People of Rhythm Productions, South Asia Institute and South Asian Classical Music Society of Chicago Present

Ragamala: The Eighth Annual Celebration of Indian Classical Music Saturday, November 6th. 2021, 

6-10PM / FREE w/ RSVP (Donations Encouraged!)

On Saturday, November 6th. 2021, the eighth annual, highly celebrated Indian classical music concert and showcase, Ragamala, will take place at the Second Presbyterian Church from 6PM until 10PM and will feature four ensembles and guest artists paying tribute to legendary sitarist Ravi Shankar. This will be the first time the concert will take place in-person since the September 2019 edition. In 2020 an abbreviated two-hour online version of the Ragamala festival was offered. This year’s edition, which will be a shorter version from the usual all-night concert, will be an in-person event. For this year only, the concert will not take place under the dome of the Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall, typically presented as part of World Music Festival Chicago. Instead, the beautiful and majestic sanctuary of the historic Second Presbyterian Church on South Michigan Ave. will be filled with South Asian classical music and music lovers – presented as part of the 2021 Year of Chicago Music, a year-long citywide celebration of Chicago’s diverse and legendary music scene. 

Four music ensembles that include a total of nine musicians will perform throughout the four-hour, free event. A handful of Ragamala “All-Star Alumni” performers will be presented including local established Indian classical musician Lyon Leifer on bansuri flute who will be accompanied by the gifted tabla player Hindole Majumdar. Local South Indian veena artist Saraswathi Ranganathan will collaborate with western violinist Heather Boehm to perform two compositions from the Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin unique 1960s collaboration “East Meets West”. The two musicians will be accompanied by Amit Kavethekar who will be playing tabla on the pieces originally performed by his own guru and teacher and late Ravi Shankar drummer, Alla Rakha. Another Ragamala audience favorite performing is carnatic vocalist, Aditya Prakash. The young, former singer for Ravi Shankar will be accompanied by Los Angeles based violinist Arun Ramamurthi and noted Oakland based mridangam player Rohan Krishnamurthy. Grammy award nominated sitartist Gaurav Mazumdar will make his first in person appearance for Ragamala and will perform a raga composed by longtime teacher and guu Ravi Shankar and will also be accompanied by tabla player Amit Kavethekar.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase on site from Bombay Wraps who will be vending like previous years of Ragamala. 

Ragamala 2021 Schedule:

6:00 PM 

Saraswathi Ranganathan: Veena

Heather Boehm: Violin

Amit Kavthekar: Tabla 

7:00PM

Lyon Leifer: Bansuri Flute

Hindole Majumdar: Tabla

8:00PM

Aditya Prakash: Vocal

Arun Ramamurthi: Violin

Rohan Krishnamurthy: Mridangam

9:00PM 

Gaurav Mazumdar: Sitar

Amit Kavthekar: Tabla 

*Proof of vaccination/ recent negative COVID test and masks are required by all attendees*

Parking is available in the lot adjacent to South Asia Institute. There is also metered and free street parking in the neighborhood.