Lucknow Through the Lens of Bollywood

A lecture by Robin Sukhadia

Sunday, October 10, 2010

LACMA: Los Angeles County Museum of Art

2pm – Bing Theater

5905 Wilshire Blvd • Los Angeles California 90036

In advance of LACMA’s forthcoming exhibition India’s Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow (December 12, 2010–February 27, 2011), join us for a presentation on the culture of Lucknow in films produced by directors of Hindi and Bollywood Cinema from the 1960s to the present. The lecture will examine, through a range of film clips and live tabla performance, the musical heritage of Lucknow and the romanticized portrayal of the city’s courtesans, Muslim nobility, and colonial history. Robin Sukhadia is a tabla player who trained under Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, a master of the Lucknow musical tradition. He regularly lectures on the history of Bollywood film and music.

Sponsored for the Southern Asian Art Council.

From art-house classics to documentary films, innovative and experimental visions to next-level Bollywood: 3rd i (www.thirdi.org), is committed to promoting  diverse images of South Asians through independent film.  3rd i’s Speaker Series invites scholars, experts and enthusiasts to explore a variety of topics related to South  Asian cinema – from cinema history and famous personalities, to current trends and politics of representation. Talks are illustrated with film clips, stills, sound bites and other media. Presentations are followed by an open discussion moderated by the speaker.

On Sunday August 15, 2010,  bay area scholar and musician Robin Sukhadia presents R.D. Burman vs A.R. Rahman. The interactive talk will profile the two legendary composers and culminate in an audience battle to determine which of them is the ultimate ‘Maestro of Bollywood’. More details, including instructions regarding audience participation, will be featured on www.thirdi.org.

Where: Artists’ Television Access (992 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA  94110).
Tickets are $8-$10 sliding scale

3rd i’s 2010 Speaker Series is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

I am both humbled and thrilled to have been awarded a 9 month Fulbright Senior Research Scholarship to India. My project, entitled “Music & Arts Integration: Empowering Youth in Kolkata and Ahmedabad” is designed to reflect on and build upon my 7 years of work at Project Ahimsa. During that span of time, Project Ahimsa has supported over 35 different music education programs for underserved children worldwide, in countries including Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United States, and India. In 2010, Project Ahimsa released Global Lingo, an album featuring the talents of children served by all of the organization’s programs. Through the Fulbright Award, I aim to spend extended time with 5 specific programs based in Kolkata and Ahmedabad including the following:

Blind School for Children (Gandhinagar, Gujarat)

Manav Sadhna / Mahatma Gandhi Ashram (Ahmedabad, Gujarat)

Mentaid (Kolkata, Bengal)

Disha Foundation (Kolkata, Bengal)

Prabartak Orphanage for Mentally Handicapped (Kolkata, Bengal)

Rehabilitation Clinic for Children Orthopedic Hospital (Kolkata, Bengal)

My project is really simple. I aim to learn from the children at each of these programs, spending extended time with them, capturing their talents, learning about their lives, and seeing up close how music empowers them. I hope to record elements of Global Lingo 2 during my grant period, and document extensively each music program. I’ll be updating this blog and my Facebook page/Twitter extensively, so you can track my progress. I plan to travel widely through south Asia, implementing new programs in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Daily, I will be practicing tabla and digesting the past 10 years of my own practice of the instrument.

Special Thanks: There are a number of key people that played major roles in making the Fulbright possible for me. I’d like to thank my incredible parents Saroj and Rajen Sukhadia, my supremely supportive partner Neelanjana Banerjee, my beloved tabla Guru Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Rosalie Giffoniello of Empower the Children, and Mark Allen of the Machine Project.

How you can help: While the Fulbright does offer support for living expenses and travel, there are a number of key equipment pieces that I am seeking support for purchasing: updated music recording software for my mac book pro, microphones, HD video cameras, and a digital projector. If you are interested in supporting my journey, please contact me at robin@astralaudio.com.

I’m working on a wide range of massive concert productions for Tiësto in Europe throughout the summer of 2010. I am specifically working as a Senior Account Director for Flavor Group, executing a multi faceted music distribution and marketing effort between SanDisk and Tiësto in the following cities:

London – Victoria Park – July 30, 2010
Berlin – DREAM – July 31, 2010
Moscow – Red Square – August 21, 2010
Frankfurt – September 4, 2010
Stockholm – September 17, 2010
London – September 21, 2010
Paris – September 23, 2010
Abu Dhabi – October 2, 2010

Tiësto will be releasing a full album of exclusive tracks on SanDisk’s microSD technology. Also, the first ever user generated music video will be created out of footage captured by concert attendees at each concert. Check out www.wakeupyourphone.com/tiesto for more details. If you are in Europe on these dates, hit me up, I’d love to see you!

Kids Music Class with Tabla (Indian Drums) on Peninsula

Join Robin Sukhadia for another fun oriented informal Tabla music workshop specially designed for young children between the ages of 3 – 8 years.   It involves a simple, easy to follow lesson on tapping Tabla along with singing Tabla bols, a tap along story, and dancing to Tabla beats. Robin Sukhadia will lead the Tabla lesson and introduce children to traditional Indian rhythms and the percussive language of Tabla.  Each child will get to tap on Tabla provided in the workshop.   A story will be read and the children will bring the story to life by dramatizing it with different sounds on Tablas.  The workshop will end with dancing to Tabla rhythms.  Props such as scarves may be used to add in the fun!

Kids who love to bang would get a real ‘bang’ out of this class, be creative with different sounds, and have a unique musical experience!  No previous experience necessary. Open to all sound loving kids.   Come dressed in your traditional outfit to set the tone!

Two sessions, each lasting 45 minutes, will be offered.  The cost is $20 per child.

Sunday July 11, 2010

10am – 10:45am: 4- 8 years old children (8 participants max)

11am – 11:45am: 3 – 4 years old children (8 participants max)

Location: Burlingame (close to Burlingame Ave, Cal train station, and Highway 101), CA

If you’re interested, please email Rachna at arachna@pacbell.net.  The spaces are filling up quickly.

Kids Music Class with Tabla (Indian Drums) in Marin

Join Robin Sukhadia and Neelanjana Banerjee for a fun oriented informal Tabla music workshop specially designed for young children between the ages of 2 1/2 – 6 years.   Robin will introduce children to traditional north Indian rhythms and the percussive language of Tabla. He will sing along with kids to have them learn the rhythms, followed by a simple Tabla lesson during which each child will be able to play Tablas provided for the workshop participants.   Neelanjana will read a story and the children will bring the story to life and dramatize it by making different sounds on Tablas.  The workshop will end with dancing and singing to Tabla rhythms.

Kids who love to bang would get a real ‘bang’ out of this class, be creative with different sounds, and have a unique musical experience!  No previous experience necessary.  Open to all music loving kids.   At least one parent should attend.

One session, lasting 50 minutes, will be offered.  The cost is $20 per child.

Saturday June 5, 2010 – Saturday

10am – 10:50 am:  2 1/2 – 4 1/2 yrs old children (8 participants max)

Location:

368 Clorinda Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901. Please contact Archie Chattha at archanachattha@gmail.com

or call 415 464-7055 to confirm attendance .  The spaces are filling up quickly!

“In Honor of Our DreamSpeakers”
a celebration honoring the lives and contributions of lesbian and women of color artists whose work has inspired social change, peace and healing in our community. Building upon a tradition begun in 2007, this year we honor 5 artists who do amazing and inspiring work–using the medium of poetry, music, performance art, storytelling, lighting, visual art, spoken word and dance to encompass the essence of what keeps our cultures alive–telling stories we don’t otherwise hear, honoring our ancestors, and supporting our communities

Wednesday, May 26
6:00-8:00p
Performance & Reception

Burial Clay Theater
(African American Art & Culture Complex)
762 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

$10 Donation at the door
Please be advised that tickets generally sell out quickly. Purchase yours tickets today through Brown Paper Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/107589

Amitabh Bachchan in Houston! Neelanjana and I are performing our Deewar Benshi in Texas. The annual Slant Film Festival features an eclectic mix of the best short films made by emerging and mid-career Asian American artists. Curated by Melissa Hung, the founding editor of Hyphen Magazine, Slant provides a fresh perspective on the Asian American experience.

Saturday, May 22, 7 pm
Slant 10 Live: The Neo-Benshi Experience

Featuring Neelanjana Banerjee, Robin Sukhadia, and Goh Nakamura
Super Happy Fun Land

3801 Polk Street

Houston TX
$7 Non-Members, Aurora Picture Show

Click here to purchase tickets!

I am excited to be joining Rupa & the April Fishes on stage at the FILLMORE this coming Sunday!

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We will be playing some new tunes and old favorites, including some bhangra with dancing by Dholrhythms. We are honored to be joined by Adam Theis on trombone (Jazz Mafia), Vicki Virk on bhangra dance moves (Dholrhythms), Robin Sukhadia on tabla and Ralph Carney on sax.

Please come dance with us! This will be our only SF show until this Fall. We will be touring the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe this Summer. Thank you always for your love and support!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

8:00 – 11:00 pm

Wanderlust at the Fillmore -

1805 Geary Boulevard

San Francisco, CA

Influenced by the mysticism of Indian music and the colorful soul of American music, PremaSoul (pronounced prae-ma, from the Sanskrit word for “universal love”), transcends boundaries with an intoxicating blend of rich, modern harmonies and old world rhythms, to create songs of rare beauty.  www.premasoul.com

Sheela Bringi – harp/bansuri
Clinton Patterson – trumpet/piano
Colin Woodford – drumset
Dave Tranchina – bass
Robin Sukhadia – tabla

1) PremaSoul Plays for Haiti @ Kuumbwa Jazz
raising money for Amma’s orphanage in Haiti for children who lost their parents in the earthquake

Saturday, April. 24th, 7:30pm | $20 / $15 students

Kuumbwa Jazz Center
320 Cedar Street
Santa Cruz CA US

*advance tix purchase recommended. please visit: www.amma.org/events/special-events.html

2) An acoustic afternoon house concert with PremaSoul at Wisteria Ways.
www.wisteriaways.org

Sunday, April 25th, 3pm
383 61st Street
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 548-0591  |  info@wisteriaways.org

Cost: $15-20 sliding scale donation (cash only at the door)

Advance reservations are HIGHLY recommended,
contact info@wisteriaways.org or 510-655-2771.