Sarwar E Alam - voice/electronics
Julia MacDonell - horn
Tarana Rouf Kanta - harmonium
How harmoniously do the fusion of two distinct musical cultures intertwine in practice? Do sentiments of love, affection and yearning traverse the boundaries of diverse cultural landscapes? Indian Classical musicians Sarwar E Alam and Tarana Rouf Kanta with Western Art Music musician Julia MacDonell will explore possibilities of what happens when east meets west.
Their recital on Sunday 24 September will feature music from ancient devotion to Shiva fusing them with Bengali TV drama tunes and Yiddish theatre song, played on the surprising instrument combination of voice, electronic, natural horn and harmonium.
Raag Kirwani featuring song 'Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn' ('To Me You're Beautiful') by Sholom Secunda (1894 - 1974)
Raag Jog featuring traditional bandish and song 'Tomake Bhalobeshe' by Joy Sarkar (1972 - )
Raag Malkauns featuring traditional bandish
Tarana Rouf Kanta
Tarana is a renowned vocal artist with experience performing across UK and Europe. As one of the founding members of Sitar Fusion since 1999 she has performed in multiple festivals, local community TV and radio stations as well as performed in numerous stage shows. She is also a music teacher and educator, and community facilitator who's work with the community has been featured in the Lord Mayor’s Show. She was a listed vocal artist on Bangladesh TV and has experience of researching on Nazrul songs with the Nazrul Institute in Bangladesh. She studied music at the Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (Bangladesh) specialising in Nazrul songs.
Sarwar E Alam
A renowned Indian Classical vocal artist, Sarwar is specialises in Indore and Patiala Gharana singing styles. Sarwar is a disciple of Ustad Akhtar Sadmani and Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. He has been involved in cultural activities across UK and Europe as a founder member of Sitar Fusion. Sarwar's vocals can often be heard performing in different community TV and radio stations and regularly performing numerous stage shows. He has extensive experience in fusion music using Indian classical and different genres of European music.
Julia MacDonell
Julia is an Australian/British French horn player, music workshop facilitator and teaching artist.
In Australia, Julia studied at the Australian National University School of Music, received a Postgraduate Trust scholarship and completed her Masters of Music (Performance) at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Since completing her studies she has freelanced, playing modern and period horns in London and Paris with orchestras like the City Bach Collective, Vox Vanguard, London Classical Soloists, London Arts Orchestra, Orchestre de la Cité International, the Co-Opera Co, Voce Chamber Orchestra, Armonico Consort and regularly records for Wave Runner Audio. For International Women’s Day 2019 she performed Ruth Gipps’ demanding ‘Horn Concerto’ Op. 58 with London orchestra Harmony Sinfonia.
She is passionate about musical inclusion, working with early years music, children with special education needs and children in challenging circumstances. She currently works as a producer and workshop facilitator for charities Music For Open Ears and Creative Futures UK. She has worked as a guest facilitator and educator for LSO Discovery and Junior Guildhall. She has also assisted with education projects at the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Wigmore Hall and Barbican Education.
Collaborating together, Tarana Rouf Kanta, and Sarwar E Alam, and Julia MacDonell like to explore the fusion point between different musical cultures. In addition to their own musical specialisms together they have explored music from Turkey, Australia, Bangladesh and India performing at the Nehru Centre (the cultural wing of The High Commission of India in UK).