This concert features the importance of Basant or Spring in the mystical traditions of South Asia. Acclaimed Indian classical vocalist, Vidushi Ramneek Singh will render shabads (meditative hymns) from the Guru Granth Sahib in the ragas of Basant, Bahar and Hindol. She will also present aspects of Spring from the Sufi poetry of masters such as Amir Khusraw. Accompanists include Shreyas Ravi (Harmonium) and Abhay Kulkarni (Tabla).
Attendees are asked to wear yellow, if possible, as we celebrate spring. A meet and greet will take place following the performance. Parking is available across the street in the Central Grounds Parking Garage for a fee. Attendees are encouraged to consider attending a pre-concert workshop on February 19th as well!
This event is presented by the Poetry, Mysticism, and Performance Working Group and is cosponsored by the Contemplative Sciences Center and Mr. Sartj Alag.
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An internationally acclaimed Indian Classical vocalist, Ramneek Singh is a renowned musician at stages in Canada and around the world. She prides herself in being a devotee of Ustad Amir Khan's Indore Gharana, a distinctively meditative and serene style of Khayal presentation. Her elaborate explanations of Raag and her musical pieces in English are a key to her successful shows as she connects with a wide range of audiences.
Over her career, she has trained with many maestros, including Vidushi Amarjeet Kaur (a senior disciple of Ustad Amir Khan), Pt. Vinayak Torvi and briefly under Pt. Rajan Mishra. The influence of many masters and decades of vocal training gave Singh the freedom to refine her own style and impart expressive feelings to her technically sound renditions in a wide repertoire that includes Khayal, Thumri, Bhajan, Gurbani Shabad and Sufiana. Singh has performed on prestigious stages including, the “Raag Amir Indore Festival”, “Tansen Samaroh” in Gwalior, and “Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Samaroh”, the oldest running festival in the world. Singh has composed music for several popular OMNI TV shows like “Chardi Kala” and “Rabbi Noor” in Canada and her recent CDs, Saanjh and Bandishein, and have been critically acclaimed for musical tonal quality, raag rendition, poetry, and sound engineering. Singh has received numerous awards, including the "Women's Hero Award" for music, and has provided guest lectures for several universities, including University of Victoria, MIT, and University of Buffalo, where she discussed the art, science and emotion in music and the potential of music to bridge the gap between North American and Indian culture. Ramneek and her school, “Sur Rang Music Academy” aim to make South Asian Classical Music an integral part of Canada’s art scene, and promote harmony and mutual respect among the South Asian diaspora alongside the larger Canadian Society.