terry riley

"We're Creating New Musical Art Forms Indigenous to Brooklyn."

Our guest for this episode is Neel Murgai. Neel is a sitarist, overtone singer, percussionist, composer, teacher, and Co-Artistic Director of the Brooklyn Raga Massive, a raga inspired musician's collective.  He is a graduate of Goddard College's MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program, and studied sitar with Pundit Ravindra Goswami in Banaras. Neel's music ranges from Indian classical to original compositions and contemporary cross-cultural collaborations. Neel has worked with a diverse array of artists and ensembles, including Adam Rudolph, Wyclef Jean, Cyndi Lauper, Karsh Kale, Samir Chatterjee, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Laraaji, Baba Israel, Andre DeShields, Raz Mesinai, Mission on Mars, Akim Funk Buddha, Loren Conners, Sameer Gupta, Marc Cary, Jay Gandhi, Arun Ramamurthy, Haunted House, and Cosmo Vinyl. He has performed at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, at festivals around the U.S, and appeared on the David Letterman Show, and on a music video for Will Smith's Bel Aire. 

Topics discussed:

Neel's beginnings and interest in music and his beginnings with sitar and other musical pursuits, how the Brooklyn Raga Massive (BRM) began, his sources of inspiration, his experiences as co-Artistic Director for the BRM Orchestra and musicians' blending genres, performances with jazz and rock musicians, and musicians from all over the world, performances and recordings of Terry Riley's "In C." collaborations with Adam Rudolph and the Go Organic Orchestra, the BRM's strong online presence with performances and education during the pandemic, their promotion, PR, marketing, and funding strategies, and the friendship and alliance between the BRM and MFM.

Music on this episode:

"Bagheshri Unbound"  (live recorded improvisation by Neel Murgai using sitar, vocals and loops)

"For Elijah” (Brooklyn Raga Massive Orchestra)

“In D” (Brooklyn Raga Massive Orchestra)

Credits
Producer and host: Dawoud Kringle
Publisher: Musicians For Musicians (MFM), Inc. and Sohrab Saadat Ladjvardi
Technical support: Adam Reifsteck
Links
Be sure to follow and tag MFM on Facebook ([https://www.facebook.com/M4M.org/] and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mfm\_association/).

Bei der Streichquartettbiennale in Amsterdam 2020 ist es Yasmin Hilberdink, der Gründerin und Kuratorin dieses Festivals gelungen, im Muziekgebouw ein Stück Streichquartettparadies zu schaffen. Dieses Festival ermöglicht uns, die unterschiedlichsten Aspekte des Formats Streichquartett und der Formation Streichquartett zu erkunden und zu erleben.

Streichquartett-Biennale Amsterdam

https://www.sqba.nl/?lang=en

Joey Roukens: What Remains (String Quartet IV): performed by the Dudok Quartet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY5rg1QKKtc

Steven Wallace : The House Was Quiet and the World Was Calm  (Lauren Kennedy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqp2tXALD68

Alex Ross : The rest is Noise – Das 20. Jahrhundert hören, Piper Verlag 2013

Das Buch von Alex Ross : „The rest is Noise – Das 20. Jahrhundert hören“ ist ein äußerst informatives, interessantes und spannendes Buch. Wir können die Geschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts im politisch-historischen Kontext über seine Musik neu erleben.

Alex Ross ist Kritiker beim New Yorker

I was 21 when I first heard Pnau. Their debut album Sambanova would become the soundtrack to pre drinks and after parties, it signalled a duo who knew how to bring it, with an exceptional debut of house music. Nick Littlemore was the producer behind it, and alongside Pete Mayes they’d craft many more records, reaching new levels of explosive, ecstatic pop music.  It wasn’t the only project Nick would excel at through. With Luke Steele, he formed Empire of the Sun, and topped the charts in Australia and the States. He’d dabble with Ladyhawke in a band called Teenager, and his latest collaboration is with Al Wright, as the duo Vlossom. Working with others is key to what propels him forward, and since he was a kid he’s sought out like minded creatives to bring his wild ideas to life. Nick Littlemore is one of those larger than life characters, and over the years I would hear him in interviews exclaiming loudly, distorting the mics with his reactions, and generally taking life by the horns. But recently, his mood has shifted. You’ll find out why pretty soon, as Nick shares his songs of enlightenment. From his adopted home of Los Angeles, in his home studio crammed with synths, amps, cords, and just gear, Nick shows a side of himself you’ve never heard before. From Frankie Knuckles to vedic chanting, this is a magical conversation about the power of song.

Frankie Knuckles - Your Love

Alice Coltrane - Om Shanti

Vangala Kasinatha Sarma & Nishtala Suryaprakash Rao - Saraswathi Suktham

The Electric Prunes - Holy Are You

The Terry Riley - A Rainbow In Curved Air