One of London’s jazz scene’s most vibrant and forward thinking artists, Sarathy Korwar presents a night dedicated to the music of his homeland; India. Sarathy’s show is called Upaj, which translates as ‘improvise’ in Hindi/Sanskrit, and will present sarod maestro Soumik Datta Arts and Indojazz clarinetist Arun Ghosh. The next Upaj is on 9 March at The Jazz Cafe, London and you can grab your tickets here.
Described by the late Pandit Ravi Shankar as a ‘natural born improviser’, Arun Ghosh is a renowned innovator of the modern IndoJazz style. The Brtish-Asian clarinetist’s Sextet invoke a psychedelic IndoJazz sound, a sonic space where Alice Coltrane meets Spiritualized, ADF and The Velvet Underground.
Featuring music from new album, But Where Are You Really From?, alongside euphoric live favourites, Ghosh’s sweet and timeless melodies give birth to soaring improvisations and raag explorations, driven by a heady mix of dub-heavy bass, tabla trickery and ferocious drum explosions. Soumik Datta is a British Indian composer and virtuoso player of the sarod – a 19 stringed fretless instrument with a nomadic history spanning ancient Afghanistan, colonial India and modern day global downloads. Soumik is not only a solo virtuoso. He is also innovative and generous, working with other musicians to create fabulous new pieces, bringing his sarod and their instruments to new and wider audiences around the world.
Ahead of this weeks Upaj show we invited Sarathy Korwar to record a mix for us.
“This mix features 10 tracks from South Asian artists I believe are changing the narrative around contemporary South Asian music and culture. Upaj is a club night which chooses to focus on such music and musicians, providing an opportunity to rethink how we perceive ‘South Asianess’ and feature the diverse range of people making it their own.”
Tracklist:
Anoop – Uphill Ridiim (Pelican Fly)
Yorkston/Thorne/Khan – Sufi Song (Domino)
Arun Ghosh – Dagger Dance (Camoci)
Malfnktion – eastSide [Ms Chang Remix] (self-release)
Brooklyn Raga Massive – India (self-release)
Sickflip feat Talib Khan – (unreleased)
Viveick Rajagopalan feat. Swadesi – Ta Dhom (Horus Music)
Swet Shop Boys – T5 (Greedhead Music)
Red Baraat – Horizon Line (Sinj Records)
Oceantied – Streets (Oceantied)