Event Description
Roopa Mahadevan will share her love of Carnatic (South Indian classical) music, techniques for optimizing vocal tone and comfort, and guidance on honing creative instincts and performing with authenticity. Ideal participants are those with some training in Indian classical music or an improvised music genre, and with a passion for learning about the vocal approaches of other musical traditions. The workshop will use Carnatic ragas/repertoire as the primary material for instruction.
About Roopa
A leading Indian classical and crossover vocalist in the diaspora, Roopa Mahadevan is known for her powerful, emotive voice and creative ambassadorship. Roopa creates unique works with musicians and dancers from jazz, world music, and R&B/soul genres. Her “hurricane wail and command of infinite minutiae” has charmed diverse audiences from Chennai’s Music Academy, to New York City’s MET Museum and Lincoln Center, to the cultural centers of American suburbia. Roopa also brings a critical commentary, humor, and authenticity to her work, often invoking her talents in dance and theater.
Based in New York City, Roopa is the bandleader of the crossover ensemble Roopa in Flux and director of the innovative choir Navatman Music Collective. She is also a sought-after vocalist for leading Bharathanatyam and modern dance/choreographers around the world. Following numerous years of Carnatic training in the Bay Area, California under Asha Ramesh, Roopa was granted the Fulbright scholarship for further study in Chennai, India under Suguna Varadachari. She has performed in all major venues in Chennai during the iconic December festival, including the Music Academy, and has received the award Kala Ratna from the well-established Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana.
Roopa is a featured voice with projects like Brooklyn Raga Massive and IndianRaga, and is a soloist on several albums, including Christopher Tin’s Grammy Award-winning Calling All Dawns and the Facebook Sound Collection. Roopa has also been selected to participate in premiere residencies at Hedgebrook and the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity. She is a 2020 member of Joe's Pub Working Group. This past fall, Roopa released her debut album, Roopa in Six Yards, recognized for being “as spontaneous and joyful as the singer herself.” In a previous avatar, Roopa worked in public health policy, following degrees from Stanford University.