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ATMA
A Classical Carnatic Experience
Performers
The ATMA Ensemble strives to preserve its musical heritage through the performance of ragas —traditional South Indian music built around drones and improvisations that swell and evolve to match the mood. The group, whose name stands for “Alliance for Tradition in Musical Arts” and the Sanskrit word for “soul,” plays pieces that blend the range and style of Indian and Western instrumentation, merging traditional Carnatic music with the spirit and verve of Jazz.
The performance will be a very traditional concert in Karnatak Sangeet with influences of Jazz and western music instrumentation. The main pallavi will be in Ragam Shankarabharanam or Khambhoji or Dharmavathi. Each pallavi is tuned in a different tala cycle.
The participants of the Ensemble have been learning Indian Music in a traditional Gurukul style for the last seven years and are performance majors from various US based universities.
Supported by:
Performers
Aishwarya
Aishwarya is a versatile musician whose music combines traditional and classical elements with modern innovations. Her exceptional tonal quality, innovative musicality, and effortless execution make her a contemporary musician capable of revitalizing an ancient musical tradition for the 21st century and beyond. Aishwarya has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including the Kennedy Center and Savonlina Festival. Besides her music career, she is also a medical resident in Child Neurology, focusing on the relationship between music and pediatric brain development and recovery.
Vinod Venkataraman
Vinod started learning the violin at a very early age from his mother the late, Vijayam Ramaswamy. Vinod’s affinity to the percussive arts introduced him to his first guru, Trichy Raghava Iyer. He continued his education in mridangam from Palghat R. Raghu, one of the greatest exponents of this instrument.
He has performed on the mridangam internationally with many notable Indian and western artists. He believes in the philosophy of heart, mind, body and soul and in his own unique way, imparts the knowledge of music, which he believes is the food for the soul.
A professor of Applied Mathematics, Venkataraman has a passion for imparting his knowledge of culture, music and math in the age old tradition of Gurukulavasam.
Paul Livingstone
Paul Livingstone is a disciple of the legendary Pt Ravi Shankar and Pt Rajeev Taranath, of the Maihar gharana and has researched in the the Dagar Bani parampara of dhrupad music. Performing around the world, he is a dedicated sitarist since the age of 15, multi-instrumentalist and composer in the realm of world music synthesis. He is the founder of Soul Force Project and an active community activist and educator with a vision for cross-cultural collaboration. For Paul, the transcendent joy of music is a vehicle that reflects his social, political and spiritual values. For more info: www.paulzlivingstone.com
Ray Belli
Ray Belli is a professional drummer who has been recording and touring internationally for the last 15 years. In 2010, he began studying Indian rhythm under Divyang Vakil, in Edison, NJ.
Over the years, Ray has worked closely with Divyang Vakil to develop a system for translating the tones and compositions of North Indian classical percussion onto the Western drumset. This approach correlates particular tabla notes with particular strokes on the drumset, making the entire repertoire of Indian percussion accessible to him.
