Various concerts with Tenzin and Tabla Tarrango

Since my hectic Japan tour (including two weeks with Tenzin Choegyal) in August and September, I've been enjoying the relaxing space at my Highgate Hill home and getting back into lessons with my tabla students, along with a few concerts on the weekends.  Once again, I've been doing a few shows with Tenzin Choegyal, including a 3 show weekend in the countryside inland from Brisbane doing small concerts fundraising for Tibetan Children's Village.  We've also performed at Gold Coast and Queensland Multicultural Festivals, along with my tabla student performance group Tabla Tarrango.  I'm missing some photos from a few recent concerts, notably Tibet2Timbuk2 with erhu player Nicholas Ng at Crystal Waters on Friday 14th October, a really lovely gig.

Tenzin Choegyal accompanied by Shen (tabla) and Peter Hunt (guitar) at Kaivalya Meru community, 17 Sep 2011

Accompanying Tenzin at Gold Coast Multicultural Festival, 18 Sep 2011

Tabla Tarrango performing at Gold Coast Multicultural Festival
L to R: Sanjey, Jesinthan, Shen, Thejan, Tito

Tenzin with Jacqui and Shen in Glamorgan Vale, 8 Oct 2011 

Glamorgan Vale, 8 Oct 2011

Tabla Tarrango performing at Queensland Multicultural Festival, 16 Oct 2011

Snow Lion Japan tour part 1 - Tokyo, Fuji

From Oct 19 to Nov 16 this year, Tenzin Choegyal and I toured Japan with our good friend, brilliant bansuri player Taro Terahara. Our first concert was in famous Tokyo world music venue, Otoya-Kintoki in Nishi-Ogikubo. We were joined by guest vocalist Nanaco, who sings on Tenzin and Taro's new album "Tibet: Awakened Heart".

On the way to the concert...

The next day we headed off to Gifu for the Sangeet Mela. On the way we had our first ever view of Mt Fuji!

I've created a facebook album with all the photos from this tour, including a few not on this blog.

Nabanita Chowdhury + BSQ Durga Puja

On Oct 15 I was invited to accompany Indian classical vocalist Nabanita Chowdhury at a home concert in St Lucia. Rahim Zullah organised the concert, gave accompaniment on harmonium, and also sang a couple of ghazals at the end of the night. Many thanks to Rubina and Mervyn for providing their home as the venue for this lovely concert.

The following evening I attended the Bengali Society of Queensland (BSQ)'s Durga Puja cultural function, in support of two of my students who performed. Young Diptanu Debroy gave a short tabla solo, for which I accompanied on harmonium. My senior student Tito Basu gave tabla accompaniment for many of the other acts.

Tibet2Timbuk2 @ Crystal Waters

This Sunday Tibet2Timbuk2 got back into concert mode with a very special concert at Crystal Waters Permaculture Community near Conondale in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. A month or so back I'd put out a request on our Facebook page for people to organise some shows for us, and Scott and Rosie at Crystal Waters offered to organise a show there - big big thanks to you guys! We were all really happy with the night, which gave T2T2 an opportunity to really stretch out and play all our songs including a few new ones we're working on.

Yuki opened the night with her beautiful Sanskri mantras, joined by Peter and Marcello adding some subtle tones

Special guest Peter Hunt (Kooii) sang some beautiful jazzy songs, accompanied by Shen on tabla

We played our slower songs in the first half of the set, culminating in our epic journey "Lotus Born"

Things got dancey in the second half of our 100 minute set. Everyone was getting down to that funky Lhasa Beat by the end.

We wound up with everyone singing "Aum Mani Padme Hum" together - a new melody we are working on.

Sangeet Mishra 2010 tour

I've just completed part 1 of a round of concerts with 8th generation sarangi player Sangeet Mishra. I first met Sangeet in Varanasi when I went to practise with his uncle Sukhdev, and last year Sangeet, Taro and I went on a big tour down to Melbourne and back. This year we're just doing a few shows around the Brisbane-Byron area.

Thurs Apr 22 - Tabla Student Concert

I had my best 3 students Indi, Arka and Sanjey each get together a half hour tabla solo to take advantage of the great opportunity to be accompanied by a professional sarangi player. The boys did really well; I'm so proud of them. Our tabla school's next big event is our annual concert on Guru Purnima, July 25 in Mt Gravatt.

Fri Apr 23 - Caloundra

We headed up to the Sunshine Coast where my friend Matt Earsman had offered to get something together for us at late notice at the Yoga and Dance Cafe in Caloundra. On the way we picked up my partner Yuki Taniguchi, who opened all of the concerts with her beautiful meditative Sanskrit mantras. Sangeet presented Puriya Dhanashree in vilambit and drut teentaal and after a break I played tabla solo in Basant Taal (9 beats) and we concluded with a bhajan - Ragupathi Raghava, and a little kirtan with Matt.

Sat 24 Apr - Home concert in Fig Tree Pocket

Rahim Zullah organised a home concert for us at the home of Mahesh and Varsha Narotram - many thanks! This became quite a mehfil, opening with Yuki's mantras and the main item, Sangeet performing Raga Vachaspati in vilambit rupak taal and teentaal and Thumri Manj Khammaj. After a break young Vivek Narotram presented Raga Yaman, Rahim some bhajans and ghazals, and Tahir Qawwali some Punjabi Geets, all accompanied by me on tabla and Sangeet on sarangi.

Sun 25 Apr - afternoon recording, evening concert in Byron Shire

On Sunday we headed down to Byron Shire and first up went to Tahir Qawwali's place in Goonengerry, where he wanted to record Sangeet on a song for his new album.

Then in the evening we went to our regular Ocean Shores home concert venue, Paul Kimmel's Temple of Melodious Sound. As always the audience were numerous and attentive, creating an excellent atmosphere for some powerful musical journeying. After Yuki's opening mantras, Sangeet presented Puriya Kalyan in vilambit ektaal and drut teentaal, followed by Thumri Khammaj. We were joined by Tahir and his partner Barbi for some Qawwali-influenced Pakistani songs. Fantastic!

Mon 26 Apr - afternoon home concert with Swara Mohini

Brisbane Indian cultural association Swara Mohini organised a small home concert for us in the afternoon. Local sitar player Shrabani Choudhury opened the programme with a very sweet Madhuvanti and a light piece in Desh based on Rabindra Sangeet. After Yuki's mantras, Sangeet performed Hemavati in vilambit ektaal and drut teentaal, and a Thumri.

T + S 2009 pt 6 - Melbourne

After the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine, Taro, Sangeet and I stayed 5 days in Melbourne, starting with a concert at Prana House in Thornbury with tabla player Glen Kniebeiss. While in Melbourne we stayed at our friend Vinod Prasanna's place - thanks Vinod and Lisa! Vinod is a bansuri player from Varanasi who was in Munna House at the same time as me a couple of years ago.

Glen and I took turns accompanying on tabla at the concert.

Shen, Taro, Sangeet and Glen Kniebeiss at Prana House, Thornbury
Glen is playing really nicely and I'm always very happy to play with him. It's quite rare for tabla players to get along musically.

Vinod Prasanna at Magpie House, Upwey

Glen, Taro, Vinod and Shen in a double bansuri, double tabla extravaganza on the coldest night of the tour.

Two Aussie tabla devotees - Glen Kniebeiss and Shen Flindell

Sangeet and Taro with Melbourne tabla player Sam Evans.
Sam had Sangeet accompany his tabla lessons for a couple of days. Taro and I had a couple of rest days so we went about town meeting a few Indian music folks.

Shen, Taro and Denis Phelan. Denis is currently learning sitar from Sugato Nag of Kolkata.

A beautiful sunset view of Melbourne from Vinod's place.

Vinod, Shen and Sangeet jamming at Vinod's place.

On our last day in Melbourne we gave a lecture/demonstration at Box Hill TAFE Music School - many thanks to Jonathan Dimond for having us!

We discussed the differences between Ragas Todi, Multani and Madhuwanti, then presented a few taals and a tabla solo in teentaal, then presented a 20 minute raga.

Finally we invited Jonathan to join us for Raga Bhairavi

... and then drove back to Wangaratta

Next stop on the Taro & Sangeet tour, Canberra...

More Kyushu concert photos

More photos from my recently completed tour of Kyushu with Hide Iwai...

Playing at a home concert in Fukuoka (last Tuesday) - thanks to Amigo-chan for having us!

Our main concert, at Kumamoto International Hall, last Thursday

Hide @ Kumamoto International Hall - nice smile, hey?

Some people commented that it was really nice that we smiled at each other so much.
(Don't tell anybody - everytime we smiled it's because we made a mistake!)

Part of my tabla solo @ Kumamoto International Hall - something strange going on here, not sure what...

I found Kyushu to be quite spacious compared to other parts of Japan, and the people to be very warm, open and a little wacky. Really nice! It reminded me a bit of Australia. Thanks so much to Hide Iwai for inviting me to Kyushu and organising this tour. We had lots of fun travelling around Kyushu, visiting various onsens (see next post) and meeting really nice people. Thanks also to Chikako-san of Cafe Rinya for giving me a room this week.

Our Kyushu schedule was:

• Mon Jul 2 - arrive Kokura, concert @ Brick Hall in Moji
• Tue Jul 3 - home concert at Amigo's house in Fukuoka
• Wed Jul 4 - bus to Kumamoto, settle at Cafe Rinya
• Thu Jul 5 - concert at Kumamoto International Hall
• Fri Jul 6 - concert at Gallery Ado (candle-lit)
  
• Sat Jul 7 - free concert at Annapurna Farm (organic farming community workshop weekend), Gekkatei Onsen
  
• Sun Jul 8 - concert at Bonga Curry
• Mon Jul 9 - rest at Cafe Rinya
• Tue Jul 10 - visit Mt Aso, Jigoku Onsen, home concert at Makoto's house in Nishihara
• Wed Jul 11 - last onsen visit, back to Rinya
• Thu Jul 12 - shinkansen to Kyoto