Across Cultures: Ragas in Western Consciousness

Hidayat Husain Khan, a direct descendant and proponent of one of the most treasured lineages of eastern classical music, sitarist Hidayat Husain Khan was destined for stardom. Youngest son of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, globally acclaimed as the greatest of all sitarists, Hidayat Husain Khan harbors a rare, creative brilliance that effortlessly takes him across all genres and nuances of music. A charming transition from the very classical to the very colloquial, from playing the intricate Etawa/Vilayatkhani Gharana to performing with the Rolling Stones. An exquisite sitar player and vocalist well-versed in the ‘Gayaki ang’, a unique rendition where voice blends with the instrument, Hidayat Husain Khan carries the torch of a coveted lineage spanning seven generations of outstanding vocal and instrumental court musicians. Hidayat Khan has lent his versatility in several film score compositions and has performed in numerous classical and fusion concerts, independently and in collaboration with such illustrious musical names as, Ndugu Chancler, Ronnie Woods, Alicia Keys, Usher, Zakir Hussain, Pete Townshend, Will.I.Am, Jay Z and Darryl Jones. Invited from all over the world Hidayat Husain Khan has enthralled audiences in major performances in Europe, Japan, USA, Malaysia, Canada, Singapore, and India. He has performed in such prestigious venues as Royal Albert Hall in London, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C, Carnegie Hall and Alicetuly Hall in New York.

Amit Inderdeo is the epitome of these attributes which reflects in his work as an accomplished singer, produc-er, and songwriter. His melodic and dynamic vocals evoke the deepest of emotions. His ability to fuse different genres of music together connects his audience to the essence of what music represents.Amit’s journey began at the age of seven when he was introduced to the tabla by his father and first Guru, Vish-nu Inderdeo. This became the gateway to Amit’s lifelong journey of submersion into the world of music. During his early years, his interest grew to include North Indian classical vocals. Under the strict guidance of Pandit Nandkishore Muley, Amit took his first step towards studying the art of Hindustani classical music. As hispassion and mastery of the intricacies of this genre deepened, he furthered his studies and vocal training withRajesh Kelkar, a scholar vocalist and professor of The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.Achievements and accolades are no stranger to Amit, who cites his proudest moment as his collaborations with world renowned playback singer Udit Narayan on his first album “Vandana” and India’s beloved Sufi singer RichaSharma on his single “Maula Hu.” Truly a dynamic and evolving musician, Amit is constantly embarking on new endeavors to fulfill his vision of taking his love for music global. This includes concentrating his efforts on his role as a versatile and experienced music producer. Along with his esteemed friend and partner, sitarist HidayatKhan, Amit has formed the fusion band VINYL KUT in which he is not only the lead vocalist but also engineers and producers the band’s music

A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, Greg Hatza’s  musical instincts came to him as early and as naturally as the ability to walk, and he was picking out blues and boogie woogie tunes on the piano around age four before starting formal lessons shortly thereafter.  The Hammond B-3 organ became his life’s obsession as a teenager, when a friend turned him on to records by Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Ray Charles, and Johnny Hammond Smith. In P.A. he met Baltimore Colts football great and jazz fan Lenny Moore who asked the teenager to perform at a club he was opening in Baltimore.  Moore became Greg’s manager and Baltimore became Greg’s home. Greg’s formal education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Composition from the Peabody Conservatory and a Master’s from Towson State University, where he subsequently taught jazz, piano composition, improvisation and music theory for many years. Hatza also expanded his stylistic scope over the years to include distinct ethnic elements. Beginning in 1974, Hatza studied tabla and sitar under Ustad Hamid Hossain over 15 years. He later performed ragas on piano in concert with Hamid, in the U.S., India and Bangladesh. In 1986, Hatza won first place on tabla in the annual "All Indian Music Competition" held at UMBC in Maryland. Somehow he also found time in the summer of 1987 to participate in my recording project Foreign Affairs. In 1996, Hatza began the study of Chinese classical music on the erhu, a two stringed Chinese fiddle, under a Shanghai instructor, Liang Shan Tang. In 1994, he formed the Greg Hatza ORGANization and has been performing and recording on the instrument non-stop since that time.

Enayet Hossain was born into a musical family, his grandfather, the late great Ustad Kader Buksh was acknowledged as one of India’s foremost musicologist/musician. Enayet learned the tabla from his father, Ustad Hamid Hossain, a very well known Indian music teacher and musician based in the United States. Enayet was born in Bangladesh and raised in the United States and represents a new breed of musicians who received their musical training outside of India.  Enayet is a versatile performer of tabla. He is at ease with accompaniment with North Indian classical music, instrumental music, light and semi classical music including thumri, ghazal, dadra etc… as well as giving solo performances. Enayet has over 14 compact disc recordings available where he is featured. Enayet started accompanying India’s top musicians from an early age. While only 17, he accompanied Aftab-E-Sitar Ustad Vilayat Khan on several concerts. He has since accompanied artists like Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Pandit Jasraj, Budhaditya Mukherjee, Shujaat Khan, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan and countless others. Enayet, who grew up in the United States since the age of 4 represents a new breed of musicians who have learned the art of music in outside of India.  Enayet has several music compact discs to his credit and has performed tabla throughout the United States and India.  He has been featured in many newspapers as a leading artist. He also received many citations from the state of Maryland for his outstanding contributions to the propagation of Indian music and its synthesis in American society. He has also received a grant from the Governor of Maryland as an artist in residence. Enayet has studied Computer Science in college and has brought his knowledge in Computer Science and mixed it with his musicianship.  This enabled him to create some of the most ground-breaking products of Indian music.  His first venture, with his close friend, Patrick Gomes was to release something that was an introduction to the instrument he loved so dearly. This lead to the development, and creation of Tabla Volume 1: A Journey Into Eastern Percussion. This cdrom has been critically acclaimed and has since been used in various musicology programs throughout the world. It is available from http://www.aimrec.com or http://www.amazon.com. The cdrom proved that the art of Indian music is alive and well and a vast amount of people throughout the world are interested in learning this and exploring the possibilities. Enayet along with another close associate of his, Anjan Chattopadhyay together thought that the next release should be a comprehensive multimedia encyclopedia of Indian music; something that would facilitate further interest in Indian music.  Sangeetpedia was born, and will undoubtedly become something that the future generations can use to gain a greater understanding of Indian music and its intricacies.  Enayet is not only a musician par excellence, but also someone who is in a position to combine technology with traditional music. Not to fuse it with another form of music or dilute it in any way, but to propagate it in its original form; the only difference being that the presentation is facilitated in an easier package that makes today’s generation able to access and learn from it. Enayet is also the founding member of Melodic Intersect, a world fusion group bringing together internationally renowned musicians throughout the world.  Melodic Intersect has already published four CDs, of which Inner Vision and Global Vision was entered for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.  Inner Vision went on to get the nomination for the Independent Music Awards in 2015.  Enayet is also one of a selective group of musicians who are voting members with the Recording Academy and votes actively for the Grammy Awards every year.

Alleyah Asgghar, a media professional for over two decades has led creative teams across multiple mediums. From advertising to broadcast radio and television, she has worked on brands and ideas from conception to execution. She has also explored the world of performing arts by creating a series of Hindustani Classical music Baithaks called Haroof. A constant effort to promote and propel new artists is what makes these concerts appreciated by the art loving community. As founder of ALSO, Alleyah engages with audiences and brands in creating content suited to them. In the ever growing world of digital media, she has a creator's role.