Shahbaz Hussain - Tabla
Shahbaz is fast emerging as one of the most promising tabla virtuosos of his generation. He has received numerous accolades for his captivating performances, including recently receiving the prestigious “Son of Lahore” Award from the Pakistan Arts Council. He is much sought after for his accompaniment skills by many of the great masters musicians of India & Pakistan (including the late Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Ustad Rais Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia and ghazal legend Ghulam Ali to name a few). Shahbaz has performed in many prestigious venues around the world, including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., Lincoln Center in New York and London's Royal Albert & Queen Elizabeth Halls. He began his grooming in the art of tabla at age five with his father, the late Ustad Mumtaz Hussain – a prominent vocalist. He later went on to study with tabla legends Ustad Faiyaz Khan from the Delhi Gharana (school), the late Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan from the Punjab Gharana and finally the late Ustad Allah Rakha Khan. Shahbaz is based in Rochdale, UK.
Henrik Linnemann - Flute
Henrik is renowned as one of the most versatile flute players in the UK. Since he graduated from Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music, he has worked in film, radio and theatre as well as pop sessions in and around the north of England. He also fronts the quartet ‘LJQ’ with which he has recorded two albums of his own jazz originals. Their latest album, ‘Dancing Peak to Peak’ has been widely acclaimed. In 2003, Henrik started exploring Indian Classical & Euro fusion music and this work now forms a major element in his playing career. From his home in Sheffield, he continues to teach and perform and is much in demand not only for his knowledge of the classical flute repertoire, but also for his ability to comfortably improvise in a variety of musical genres.
John Ball - Santoor
John has been performing Indian music since 1996 playing the santoor and tabla both as a soloist and accompanist. He began his training on the tabla with Prof. Sudhir Saxena in Baroda Gujarat in 1992. He later went on to study tabla with Ustad Faiyaz Khan of Delhi and with Sri Yogesh Samsi. During this time John also began his study of the santoor – a one hundred stringed instrument that has its origins in the valleys of Kashmir. He has developed into a skilled santoor player and continues his study with Sri Harjinder Pal Singh - a senior disciple of the maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. John regularly travels across the UK to perform and teach. He has composed and performed music for several theatre productions including North Country Theatre's production of “The Man Who Would Be King.” He also recently completed a tour with eclectic world music group Rafiki Jazz, featuring BBC World Music Award Winner Juldeh Camara. John is based in Sheffield where he currently works as Musician in Residence at the University of Sheffield.
Mohamed Assani - Sitar
Mohamed is an accomplished sitarist with a unique sound. His musical background includes experience of Indian Classical, Western Classical, jazz and fusion music. He began his sitar training under the tutelage of Dharambir Singh, a disciple of Ustad Vilayat Khan, and continues his study with Mehboob Nadeem – a senior disciple of Pt Arvind Parikh. Mohamed performs sitar concerts both as a soloist and with larger ensembles (including the Black Dyke Brass Band, the Maqam Ensemble with members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Grand Union Orchestra). He has also taken his music to the theatre, including composing music & performing as part of “Dancing Within Walls” (a play by renowned playwright Rani Moorthy which ran at Contact Theatre in Manchester to high acclaim) and for “The Man Who Would be King” (a North Country Theatre touring production). Mohamed regularly performs across the UK and in Europe. He is currently a visiting lecturer in Indian Music & Ensemble Technique at the University of Huddersfield and teaches sitar at the University of Leeds.
Influences
Indus's National Tour of England 2009-10 has been made possible by the generous support of the Arts Council England. Thank you Arts Council.
Indus brings together four instrumentalists with roots in diverse musical genres, including Indian, Western & Jazz. Drawn together by a shared desire to create new approaches to music-making & to explore the full potential of their instruments, Indus skilfully navigate through uncharted & ever-changing musical terrain. The result is a unique sound that is a new musical language unto itself – one that reflects the group's integrity, sensitivity and aspirational vision.
Indus is John Ball on Santoor, Mohamed Assani on Sitar, Henrik Linnemann on Flute & Shahbaz Hussain on Tabla.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS:
“I felt amazed - like a child!”
“Absolutely beautiful! I feel reconnected and refreshed.”
“Truly unbelievable....a real joy to get lost in what they were doing.”
“Am not normally able to listen to 'sit down' music, but this was riveting!”
TOURING NOW!
To book INDUS or for further information, please contact:
18 Sep CHICAGO (IL) CHICAGO WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL 19 Sep MILWAUKEE (WI) GLOBAL UNION FESTIVAL 20 Sep CHICAGO (IL) CHICAGO WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL 23 Sep MADISON (WI) WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL 25 Sep BLOOMINGTON (IN) LOTUS FESTIVAL 27 Sep MINNEAPOLIS (MN) CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER FESTIVAL 30 Sep NORTH ADAMS (MA) MCLA 02 Oct NEW YORK CITY (NY) SOUTHPAW / BROOKLYN
On tour in Yorkshire with blues guitarist Tom Rodwell - Madame Pamita, the world's foremost euphonious prognosticatrix! Coming all the way from the city of Los Angeles with her pack of tarot cards in one hand and a ukulele in the other, she brings a wagon-load of authentic rural blues, jug band and comic proto-jazz numbers to curious seekers. Romance and revenge and mirth and mayhem. Fans of Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, Alan Lomax's field recordings or what Greil Marcus likes to call "the Old Weird America" will be in for a evening's entertainment like no other!
*** Tuesday May 19 - The Cricketers Arms, Coney Lane, Keighley, West Yorkshire / 9pm *** Thursday May 21 - The Harlequin, Nursery Street, Sheffield / 8.30pm *** Saturday May 23 - Lantern Theatre, Kenwood Park Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield / 7.30pm / £10 with Miller's Modern Music Hall
what? the folk! & Solid Earth present: Freaks, Ghouls and Graves, a Balkan (ish) flavoured Halloween (ish) knees up at the delightful St Margaret’s church in Whalley Range.
Yessum we’re back. after the monstrous success of Jackson’s Boat, we thought it only right and proper to offer you another helping of profoundly good music in a great venue. We’ve got a rosette for best zombie in show, beer and food from the nice folks at Jam Street and noise from Stumblefunk.
Another co-promo with the brains and muscle that brought Beats, Roots & Leaves back in May - this time tho we de-camp indoors to make the most of the Halloween theme inside a church, with face painters, ghost hunters, a bar provided by Jam Street and a fabulous line-up of musical tricker treats:
Na Zdrove Na Zdrove is Sheffield's finest Balkan Beats, Gypsy Brass, Russian Ska, Gypsy Dub, Klezmer and Gypsy Punk night. blimey. We’ll ave some of that. We’ll be welcoming their house band and resident DJs - yes indeedy! http://www. myspace. com/nazdrove
visit our myspace to find out more including other acts
DOORS 9PM ::: £8 donation (all proceeds go to MSF in Darfur) ::: BAR PROVIDED BY JAM STREET CAFE SERVING CASK ALES AND VINTAGE CIDER, BOTTLED BEER, SPIRITS AND HALLOWEEN SNACKS - 2AM LICENCE. Limited Adv tickets @ Jam St Cafe, Upper Chorlton Rd.
Hi Mohammed (and the rest of the band) - cool to hear your stuff again - good luck with the band - and look forward to perhaps playing with you in the future - best wishes, arun
