Avi Kisha Sarod player: Community and Innovation

Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman

03/23/24

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79m

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Avi Kishna is a Dutch sarod player based in Amsterdam, of Indo-Surinamese heritage. You’ll get to know the sarod as an instrument and hear Avi’s perspectives on Dutch society and his interesting collaborations. Among his mentors is his inspiring father, Ramdew Kishna, a multi-talented musician, director, and painter, who played a pivotal role in shaping Avi's musical journey along with his guru, Koustuv Ray. As a young man, Avi embarked on a successful career as in sales and marketing, but during this time he pushed music aside, and I found it deeply touching to hear how he was able to come back to music with the wisdom of having left such an important part of himself behind. You’ll hear about Avi’s project working with schools in Amsterdam to help provide music programs in underserved communities and this episode features some of his sarod music. Like all my episodes, you can also watch this on my YouTube channel, and I’ve also linked the transcript here to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/avi-kishna

Can you buy this podcaster a coffee to support this series? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!

Here you'll find the links to Avi's projects like Raga Reflections, where to stream and buy his music, upcoming performances, including a video with dancer Shailesh Bahoran (which we talk about): https://www.sarodbyavi.com/

Link to Muziek Educatie Centrum Amsterdam: https://www.muziekeducatiecentrum.nl/jeugd-fonds-sport-cultuur-amsterdam

Follow me on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

Episode with sitar player Mohamed Assani: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/mohamed-assani

Episode with bansuri player Milind Date:

https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/milind-date-bansuri-player

Complete Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

Newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:42) the sarod

(11:57) Indo-Surinamese heritage and history

(16:16) South Asian music in the Netherlands

(19:38) dancer Shailesh Bahoran

(25:00) excerpt from While She Sleeps

(28:06) bringing different music together, Soundscape Sessions

(38:01) please support this podcast!

(38:39) Ramdew Kishna, Avi’s father

(43:27) racism and inclusion

(50:53) sarod guru Gungun Kaustuv Ray

(56:14) learning from others

(57:56) Raga Reflections

(01:04:19) Darbari

(01:08:00) sales and marketing career, return to music

(01:13:05) giving back through music education

Previous Episode

Pierre Chrétien: Vintage Keys and an Unexpected Career Path

March 16, 2024

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68m

Pierre Chrétien is a Canadian bandleader, multi-instrumentalist and composer who has had international success with his bands The Souljazz Orchestra, Atlantis Jazz Ensemble and his project Cinephonic, and in this episode you’ll learn about all of these and hear highlights from some of these albums on the Marlow Records label. http://www.marlowrecords.com/artists.html

Pierre shares how left his career as an Engineer to devote himself to a full-time career as a performer. He also demonstrates some rare vintage instruments at the beginning of this episode, which he’s also an expert at repairing. Pierre is so creative and some of his gorgeous album covers are linked to the episode notes on my website, which of course links to Marlow Records. Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast on all the podcast platforms, and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/pierre-chrtien

Did you know that this podcast is in Season 4, and that I send out a weekly email newsletter where you can get access to Sneak Peeks of upcoming guests and be inspired by highlights from the archive? https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter Speaking to such a diversity of people shines a light on the persistence required to attain mastery in any field. I try to constantly improve every aspect of this podcast, since I take care of all the many jobs of research, production, and publicity. I really do need the help of my listeners to keep this project going; please can you buy me a coffee (which is linked to Paypal)? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

Mike Essoudry (drummer with Atlantis Jazz Ensemble) episode: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/mike-essoudry-drummer

Please follow me on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:14) marimba

(05:33) Vintage Vibe electric piano, Mellotron

(10:01) Cinephonic albums

(13:05) Le Combat from Visions, the second Cinephonic album

(17:01) film score influences

(18:09) Musser Ampli-Celeste

(19:52) Atlantis Jazz Ensemble, vintage keyboards

(21:45) Pierre childhood and youth, Engineering degree

(25:07) Souljazz orchestra, tours, graphic design

(29:09) Kingdom Come from album Inner Fire Souljazz orchestra

(33:20) harp

(34:14) please buy me a coffee to support this series?

(34:52) Atlantis Jazz Ensemble

(37:46) Joyful Noise from Celetial Suite Atlantis Jazz Ensemble

(42:48) Mike Essoudry drummer

(43:06) Atlantis Jazz Ensemble

(47:10) Blue Nile Atlantis Jazz Ensemble

(52:15) Marlow Records, recording to analog tape

(53:43) writing process, musical influences

(55:47) changes in music distribution, benefits of Bandcamp, problems withSpotify

(58:19) decision to leave Engineering and become full-time musician

(01:00:57) other projects, Tezeta for orchestra

(01:04:26) Pierre’s teen years

Next Episode

Thomas Cabaniss: Visionary Teaching Artist and Composer

March 30, 2024

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88m

Thomas Cabaniss is a wonderful American composer of works for opera, theater, dance, film and the concert stage. He’s been a member of the faculty of the Julliard School since 1998, and leads the Lullaby Project at Carnegie Hall, serving young parents in shelters, hospitals and prisons with collaboratively created songs for their children. We talk about all this and much more, inluding his work creating Carnegie Hall’s Link Up. I was curious about these many facets to Thomas’ life as both a composer and educator, and you’ll find this episode has gorgeous, inspiring music of his, as well as great stories from his diverse career as a Teaching Artist, working with music educators, students of all ages, and meaningful outreach in the community. You’ll hear performances from pianists Michael Shinn and Jessica Chow Shinn, singer Joyce DiDonato, and towards the beginning of the episode you’ll hear some of Thomas’ great music for string quartet, performed by the Charleston symphony String quartet.

Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast on all the platforms, and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/thomas-cabaniss

Thomas Cabaniss website: http://thomascabaniss.com/about.html

Support link to buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!

My social media links: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

My Complete Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

Newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:24) Thomas Cabaniss string quartets

(07:57) excerpt from Water from Four Elements with the Charleston Symphony String Quartet

(09:28) Charleston Symphony

(12:10) Fire, Four Elements string quartet

(16:07) Link Up program and Cabaniss’ work with music education and orchestras