EAST MEETS WEST: INDIA AMERICA - PART 2

Saturday November 15 at 4:00pm
University Lutheran Church of Hope

Featuring guest collaborators

Dr. Pooja Goswami Pavan

Hindustani Vocalist

$600

Dr. A. Pavan

Tabla

$600

Kavyesh Kaviraj

Composer / Arranger

$600

PROGRAM

Magan Rehna

By Reena Esmail

for String Quartet + Hindustani Vocalist

मगन रहना Magan Rehna

6 minutes

Based on a Bhajan by

Ashwini Deshpande

Kachu lena na dena magan rehna

Panch tatva ka Banaa pinjera

Ja mein bole hain meri maina

Geheri nadiya Nav purani

Khevatiya se mile rehena

Tero piya tore ghat mein basat hain

Sakhi khol kar Dekho naina

Kahat Kabir Sunbhai Sadho

Guru ke cha ran mein pare rehena

This poem, penned by the ancient Indian saint-poet Kabir reminds us to concentrate, and stay steady in our focus — to not waver one way or another.

I so enjoyed setting this bhajan with string quartet — many times, the string quartet swirls around the singer, veering around sharp corners, occasionally changing raag, and at times even changing tonal center (which is

quite atypical for Hindustani music) and yet it is the singer’s job to remain steady. The arrangement ends with a ‘jugalbandi’ — a typical Hindustani form of call and response, though this time between the singer and the

quartet.

This piece was commissioned by Saili Oak for her album Beyond. It was premiered on May 10, 2019 at Oak’s album release, Beyond LIVE! at Rosebud Coffee in Pasadena, CA

More information about Reena Esmail here: www.reenaesmail.com/

Trio Set

Dr. A Pavan, Dr. Pooja Goswami Pavan, and Kavyesh Kaviraj will introduce the instruments and style on stage and announce their program.

30 minutes

Intermission 10 minutes

Vessels of Peace

This song was created by Eri and Pooja to express the longing for hope for the future. Eri particularly created this tune as she held her child to sleep, dreaming for abundant peace and love for his life. The text is a poem created by Pooja.

Sangam Blues

Sangam is "Unity". This song is another creation by Pooja and Eri that comes from feelings of joy, unity and power. Enjoy the blues scale fused with the Indian Classical style of repeated melodic motives.

The two songs above will be performed one after the other.

10 minutes

Three-Dance

by Robert Aldridge

for violin, marimba and tabla

12 minutes

The pioneering duo Marimolin (Sharan Leventhal, violin; Nancy Zeltsman, marimba) with tabla player feature this masterpiece in their self-titled album from 1988. The duo went on to commission more than 90 works for violin and marimba, and have created a style of contemporary chamber music that continues to influence how composers write for marimba today. The unique combination of the three instruments provide creative space for serene moods and explosive moments that Aldridge so skillfully crafts for a fulfilling experience for all.

Sa Ni Pa (Flight of the Swan)

4 minutes

A fusion of Indian classical and jazz, with pianist Steven Hobert, guitarist Dean Magraw, and Tabla artist Pavan. Composed and by Pooja Goswami Pavan using the melodic foundation of Raga Hamsadhwani, it is set in the rhythmic cycle of 16 beats (Teen Taal).

“In Hindustani (North Indian) classical music, an octave is called saptak and has seven notes called swara. These notes are sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni (similar to the Western do re mi fa so la ti).

The first and fifth notes (sa and pa) have only one variant. The other five notes (re, ga, ma, dha, and ni) have two variants each. The notes re, ga, dha, and ni have natural and flat variants, while ma has a natural and a sharp variant. All together, therefore, there are 12 distinct pitches (shruti) in an octave when variants are included.” from https://raag-hindustani.com/

I composed this original work specifically for guitarist Dean Magraw, pianist Steven Hobert and Tabla artist A. Pavan. This composition structurally combines my approach to classical Indian music with non-Indian musical styles, in this case, jazz. I strive to create a true fusion of the genres. I don’t simply shift back and forth between jazz sections and Indian sections, rather, I work to create something completely new in which the music is greater than the sum of its individual parts.”

Reception to follow

Pooja Goswami Pavan, Ph.D

Hindustani Vocalist, Composer, Teacher and Scholar

Dr. Pooja Goswami Pavan is a Hindustani (North Indian classical) classical vocalist, composer, and teacher. Her silky yet strong voice has the capability to move in three octaves effortlessly. Her intensive training in the Hindustani classical idiom has allowed her to broader her ability to sing in a variety of genres with ease. Growing up in an environment of music and theater, she developed a deep interest in composing music to verses in Hindi and Urdu.

The versatility in Pooja’s repertoire is evident in her ability to sing Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal, Bhajan, Sufiana Kalam and folk genres such as the Hori, Chaiti & Kajri besides the Khayal. Pooja was trained in Hindustani music by Pandit Surendra Goswami, Prof. Ajit Singh Paintal and continues her advanced training in Khayal with her brother Prof. Shailendra Goswami. She has also been trained in semi-classical music by the eminent vocalist, the late Vidushi Shanti Hiranand. Pooja received a Ph.D. in Indian Classical Music from the University of Delhi.

She has performed at many prestigious venues such as The Ordway Center, The Guthrie, The India Habitat Center and The India International Center. Among her many acclaimed performances are ones at The Learnquest Music Conference (Boston), International Music Festival (Vietnam) and The Indian Classical Music Festival (The Bahamas). Since coming to Minnesota, she has made a name for herself with several successful collaborations with USA based artists of diverse genres. An active composer, she frequently creates works and performs for many leading music, dance and theater organizations including the Pangea World Theater, Ananya Dance Theater, Indian Music Society of Minnesota and Katha Dance Theater. Pooja has several recordings featuring her original compositions of Bhajan, Ghazal and Sufiana Kalam. She is much sought-after by educational and arts institutions for her Lecture-Demonstrations on Hindustani music. She has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota’s School of Music and The Music Department at Macalester college, teaching graduate level courses in Indian music, history and culture. Her creative work has been supported with numerous grants and commissions from multiple arts agencies such as the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, American Composers Forum and Cedar Cultural Center. She was recognized with the prestigious McKnight Fellowship for Musicians and the McKnight Culture Bearer Fellowship by the McKnight Foundation for excellence in her art and community impact.

A. Pavan, Ph.D

Tabla Artist, Composer, Teacher

Dr. Pavan is a regular figure in the Twin Cities music circles as a Tabla player and teacher. He initially trained in Tabla under Sri G. Laxmiah, senior disciple of Ustad Shaik Dawood Khan of Hyderabad, India. He has studied with several masters over the years and presently trains with Ustad Shabbir Nisar, the illustrious son and disciple of the Tabla legend Ustad Shaik Dawood Khan. He has performed for Katha Dance Theater, Pangea World Theater and Indian Music Society of Minnesota (IMSOM) in several productions and concerts. Pavan also appears on recordings of world/fusion music with many MN based artists. Since 1999 Pavan has been providing Tabla instruction to a number of students. Pavan co-composed and performed with Nirmala Rajasekar, Minnesota based Veena artist, the score for Pangea World Theater’s production “Partitions”, and the score for “5 Weeks” with Dr. Pooja Goswami Pavan, his wife, who is a Hindustani vocalist, teacher and composer.

Pavan has also performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra along with Nirmala Rajasekar. In 2024, Pavan received a commission from the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) and was a featured Tabla soloist in their Spring Festival concerts. He was also invited as a special guest artist to perform for the Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra in Davenport, IA. His creative projects have been supported by multiple grants from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) and the Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB).

A senior leader in technology innovation and management, Pavan is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota from where he received his Ph.D. His association with the Indian Music Society of Minnesota (IMSOM) goes back to 1989 when he first arrived in MN. He has served in IMSOM in various capacities, first as a volunteer, then playing various roles as a member of the Executive Committee for several years and finally as President of the Society from 1997 – 2001. He continues to be very active in IMSOM and presently serves as a member of the Advisory Board. Dr. Pavan was the Executive Director for several of IMSOM’s big concert productions in the past including “Masters of Percussion” (2002 and 2006), “Legends of India” (2003), “Remember Shakti” (2003) and “Rhythm Fantasies of India” (2004) and “Zakir Hussain with Niladri Kumar” (2022). Dr. Pavan leads the grant writing responsibilities for IMSOM and has won well over 100 grants for the society under his leadership for artistic projects, capital improvements, management consultancy and arts learning.

Kavyesh Kaviraj

Composer & Arranger

Kavyesh Kaviraj is a critically acclaimed composer, arranger and pianist living and working in Minnesota. The Twin Cities based musician has worked with several internationally renowned artists, including the likes of Wynton Marsalis, David Sanchez, Justin Robinson, Roosevelt Collier & Steve Cole. Despite being primarily a Jazz pianist, having studied at Berklee College’s Global Jazz Institute, Kavyesh has established himself in an eclectic assortment of music scenes. Whilst being active in hip-hop, gospel, R&B, funk scenes, he has enjoyed working with Jamecia Bennett, The Steeles, I Self Devine, Lady Midnight, Desdamona, Nooky Jones & Toki Wright. All the while, he has become an important member of the local music circuit, collaborating with local jazz legends like Debbie Duncan, Bruce Henry, Babatunde Lea, Kevin Washington &LA Buckner. Born in the town of Sohar in Oman to Indian parents, Kavyesh began his musical journey almost immediately, inspired by his family’s rich musical ancestry. Attributing his initial musical curiosity and experience to his upbringing, at the age of 2 he was already sitting behind a piano, being educated in both South Indian Carnatic music and North Indian Hindustani music.

From there, he was introduced to both classical and contemporary music by his father, lifelong music educator and skilled musician Kaviraj CG. As a teenager, he took the next step in furthering his musical development by moving from Oman to India, enrolling in one of the best music schools in the region, Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music. In 2016, he moved to the Twin Cities to pursue a professional music education in the United States.

Kavyesh graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2018, with a Bachelor of Music (BM) degree in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Music. In 2019, Kavyesh received a full tuition grant to pursue a Masters’ degree at Berklee College’s Global Jazz Institute, where he was under the eminent tutelage of jazz masters, such as Danilo Perez, Kenny Werner and JoAnne Brackeen. He graduated in 2020 with a Master of Music (MM) degree in Contemporary Performance.

Beholden to a lifetime of invaluable musical experience, Kavyesh has followed in his parents’ footsteps to become a successful music educator. His passionate and considerate nature has served him well as both a private instructor and college professor. As of right now, he sits on the faculty in the piano department of St. Paul’s own University of St. Thomas. He also features heavily as a visiting instructor at Carleton College and as an instructor for various musical arts at Walker West Music Academy. His work in music education has taken him across the country, leading workshops and classes for children and youth. Kavyesh’s compositions and arrangements have been featured on national radio, TV and in collaborative exhibitions.