Sangam at Bunjil Program 2021

Sangam 2021 PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL OF SOUTH ASIA & DIASPORA ARTS | MUSIC | DANCE | WORKSHOPS | SCREENINGS | DEVELOPMENT | CONVERSATIONS

Sangam at Bunjil Saturday, March 6, 2021

Sangam at Bunjil Saturday, March 6, 2021 “New Homes”, is a groundbreaking musical work by Hari Sivanesan written for a classical string quartet in the structure of a Western quartet whilst respecting the genres, (Carnatic, Gurmat Sangeet, Hindustani and Western Classical) that the instruments hail from. The work features the Sarod, (17 stringed plucked lute), Taus (28 stringed, fretted, bowed lute), Veena (7 stringed lute) and Double Bass and is themed on displacement and migration.

New Homes Choirs premieres a Carnatic choral work, “Songs for the Earth”, written by eminent singer, teacher and composer Uthra Vijay. The work, which speaks to the Earth and climate change, brings together voice, percussion and instrumentals. They work across four movements in a unique blend.

“The Flowering Tree” is an exciting and unique new multi-artform performance, directed by Hari Sivanesan and Priya Srinivasan in collaboration with nine emerging artists. In a screen adaptation of an Indian folktale, the tale offers a myriad of possibilities and metaphors that take on issues like climate change and violence against women through the mediums of spoken word, sound and movement. The Flowering Tree is the culmination of “South Asian Arts Pathways”, a program for exceptional classically-trained artists from Melbourne’s South East region to professionalise and develop new work. Over eight months, they have been mentored by renowned local and international artists including Shreya Devnath, Veena Basavarajaiah and Natesha Somasundaram. The production was filmed and edited by Evolve Digital Media, with visual design by Siying Zhou.

New Homes String Quartet Sarod: Rahul Bhattacharya

Saby Rahul Bhattacharya is an exponent of the sarod, a 19th string North Indian classical instrument. His training began with vocal music from the age of 5, followed by a stint in classical guitar before settling on the sarod as his instrument of choice. He trained under legendary sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan who is widely considered the greatest living master of this instrument. Saby has further enhanced his musical training with ongoing guidance from sitar maestros Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan and Pandit Sugato Nag. He has collaborated with other musical genres including classical, jazz, South Indian Classical music and folk traditions from various countries. He is particularly passionate about encouraging the next generation of young musicians in Australia to take this tradition forward and organizes concerts and soirees for the youth on a regular basis. He authored the first and only method book for the sarod in 2012.

Taus: Bimal Singh

Bimal Singh is an exceptionally talented emerging artist, born here in Melbourne. Born into a Punjabi Sikh family meant that Gurmat Sangeet was of the utmost importance and Bimal has therefore been immersed in its traditions since birth. At just 18 years of age, he is a soulful Gurmat Sangeet and Hindustani Classical vocalist and also instrumentalist. He plays the Taus, a bowed peacock shaped string instrument of the Sikh tradition and Raag music under Guruji Ustad Satnam SIngh. Bimal has just completed year 12 and is now about to started further studies at university.

Veena: Hari Sivanesan

Composer and multi-instrumentalist, Hari Sivanesan is a unique representation of the new generation of Indian classical-contemporary artists of international acclaim. He was born and trained in the UK and brings his Sri Lankan, Tamil heritage, South Indian and Western classical music training together. Years of classical training, and contemporary mentorship has evolved his practice, performance style and mindset to negotiate both the austere classicism of the South Asian arts with researched, experimental and contemporary work in the UK and internationally. Hari, as a soloist on Veena, accompanist, musical director, researcher, composer and curator, has pioneered projects in partnership with BBC Radio & TV, BBC Proms, UK WOMADs, the Royal Opera House, The Boite, Multicultural Arts Victoria and Bunjil Place. He is Co-Director of the South Asian Arts Pathways Program commissioned

by The City of Casey and Bunjil Place. He is the co-Artistic Director of Sangam: Performing Arts Festival of South Asia and Diaspora in partnership with MAV, Abbotsford Convent, Drum Theatre, Bunjil Place and Dancehouse enabling a single platform for classical, contemporary and experimental forms.

Double Bass: Rohan Dasika

Rohan Dasika is a double bassist with a diverse musical life in Australia and abroad. A graduate of the ANU School of Music in Canberra, and the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne, he has worked on contracts in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Frankfurter Opern-und-Museumsorchester, as well as performing at chamber music festivals across Australia. After being awarded the Freedman Classical Fellowship in 2019, Rohan has begun taking his first steps towards bringing the South Indian side of his heritage into his music, and since April 2020 has been studying online with the Chennaibased violinist V.S Narasimhan.

New Homes Choir

Swarnalakshmi Sankarmahadevan Swarna is a music enthusiast who is passionate about Carnatic Music and has been a student of Keerthana Music School for the past 1 year.

Manisha Jothin Manisha has been learning Carnatic at Keerthana Music School since she was 6 years old and has recently started teaching junior students of the school. She and is also a violin student of Sri Murali Kumar and has performed in a variety of concerts around Melbourne, including fundraising and social awareness programs.

Subhashini Vaidhyanathan Subhashini has been learning Carnatic Music at Keerthana Music School for the last 11 years but has been involved in Music in some way or another throughout her life. Listening to, and learning music revitalises and rejuvenates her.

Nandini Venkat Subramoney Nandini was first introduced to Carnatic Music at the age of 8 and she is now a student of Smt. Uthra Vijayaraghavan at Keerthana Music School.

Akhila Pokkuluri Akhila was inspired by her musical grandparents to start learning Carnatic Music and has been a student of Keerthana Music School for the last 2 years and always had an inclination to various creative arts.

Janani Ganeshan Janani was first introduced to Carnatic music at a very young age by her parents and grandparents and has been a student of Keerthana Music School for the past 3 years.

Swaathi Subramanian Swaathi started learning Carnatic music at the age of 5 at Keerthana Music School and is also a violin student of Sri Murali Kumar. She has since been involved in many events and community service activities through her music.

Uthra Vijay is the Artistic Director of Keerthana School of Music in Melbourne that she founded in 2003. She is a versatile artist, composer and educator, who is equally comfortable working in the classical realm or experimenting with non-classical forms of music including popular music and contemporary forms. She has an extensive background in Indian classical music, having trained with legendary singer and guru S.P. Ramh (from the Lalgudi School) and winning several awards and performing in a range of venues in India and Australia and has directed several concerts. She has also composed and sung for dance in classical and contemporary performances in Melbourne for several festivals such as Mapping Melbourne, Jaipur Literary Festival and AsiaTOPA. She has worked extensively on inter-cultural and site specific performances as well as “Talking Dances” with dancer/choreographer Priya Srinivasan and Iranian, Yiddish, Surinamese, Flamenco and Indigenous singers in Melbourne, Chennai, Bangalore, London, Hamburg, Berlin, Amsterdam and Barcelona. For Sangam, Uthra will be premiering an exciting new composition for a women’s choir based on human relationships with the Earth Mother. She is a co curator of Sangam: Performing Arts Festival of South Asia and Diaspora. Her main goal is to work for South Asian, migrant and wider communities to open minds and hearts through music.

With instrumentation by

Thabo Mohanakumar - ghatam Having completed his mridangam and percussion training under the tutelage of Sri. Balasri Rasiah, and advanced training under Sri. T. R. Sundaresan, Thabo has performed as an accompanying percussionist for a broad and diverse range of fellow artists. Thabo has had the opportunity to perform as a percussionist in a range of concerts and dance productions, including performances in curated by Gamaka Australia, Sangam, CMC Melbourne, dance productions presented by the Bharathalaya Academy and various musical ensembles throughout Melbourne.

Subramanya Sastry - flute Subbu is a passionate Bansuri flautist from India. He has performed in over 500 concerts in India and around the world including Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and Australia, where he has been living since 2017. He has been awarded numerous prestigious accolades including Best Instrumentalist by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Central Government of India

Hari Sivanesan - veena

South Asian Arts Pathways - “The Flowering Tree” Artists Arpitha Shastry Arpitha Shastry is a Melbourne based Bharatanatyam dancer and physiotherapist.

As a disciple of Smt. Meena Elankumaran and Nadanalaya Academy she has had the opportunity to be part of many esteemed concerts and productions throughout the years. Being part of the Pathways program has given her a wonderful opportunity to interact with other talented artistes and explore her creative abilities. Arpitha hopes to continue to be a part of this excellent movement initiated by Sangam to bring the South Asian arts to a wider audience.

Devinya Kugathas Devinya Kugathas currently learns Vocal music from Sri Ahilan Sivanandan and Violin from Sri Murali Kumar. Over the years, she has been involved in many solo and group performances for multiple concerts held in Melbourne. She looks forward to integrating her two passions in this project and hopes the presentation of South Asian art continues to thrive in the wider community.

Eashaa Swaminathan Eashaa Swaminathan a University Student with a great passion for Indian Classical Art forms.

Currently Learning Vocal & Bharatanatyam since 2009, and Veena since 2017, under the tutelage of Smt. Uthra Vijayaraghavan(vocal), Smt. Rathika Mahadeva(Bharatanatyam) and Sri. Gopinath Iyer & Smt.Madhuri Nadimpalli(veena). Over the years she has been involved in various concerts held here in Melbourne. The art forms are a great reflection of her life and the key objective is to become a renowned musician and establish herself in the Art forms.

Ishaana Sood Ishaana is a 22 year old dancer and university student born in Melbourne. She has trained in the Indian classical dance style of Bharatanatyam under Professor Chandrabhanu and Ambika Docherty since 2003, and spent most of her childhood running between Bharatalaya Academy and ballet classes – a happy reflection of her mixed cultural heritage.

Keshav Ramachandran Born and brought up in Melbourne, and formally learnt Carnatic vocals for 3 years from Smt. Shobha Shekhar from 2006-2009, and then continued for another 2 years under the mentorship of Late Prof.

G Narsimhan. He started learning mandolin from Shri Nataraj Babji at the age of 6, and then from Late Mandolin Maestro Shri U Shrinivas in Chennai during my annual visits, from 2007 until his demise in 2014.

He seeks to broaden his musical enterprise through versatility and independent learning / self-teaching.

Keshav is an active musician who is equally at home in experimenting with popular and classical forms of music.

Kirshan Sabeshkumar Kirshan Sabeshkumar is a percussionist from Melbourne. A student of Shri Yogarajah Kandasamy, he completed his arangetram in 2015. Having performed on multiple stages since then, he has grew his passion for mridangam and other percussive art forms. He has contributed his rhythmic ideas and percussion in this years Flowering Tree project.

Maiyuren Srikumar Maiyuren Srikumar is a violinist and composer who has been trained in both Classical Western music, as well as Carnatic music under Smt. Narmatha Ravichandhira. Maiyuren is a sought-after soloist and accompanist who regularly performs in venues all over Melbourne, including the prestigious Melbourne Recital Centre. A contemporary musician who seeks to combine and create music that reflects many second-generation migrants’ distinct identity, Maiyuren’s unique compositions have been realised in productions, short-films, and documentaries, around Melbourne and Sydney.

Shyam Srinivas Shyam is a 20 year Melbourne born musician and university student currently studying at Monash University. He has been under the tutelage of Smt. Uthra Vijayaraghavan in carnatic vocals ever since a young age. Apart from music, Shyam is a passionate cricket player and also enjoys travelling.

Siddarth Murali Manohar Siddarth was introduced to Carnatic Music at an early age by his mother Smt. Anitha Murali. He has been under the vocal tutelage of Smt. Bhavani Govindan (Sydney) since 2003, and has been learning Veena from Sri Hari Sivanesan (Melbourne) for just under a year. He is a regular and active participant in the cultural scene of Sydney and Melbourne.

The artists are students of: Ahilan Sivanandan, Bhavani Govindan, Dr. Chandrabhanu OAM, Meena Elankumaran, Murali Kumar, Narmatha Ravichandhira, Late U Srinivas, Uthra Vijay, Yogan Kandasamy Artistic Direction: Hari SIvanesan

Artistic Direction: Dr. Priya Srinivasan Priya is a performer/choreographer/writer who lives and works in the lands of the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung people in Narrm/Melbourne combining theory and practice to work towards social justice issues through art. Her performances prioritize feminist decolonization processes making visible minority women’s histories. Her experimental, postcolonial site-specific work rooted in South Asian classical dance practice has been presented in major festivals and venues such as universities, museums, galleries, and theatres internationally in USA, Europe, China, India and Australia. With a PhD in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, Priya is the author of the award winning book “Sweating Saris: Indian Dance as Transnational Labour.” Her intercultural collaborative work with First Nations artists “Serpent dreaming women” and “Churning Waters” toured India for Australia Fest.

She has curated and choreographed several solo, duet, and large scale projects in partnership with Hermitage Museum Amsterdam, Berlin Wall Memorial, Rockbund Art Museum Shanghai, Dakshina Chitra and Spaces Chennai, Adishakti Puducherry, Highways Los Angeles, MAV, Bunjil Place and Dancehouse. Currently she is working on an experimental, feminist dance/theatre project with the Keerthana Carnatic Women’s Choir “s3:Sthree” with Artshouse which is supported by Creative Victoria and Australia Council. She is Co-Director of the South Asian Arts Pathways Program commissioned by The City of Casey and Bunjil Place. She is the co-Artistic Director of Sangam: Performing Arts Festival of South Asia and Diaspora in partnership with MAV, Abbotsford Convent, Drum Theatre, Bunjil Place and Dancehouse enabling a single platform for classical, contemporary and experimental forms.

Visual Design: Siying Zhou Born in China, Siying Zhou is Melbourne (Naarm) based artist. Zhou’s practice draws upon her self-reflection on her Chinese heritage and her ongoing interrogation of the ontological value of the female Asian immigrant to western societies. By producing predominantly installation works, Zhou uses spatial structure and various media, such as video, photography, performance, drawings and text, to create a complex and multifarious narrative space where the meaning and knowledge come from various slippages and contradictions. Zhou intends to seek for epistemological configuration through her works.

Zhou holds several Masters degrees in the art, including a Master of Fine Art from the Victorian College of the Arts, the University of Melbourne (2017). Zhou’s artworks have been exhibited nationally and internationally, and are included in private collections. Her recent solo exhibitions include Drawing Dashes between Dots, Ararat Art Gallery TAMA, VIC (2020); We Watch Them to be Ready for Their Arrival, C3 Contemporary Art Space, VIC (2019); Disguise Me, Mailbox Art Space, VIC (2019). Her works are also shown in group exhibitions, such as West Projections Festival, Momentum, VIC (2020); Between Two Worlds, Newcastle Art Gallery, NSW (2019), We Are We Eat, a touring exhibition in NT (continuing); Those Monuments Don’t Know Us, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, VIC (2019). Zhou is the winner of the Linden Art Prize 2019 and the National Gallery of Victoria Women’s Association Award twice in 2015 and 2017.

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