Saturday, October 7, 2023
2:00 PM - 1:30 Doors
FREE w/ RSVP

South Asia Institute, 1925 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60616

The Shades of Blue, all building open house programs are featured in conjunction with the South Asia Institute’s upcoming “Indigo: The Blue Gold” art exhibition by Shelly Jyoti which is focused on and is themed around the history associated with the blue dye derived from the indigo plant that has touched many communities across the world. Through this series of free performances and events, the South Asia Institute (SAI) looks to help highlight, educate, and celebrate the roots and journeys of Chicago blues music and jazz music, and South Asian performing arts and share the parallel stories of the color blue dye and Indigo plant’s own journey.

Here are the featured performers and film for the third edition of Shades of Blue.

Ishti Collective (Dance)
Kavita Shah's Cape Verde Blues Project (Music)
The Arab Blues with special guest Arun Visvanath on mridangam (Music)
Billy Branch & Saraswathi Ranganathan Duo (Music)

ISHTI COLLECTIVE:
Ishti Collective celebrates expressions, shares joy through collaborative practices, and fosters meaningful dialogue through radical acts of dance, storytelling, and artistic risk-taking. Ishti fosters an environment where artists engage with the community to generate meaningful and accessible works that reflect our current times. Ishti's works have been presented their dance programs at the Defibrillator Gallery, High Concept Labs, Zhou B Arts, Chicago Fringe, Pivot Arts, Elevate Chicago, Going Dutch, Festival ; amongst others. Featured dancers Tuli Bera and Kinnari Vora are looking forward to presenting a special duet for the Shades of Blue series at the South Asia Institute.

THE ARAB BLUES w/ Special Guest ARUN VISVANATH:
The Arab Blues was developed by Lebanese-Egyptian oud, buzuq, and guitar player Rami Gabriel through a research fellowship at the Center for Black Music Research, two Illinois Artist grants, and a decade of experience as a jazz and blues musician in Chicago. Dr. Rami Gabriel is the author of The Emotional Mind (Harvard University Press, 2019) and A Suspicious Science (Oxford University Press, 2023). Native Egyptian percussionist Karim Nagi, a two-time beneficiary of the Doris Duke Build Bridges grant for Muslim artists, a TEDx speaker, and accomplished teacher, completes this duo with his energetic and lyrical rhythms on Riqq, Tublah, and alternatively assembled drumset. The basis of their work is the canon of classical Middle Eastern compositions and improvisational techniques. This rich heritage consists of melodic and rhythmic exposition and instrumental interaction at countless levels of depth. The duo interprets these forms in the context of the sounds of the contemporary North American metropole. In this project, the equally lush traditions of Blues and Jazz in Chicago provide the context of how they approach and assimilate the Turath. This marriage of forms is fruitful because of the emotional range of the Blues and the improvisational flexibility and ingenuity of Jazz. Joining The Arab Blues for this special performance will be special guest South Asian percussionist and mridangam player Arun Visvanath.

KAVITA SHAH’S CAPE VERDEAN BLUES:
Award-winning jazz vocalist, composer, and educator Kavita Shah brings her latest album, Cape Verdean Blues to South Asia Institute. Cape Verdean Blues is a 12-song album of mainly traditional Cape Verdean music, carefully curated as a tribute to morna singer Cesária Évora, the archipelago of Cape Verde, and its welcoming people. The album and tour features Évora's former collaborators and some of the most acclaimed musicians from Cape Verde including, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Rufino "Bau" Almeida and percussionist Miroca Paris (Madonna) and guitarist Jorge Almeida. Kavita Shah blends a jazz approach with tradition to convey a sense of “sodade,” the Kriolu word for a melancholy sense of transience that encapsulates both the Cape Verdean experience and that of modern global migrants.

BILLY BRANCH & SARASWATHI RANGANATHAN DUO:

Chicago Blues legend and harmonica master, Billy Branch joins Indian classical veena master Saraswathi Ranganathan for a very special, world premier collaboration which will combine South Asian Carnatic Classical music and Chicago Blues music. Each are international touring artists in their own right playing at Blues festivals and World Music and Indian Music festivals around the world. Billy plays the harmonic and sings and is the band leader of his Sons Of Blues Band and Saraswathi is the co-founder of Surabhi Ensemble. Both musicians have their own deep roots in the city of Chicago music scene for decades, but this will be the first time they will be composing and collaboarting musicially and sharing the stage at South Asia Institute. The duo will be joined by special guest musicians Larry Kohut on bass and others TBA.

*All Shades of Blue events are free and open to the public.

**The Shades of Blues series is supported by a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.