PERFORMING ARTS Indo American Association Presents Berklee Indian Ensemble: The Shuruaat

Houston: The Berklee Indian Ensemble is bringing its genrebending sound to Houston for the first time ever! Fresh off the release of their GRAMMY nominated debut album, Shuruaat, the Ensemble is on the road with a slate of originals, new arrangements, songs from the album, and, of course, audience favorite classics. Join some of the Ensemble’s most recognizable faces for an evening of joy, celebration, laughs, and of course, incredible music.

The Ensemble was founded in 2011 by Annette Philip, the first Indian music faculty member at the Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA). It is a world renowned collective known for honoring its Indian roots while boldly experimenting with a cross-pollination of genres, and multi-disciplinary art. The ensemble boasts over 300 million YouTube views and has organically transitioned from a university ensemble to a professional band.

Featuring over 400 students and alumni from 52 nations, the ensemble has collaborated with some of the world’s most celebrated musicians such as Pt. Zakir Hussain and A.R. Rahman.

In a world that is highly divided, Philip sees the band’s function as one of building bridges; a freewheeling approach to musical cultures that prioritizes the people who make them, rather than the restrictions of genre or form. “There is a unique power when musicians from different cultural and musical backgrounds make art together with vulnerability and openness in a space that celebrates their similarities and differences….The mu- sic that gets created in this space comes across viscerally and allows a song in a foreign language to feel completely relatable because of the human connection, making you want to be part of it.”

The Indo-American Association of Houston (IAA) is the area’s longest running nonprofit arts organization with a mission to preserve and promote the performing arts of the Indian subcontinent. Now in its 30th season, it provides a platform for world-renowned artists as well as emerging artists in venues such as the Wortham Center, Brown Auditorium, Hobby Centre, MATCH, Asia Society and Stafford Civic Center. Over the years, IAA has built a reputation of fostering the appreciation of performing arts within the diverse Houston community.

Upcoming Events

SUMI: Tuesday, April 11. IAA in partnership with PrathamUSA present this special event showcasing an inspiring story on the topic of rural education in Maharashtra, India. It is a family friendly event and age appropriate from children over 6 years of age. This screening will be in Hindi with English subtitles. Producer Harshall Kamat will be at the event for a live Q&A and meet and greet after the event.

Set in rural India, Sumi is an “optimistic and inspiring tale” of a 12-year-old underprivileged

Sumati, who dreams of getting a bicycle to commute to her school many miles away from her village.

To meet her modest need, she embarks on an extraordinary journey marked by struggle, ambition, commitment and friendship.

Sumi is the winner of two National Film Awards (India): Best Children’s Film and Best Child Artist

This event will be held at The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Brown Auditorium. Reservations are required for this event and registration will open in early March.

IN CONVERSATION: Saturday, April 22 @ 6:00 PM masterclass; 7:30 PM, recital

Partha Bose, Sitar with Indranil Mallick, tabla. Pre-concert demonstration, masterclass and discussion followed by a full recital at University of Houston, Dudley Recital Hall

A globally acknowledged maestro, with a flair for cross-cultural outreach, presents a Sitar recital with an interactive, one-of-a-kind masterclass and artistic discussion preceding the event.

From “Sa to Sa”, Saturday, May 13.

Kaushiki Chakraborty, Ut. Murad Ali Khan, Sarangi, Yashwant Vaishnav, Tabla. Tanmay Deochake, Harmonium, at Cullen Theater, Wortham Center at 7:30 pm.

One of India’s jewels of classical music and a continuously rising star. She was the 2020 recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar (national award for women’s empowerment), her music and vocal prowess is known world-wide, and she is the torchbearer of the Patiala tradition.

Visit iaahouston.org for more information.