Mary Zimmerman, Toni-winning dance choreographer Christopher Gatelli for Broadway's "Newsies” and multi-talented music director Doug Peck who remixed the Jazz based music of the movie with Indian classical instrumentation for the "The Jungle Book” musical that toured in Chicago’s Goodman Theater and Boston’s Huntington Theater, respectively. Currently, he is a part/member of the Raga Renaissance movement in Brooklyn as part of Brooklyn Raga Massive (BRM) community that is dedicated to promoting Indian Classical/Raga based music throughout the NY area.