East Meets West with Raags in Sitar, Tabla, Symphony Orchestra & Beatles melodies

Name: East Meets West with Raags in Sitar, Tabla, Symphony Orchestra & Beatles melodies
Start: 2024-10-20T15:00:00-04:00
End: 2024-10-20T16:30:00-04:00
Location: Ferguson Center for the Arts

Schedule

Sun Oct 20 2024 at 03:00 pm to 04:30 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Ferguson Center for the Arts | Newport News, VA

Concert ticket link
https://tickets.fergusoncenter.org/4241
About the concert:
The East Meets West concert is a coming together symbolizing the unity of humanity with the universal language of music.
The program's first half will feature Western classical compositions by eminent composers. After intermission, there will be orchestra versions of two Beatles melodies performed/accompanied by sitar and tabla. The concert will continue with a solo sitar performance by Maestro Alf Laila along with her expression of raag moods with her painting projections. The concert will conclude with Egar's 'Nimrod' as a tribute to world peace.
Thoughts about Sitar Maestro Alif Laila's personal musical experiences, influences, significance & connection to the background of the musical theme of this concert ' East Meets West ‘ with the York River Symphony Orchestra :
Pandit Ravi Shankar, the legendary brilliant sitar player, composer & director is also known as the ‘Godfather ‘of world music’. He was the first Indian classical musician to present the sitar on the global stage in the late 1950s which brought along with it the culture and philosophy of the East. He is the disciple of Ustad Allauddin Khan, the uncle of my guru Ustad Mir Qasem Khan. Both of these stalwarts ( Shankar & Khan) have ancestral origins in Bangladesh, my birthplace.
The already globally acclaimed George Harrison of the Beatles became Shankar’s disciple in the late 1960s. I grew up with the strong presence of both of these legends from two different spheres. By the time I started my sitar training (1973), I was already fully in sync with Shankar’s sitar and Harrison’s music.
The historical fundraiser for famine victims in the newly born Bangladesh - ‘Concert for Bangladesh ‘ in Madison Square, August 1971, initiated by Shankar and arranged by Harrison, had an everlasting emotional effect and left a feeling of gratefulness and admiration for both of them in my heart.
These two musical luminaries of the East & West have brought about one of the most significant merging of global cultures and philosophies that has initiated a new era in unity of humanity bonding with the powerful energy of the universal language of music.
To know more about the host orchestra YRSO
go to
https://www.yrso.org/
Maestro Alif Laila
https://www.aliflailasitar.com
About Abhay Kulkarni (tabla ):
Abhay was initiated to it by his father, Pandit Amrutesh Kulkarni and is now a disciple of Pandit Dr. Satish Hampiholi, in Bengaluru, India. He has performed in many prestigious venues with many eminent artists of India. He received the “Baala Prathibe” award, “Karnataka Kalaashri” by Govt. of Karnataka, India, the “Prathiba Puraskaara” by Sadguru Music Academy and many more.. He is an Electronics Engineer.
About John Carr ( tanpura)
John is Sitar Maestro Alif laila's long-time 'shishya' (devoted student) He has performed numerous programs in the Wash DC area with the Sitar Niketan Student Ensemble and has accompanied Alif Ji on tanpura in numerous concerts over the years .He is an Astro Physicists by profession.