THREE SHADES OF RAGA

Legend of Indian classical music to appear in Durban on February 10.

Lovers of classical Indian music will be treated to a festival of Indian Classical Music, titled Three Shades of Raga, in February 2010 with concerts in Durban (February 10 at 19h00 in the Durban City Hall); Cape Town (February 12 at the Artscape Opera House) and Johannesburg (February 14 at Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City).

The Durban concert is a fund-raiser for the important work of the Aryan Benevolent Home and is hosted in association with tireless supporters of the arts and long-time partners of ABH, New National Assurance.

The festival is headlined by the doyen of Indian Classical vocal, Pandit Jasraj, and features ace violinist Kala Ramnath; tabla maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee; and Swiss-based sarod player Ken Zuckerman.

Jasraj is known for his soulful and sonorous voice which traverses masterfully over three and a half octaves, Pandit Jasraj’s vocals is characterized by a harmonious blend of the classic elements projecting traditional music as an intense spiritual expression. This gives his music a unique and sublime emotional quality, reaching out to the very soul of the listener. Pandit Jasraj celebrates his 80th birthday in January, and Three Shades of Raga is part of his global birthday celebrations.

Maestro Kala Ramnath stands today amongst the most outstanding instrumental musicians in the North Indian classical genre. She was born into a family of prodigious musical talent which has given Indian music such violin legends as Prof. T.N. Krishnan and Dr. N. Rajam. Ken Zuckerman is internationally acclaimed as one of the finest sarod virtuosos performing today. He has completed 35 years of training under the rigorous discipline of India’s legendary sarod master the late Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and has performed with Maestro Khan in numerous concerts in Europe, India, and the United States.

Widely considered one of the greatest table maestros, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee has helped spread Indian classical music across the world. He is one of the most well-respected solo tabla performers of his generation. BBC presenter, musicologist and author Jameela Siddiqi will present a free pre-concert talk prior to all concerts. The pre-concert lectures will take place alongside the concert venues and will be clearly marked in each instance.

Three Shades of Raga is produced by Inner Circle Entertainment, the premier producer of Indian Classical music concerts in South Africa. Its previous productions include Raga on 200 Strings featuring the santoor legend Shivkumar Sharma with Grammy award winner Bhawani Shankar and Rahul Sharma; Jagjit Singh Live in South Africa; Raga Afrika (the world’s first musical collaboration between South Africa and India), and more recently Two Shades of Raga with sitar genius Ustad Shahid Parvez and flautist Rupak Kulkarni.

Three Shades of Raga is presented in association with South African Airways, Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council, Mail & Guardian, SABC 2's Eastern Mosaic and tabla.co.za

The Durban performance takes place on February 10 at 19h00 in the Durban City Hall preceded by the free pre-concert lecture at 18h00. 6pm (60 minutes before). Tickets at R150, R120 and R100 for the Durban event available at Computicket. For further details, contact Shamila Surjoo, PRO - ABH Council on 083 775 1921.

Tickets available from Computicket nationwide and from select Checkers money market counters nationwide. Tickets can be booked on www.computicket.co.za or on 083 915 8000.