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| South Indian Classical Music Makes Its Grand Debut In Boston Jewish Music Festival |
Press Release
02/24/2015
South Indian Classical Music makes its grand debut in this year’s Boston
Jewish Music Festival with the additional of a very special event on Sunday March, 1, 2015 at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline, Massachusetts. Titled “Dialogues with the Divine: Sacred Songs of Hindus and Jews,†this remarkable concert will feature an intriguing mix of Carnatic Hindu music by seasoned artiste Ms. Deepti Navaratna and Jewish liturgical music by composer/singer Cantor Randall Schloss.
As a part of Ms. Navaratna’s cultural entrepreneurship initiative The Carnatic Alchemy Project , which seeks to take South Indian classical music beyond its traditional boundaries, “Dialogues with the Divine†is a series of concerts exploring sacred imagery across world religions and transcending boundaries to unite musicians and musiclovers in spiritual expression. In this particular concert Ms. Navaratna and Cantor Schloss will present songs and sacred texts which are linked musically, thematically and spiritually. Audiences can anticipate an Indian version of ‘Dror Yikra’, a Hassidic ‘Hallelujah’ with melismatic raga improvisation, or a pairing of Hindu Vedic text with a Jewish prayer.
“The first time I listened to Deepti's music, I was struck by how similar the musical ornamentation was to traditional Jewish cantorial music,†says Joey Baron, cofounder of The Boston Jewish Music Festival. “It’s so important to me and, I believe, to our society that we support great artists, especially those like Deepti and Cantor Randall Schloss who somehow can balance both preserving their musical traditions and find new ways to share it universally.â€
The Sixth Annual Boston Jewish Music Festival (BJMF), running Feb. 27th through March 15th, features music and artists in multiethnic concerts underscoring harmony and understanding through music. Started six years ago by music lovers Jim Ball and Joey Baron, BJMF's attendance has reached over 30,000 and includes events at concert halls, night clubs, synagogues, and churches across Greater Boston. This year’s presentation will be the first time that Classical Indian music has ever been featured as part of the festival, and marks the first exploration of Carnatic music with the Jewish music scene.
“I am very happy that Joey Baron responded very enthusiastically to this idea and we are kick starting the Dialogues with the Divine series with this IndoJewish music expedition,†says Ms. Navaratna. “Learning the text, music and musical semantic of Jewish culture has enhanced my respect for the rich tapestry of musical sounds that connects us all.â€
Deepti Navaratna is known for her ‘particularly lovely and bewitching voice’ (Boston Globe, 2010) and rare mix of classical wisdom, expressivity and virtuosity. From South Indian classical repertoire to avant garde contemporary compositions, she displays a unique versatility that is distinctly her own. Deepti is the first South Indian classical musician to be awarded a merit scholarship and cash prize to study World Music and Contemporary Improvisation at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music. She was the first South Indian classical vocalist to be selected to represent India in a monthlong residency at the Music Omi International Music residency for which she was awarded the Rajshekar Parikh Fellowship as well.
After a varied career in music as a classical singer both on the opera stage and in concert, as a teacher of voice and music theory, and as a choral conductor/music director, Cantor Schloss began his journey into the world of Jewish music as a singer and composer. In 2006, he composed his first extended setting of Shabbat evening liturgy, Avodat Hayom. He received his investiture and a Masters Degree in Sacred Music from the School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion in New York. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Cornell University in Ithaca and a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music. Ms. Navaratna and Cantor Schloss will be joined by a team of fabulous world musicians including David Sparr (Piano), Layth AlRubaye (Violin), Gilbert Mansour (Percussion).
The concert will be held at Temple Ohabei Shalom, 1187 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased online at http://bostonjewishmusicfestival.org/ or by calling the Festival phone line at 18008383006.
For more information about the BJMF, please contact Jim Ball, cofounder at jimball@bostonjewishmusicfestival.org or (617) 3329321, or visit www.bostonjewishmusicfestival.org .
For additional information about Ms. Deepti Navaratna and The Carnatic Alchemy Project please visit www.deeptinavaratna.com .
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