Calendar

Silence Presents: Kathak Bandi - Mehfil

North Indian Classical Music and Dance 

Doors at 7:30 PM
Show at 8:00 PM

Tickets $15 at the door

The performances title, Mehfil, is an Arabic word which means a courtly entertainment of poetry, classical music, and dance.

Artists' Bios

Mushtari Afroz: (Choreographer & Dancer) 

Mushtari was introduced to Bengali folk dance at a young age in Bangladesh as part of her school’s extracurricular activities. Unlike India where classical music and dance have a long-standing tradition, Bangladesh takes pride in her folk dance and music tradition. Mushtari’s training in North Indian Classical Dance form ‘Kathak’ began when she immigrated to Canada in the early 2000. 

After studying with her first Guru Joanna De Souza for about two years she started advanced training in Lucknow gharana of Kathak under the tutelage of Ms. Saveeta Sharma at Upasana – The Spirit of Dance and recently in Jaipur gharana of Kathak under the tutelage of Mr. Hemant Panwar at Panwar Music and Dance School. 

Grants from Canada Council for the Arts and UK’s Milapfest Foundation helped her pursue training with the living legend of Kathak -Pandit Birju Maharaj- and the leading contemporary Kathak artist -Ms. Aditi Mangaldas- in UK in workshop setting. Her interest in the recent development of contemporary aesthetic in dance has also motivated her to study with some of the leading Canadian and International choreographers. Mushtari has been performing primarily as a solo Kathak dancer for the past 3 years.

In 2016 Mushtari founded a dance collective called ‘Kathak Bandi’ that aims to celebrate human stories and experience through dance, rhythm, live music and the emotive quality of North Indian Classical Dance form ‘Kathak’. Since its inception the collective has created work inspired by visual art, poetry and contemporary events that speak to the ‘Now’. ‘Resist/Co-exist’ – a Kathak-Flamenco collaboration, ‘Sunset in Fall’ – a work inspired by Canadian Fall, ‘The Broken Dream of a Stream’ - a work inspired by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and ‘Bold Expressions’ – a work inspired by contemporary ideas on ‘what defines boldness’– are some of Kathak Bandi’s recent creations. With Mushtari in the lead the collective has presented its recent work at Aga Khan Museum’s Pop-Up performance Series, The Canadian Foundation for Asian Heritage’s Concert at University of Toronto, In-Depth Conference at Munk Centre for the Global Affairs, Noor Cultural Centre, University of Toronto Festival of Dance, Emerging Young Artist Inc’s Contemporary Art Exhibition, Tagore Centre, Open Open Open Festival at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

Shirshendu Mukherjee: (Hindustani Vocal and a collaborator of Kathak Bandi Collective) 

Born in a family of music connoisseurs, Shirshendu Mukherjee was inducted into music at the tender age of 3 under the tutelage of Smt. Chandana Chakrabarty. Later on, he joined ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata as a Scholar and received extensive training under his Guru Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, the doyen of Patiala Gharana. Shirshendu started performing at the age of 14 by rendering at the Annual Classical Music Programme organized by Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata when he shared the dais with the giants of Indian Classical Music viz. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Ustad Zakir Hussain. 

He has been a regular performer in various major conferences in India as well as in Europe, wherein he has been highly appreciated by the connoisseurs of Indian Classical MusicShirshendu is a Gold Medalist in Master of Arts in Indian Classical Vocal Music from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. He has also taught in Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata as Personal Contact Programme Counsellor under the Directorate of Distance Education, in 2007-2008. 

 Since 2012, he is attached to Sir C V Raman Centre for Physics and Music, Jadavpur University, Kolkata as a Guest Researcher and has contributed into many papers published in various international symposiums and journals.Shirshendu has founded `Reyaaj School of Music’ with a vision to impart Indian Classical Vocal Music to students of varied ages in traditional Guru-shishya parampara system. He also teaches Indian Classical Vocal Music (Khayal) and Bhajan online in a traditional, systematic way. His aim is to inculcate love for and appreciation of Indian classical vocal music across the globe. 

Ahilan Kathirgamathamby: (Tabla and Percussion and a collaborator of Kathak Bandi Collective) 

Ahilan started to learn Tabla at a very young age and continues to learn today under Ravi Naimpalli. He has also learned Mirudangam under Umayalpuram Sivaraman in India. The majority of his training has been live classical performances with the likes of Pandit Vinayak Torvi - Indian classical vocal and Ravi Kumar - Sarod. Ravi and Ahilan have practiced and performed together for more than 15 years, an experience he values the most to his growth. 

 Ahilan has performed many dance projects in Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi for over 20 years and expanding his play with Kathak, and Flamenco. He continues with his performances with numerous projects and other dance genres and Ahilan has also been teaching for more than 20 years, something he loves to do daily. Outside of percussion, Ahilan is a Life Coach, Filmmaker, and Photographer. The combination of these four elements truly personify who he is, and how his presentations of these can influence people to enjoy their lives. The love for these four passions created his company, Four Red Petals - “inspiring people to look within.” 

Video Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdxu1OX2Qjc&list=UU6V4DdXllaK9-b4-ItWZarg&index=132.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uXWXpEgHYA 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAM10puPsXg&index=28&list=UU6V4DdXllaK9-b4-ItWZarg 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCiobpC0uQM&t=1s 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LkgLAZT9Jk&list=UU6V4DdXllaK9-b4-ItWZarg&index=14 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FshhWTFSnPE

[46 essex]

Beaton-Plasse
Two accomplished and energetic fiddlers combine forces in this new duo, Beaton-Plasse.
Andrea Beaton and Véronique Plasse fuse music from Québec and Cape Breton, adding
original compositions to the mix.
Andrea is known as a powerhouse, and comes from two of Cape Breton's most prolific musical
families. Both the Beatons and MacMasters have been intrinsic parts of the preservation and
growth of the fiddle and dance culture of the island. Andrea continues this by sharing the old
Scottish melodies and step dancing, as well as contributing her own compositions to Cape
Breton's repertoire. She is in high demand as a performer and teacher of her culture throughout
North America, Europe, and beyond.
Véronique is recognized as a gifted performer, arranger and teacher of the music she loves.
Said to be a tour-de-force by those who know her, she plays and sings with soul and power that
comes right from her inner core. She works to preserve and share the traditional music of
Québec by leading jam sessions and a chorale of traditional singers who perform regularly. Her
dynamism paired with her superb leadership skills have put her in high demand for
performances and fiddle camps near and far.
These strong female leads take turns exploring melody and accompaniment, mesmerizing
audiences with their intensity and precision. Their love for their cultures, authenticity and the
delight they get from playing music together shines through every time their bows cross the
strings.

Vocal Meditation

with Jane Lewis

Spend an hour tuning up and tuning in. We'll explore various relaxing sounding exercises as well as chants and simple songs. This group is intended to give you a sense of calm & grounding to get you through the week, along with the energetic lift that comes with vocalizing together in a group. Offered weekly! Payment is by donation ($10-15 suggested/pwyc), so you can join us each time, or on a drop-in basis.

Monday afternoons, 12-1:00 pm.

Cost: $10-15 suggested donation/pwyc
Registration: No pre-registration necessary. You can email music@all-together-now.ca so I have your contact information in case of schedule changes. Otherwise, just show up at silence *no later than noon* on the Monday of your choice.

[46 essex]

Doors at 7:30 PM
Show at 8:00 PM
Tickets $15

While drafting his debut solo album, Tamarock, Jesse Matas spent more time in a canoe than in a studio. He spent more time in silence in the bush. Over a week in December 2017, the album was recorded (mostly) live-off-the-floor in a small, warm studio in Winnipeg with some of the finest-natured humans in Canada. Tamarock is his first release since 2014, when his infamous band the Crooked Brothers’ released their third album Thank You, I’m Sorry. The album received nominations for CFMAs and WCMAs and was toured in 11 countries.

All the songs on Tamarock happen far from cities in woodlands and on lakes. Lyric and feeling come to the fore. Walking Human and Rock and Sand sound distant: a broadcast from a clearing far into the bush. They reveal some of the darkest elements of human to non-human interaction. Songs like Before, We and Footpath pulse with a rhythm and lightness of open kinship— that of regeneration and growth. Songs like Peace River Song and Hardline draw upon current issues like Site-C and raw milk production.

Another step further afield is Tamarock’s rock-poems. The Myth of Forests is something else entirely, like Serge Gainsbourg without the chauvinism, while Monarch is for the entomologist who has to dance. Both songs are for listeners seeking something very different. Jesse’s poems have been featured (or are forthcoming) in CV2, Event, The Fourth River and The New Quarterly, among others. A Few Stars in the River, his first collection of poetry, will be published in late 2019 alongside paintings by Kyle Scheurmann—responsible for Tamarock’s cover art.

The album’s range is vast. Many of a lot. But most of all— Tamarock sounds like where it came from... and that’s right where it takes the listener.

[46 Essex]

Red Tent


Doors at 6:30 PM
Event at 7:00 PM

[46 essex]

Vocal Meditation

with Jane Lewis

Spend an hour tuning up and tuning in. We'll explore various relaxing sounding exercises as well as chants and simple songs. This group is intended to give you a sense of calm & grounding to get you through the week, along with the energetic lift that comes with vocalizing together in a group. Offered weekly! Payment is by donation ($10-15 suggested/pwyc), so you can join us each time, or on a drop-in basis.

Monday afternoons, 12-1:00 pm.

Cost: $10-15 suggested donation/pwyc
Registration: No pre-registration necessary. You can email music@all-together-now.ca so I have your contact information in case of schedule changes. Otherwise, just show up at silence *no later than noon* on the Monday of your choice.

[46 essex]