Global Mashup: India Meets Mali
SAT, JUN 3, 2023
7:00 PM
In-Person Tickets: $20 General Admission / $15 Members, Seniors, & Students w/ID
$25 Day of Show
Dance Workshop: 7:00 PM
Concert: 8:00 PM
Flushing Town Hall no longer requires visitors or performers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19; wearing a mask is optional but recommended. For more details, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/covid-safety.
Can't make it in person? Watch this show from anywhere in the world! Get virtual access with a Culture Stream subscription ($5/month - cancel anytime) to get LIVE and ON-DEMAND access to watch whenever you want!
Co-presented in partnership with the World Music Institute Collaborations Series:
We’re mashing up two cultures on one stage with an open dance floor. Starting with dance lessons, each band plays a set, then the two meet and jam. Bring your dancing shoes!
With her great vocal traditions from India and Pakistan, Kiran Ahluwalia creates boundary-breaking songs that invite us to explore the human condition, transcending the self in groove and melody.
Yacouba Sissoko is a Djeli, the musical storytellers in West Africa and keepers of the factual history and the fictional fables of past rulers, nobles, social groups, and families. With his kora, a stringed instrument, he brings those histories to a contemporary audience.
Megha Kalia is a choreographer, dancer, and event planner. Raised in Mumbai, she now draws on her Punjabi heritage to the dance floors of New York.
These two artists will be bringing a range of sounds to the Flushing Town Hall Theater for a mashup you will not want to miss!
About the Artists:
Kiran Ahluwalia is a modern exponent of the great vocal traditions of India and Pakistan. Her original compositions embody the essence of Indian music while embracing influences from Mali and Western blues, rock, R & B and nuances of jazz.
Born in India, raised in Canada and currently dividing her time between New York City and Toronto, Ahluwalia has immersed herself in music since she was 7 years old.
Her discography now seven albums deep is one of global music’s most interesting adventures and have featured collaborations with legendary Malian group Tinariwen, Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster and fado masters from Portugal. Kiran’s own band is directed by Rez Abbasi whose accolades include being in the Top 10 guitarists on Downbeats Critics Poll. Her last six albums have garnered her two JUNO (Canadian Grammy) Awards, two Canadian Folk Awards, the UK’s Songlines Award and peak rankings on the European World Music charts.
Kiran has toured regularly in North America, Europe and has performed at desert festivals in Mali, Morocco and India. Her music has garnered glowing praise from critics around the world.
Bio courtesy of https://www.kiranmusic.com/.
Yacouba was born to a well-known Djeli family in Kita, one of the two geographic strongholds for Djeli clans in Mali. At the age of 9, Yacouba started learning the kora and the oral traditions associated with it from his grandfather. By 15, he was touring the country sharing the stories that had been passed down through his family for centuries.
Yacouba performed all over the world, learning from other musicians and cultures. Since moving to New York, Yacouba has transcended musical boundaries with jazz, pop, R&B, and classical musicians. He has recorded and performed with a variety of artists including Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon, and Leroy Jenkins. In 2007, he performed “Melody for Peace” by Anthony Paul De Ritis with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. In 2010, he was featured in a documentary film by the African Channel as part of their “Live from Red Kiva” broadcast. He has recorded tracks on over 15 CDs with artists ranging from Regina Carter to Rahim Alhaj.
Bio courtesy of https://yacousiskora.com/.
Megha Kalia
“Everything I’ve done has had a common thread: a passion for bringing people together. From dance choreography to organizing events, I combine meticulous detail with the energetic positivity derived from my Punjabi heritage.”
Megha Kalia is the founder of NYC Bhangra, where she continues to teach and choreograph dance.
Bio courtesy of https://nycbhangra.com/.
$25 Day of Show
Dance Workshop: 7:00 PM
Concert: 8:00 PM
Flushing Town Hall no longer requires visitors or performers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19; wearing a mask is optional but recommended. For more details, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/covid-safety.
Can't make it in person? Watch this show from anywhere in the world! Get virtual access with a Culture Stream subscription ($5/month - cancel anytime) to get LIVE and ON-DEMAND access to watch whenever you want!
Co-presented in partnership with the World Music Institute Collaborations Series:
We’re mashing up two cultures on one stage with an open dance floor. Starting with dance lessons, each band plays a set, then the two meet and jam. Bring your dancing shoes!
With her great vocal traditions from India and Pakistan, Kiran Ahluwalia creates boundary-breaking songs that invite us to explore the human condition, transcending the self in groove and melody.
Yacouba Sissoko is a Djeli, the musical storytellers in West Africa and keepers of the factual history and the fictional fables of past rulers, nobles, social groups, and families. With his kora, a stringed instrument, he brings those histories to a contemporary audience.
Megha Kalia is a choreographer, dancer, and event planner. Raised in Mumbai, she now draws on her Punjabi heritage to the dance floors of New York.
These two artists will be bringing a range of sounds to the Flushing Town Hall Theater for a mashup you will not want to miss!
About the Artists:
Kiran Ahluwalia is a modern exponent of the great vocal traditions of India and Pakistan. Her original compositions embody the essence of Indian music while embracing influences from Mali and Western blues, rock, R & B and nuances of jazz.
Born in India, raised in Canada and currently dividing her time between New York City and Toronto, Ahluwalia has immersed herself in music since she was 7 years old.
Her discography now seven albums deep is one of global music’s most interesting adventures and have featured collaborations with legendary Malian group Tinariwen, Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster and fado masters from Portugal. Kiran’s own band is directed by Rez Abbasi whose accolades include being in the Top 10 guitarists on Downbeats Critics Poll. Her last six albums have garnered her two JUNO (Canadian Grammy) Awards, two Canadian Folk Awards, the UK’s Songlines Award and peak rankings on the European World Music charts.
Kiran has toured regularly in North America, Europe and has performed at desert festivals in Mali, Morocco and India. Her music has garnered glowing praise from critics around the world.
Bio courtesy of https://www.kiranmusic.com/.
Yacouba was born to a well-known Djeli family in Kita, one of the two geographic strongholds for Djeli clans in Mali. At the age of 9, Yacouba started learning the kora and the oral traditions associated with it from his grandfather. By 15, he was touring the country sharing the stories that had been passed down through his family for centuries.
Yacouba performed all over the world, learning from other musicians and cultures. Since moving to New York, Yacouba has transcended musical boundaries with jazz, pop, R&B, and classical musicians. He has recorded and performed with a variety of artists including Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon, and Leroy Jenkins. In 2007, he performed “Melody for Peace” by Anthony Paul De Ritis with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. In 2010, he was featured in a documentary film by the African Channel as part of their “Live from Red Kiva” broadcast. He has recorded tracks on over 15 CDs with artists ranging from Regina Carter to Rahim Alhaj.
Bio courtesy of https://yacousiskora.com/.
Megha Kalia
“Everything I’ve done has had a common thread: a passion for bringing people together. From dance choreography to organizing events, I combine meticulous detail with the energetic positivity derived from my Punjabi heritage.”
Megha Kalia is the founder of NYC Bhangra, where she continues to teach and choreograph dance.
Bio courtesy of https://nycbhangra.com/.
