Sabir Khan and Aditya Kalyanpur

Holi or the “festival of colors” is celebrated in India during this time of the year, signifying the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. Joyous revelers are covered with colored powders and doused with water, often accompanied by music and dancing. It’s an opportunity to laugh and play, forgive and forget, and enjoy friends and family.

As part of the Rubin’s celebration of Holi, sarangi virtuoso Sabir Khan and tabla maestro Aditya Kalyanpur will perform ragas that express the joy and exuberance of this holiday. The sarangi, able to resemble the sound of the human voice, carries the melody, while the percussive complexities of the tabla maintain the rhythm.

Presented with Harrice Miller Entertainment and community partner Sunny Thakkar.

About the Musicians

 

Sabir Sultan Khan is an Indian sarangi player. Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Sabir trained under his father, the legendary sarangi player and vocalist Padma Bhushan Ustad Sultan Khan Saheb, and his uncle Ustad Nasir Khan. Sabir was exposed to music when he was six years old through his grandfather Ustad Gulab Khan. He started playing live shows and recordings at the age of seven, sharing the stage with his father as well as performing solo concerts. Sabir belongs to the Sikar Gharana school of music and he is the ninth generation to play the sarangi. His technique of playing is a rare combination of sur and laya (note and rhythm). He has performed with such renowned artists as Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pt. Kumar Bose, Pt. Anindo Chatterjee, ghazal maestro Ustad Gulam Ali, A. R. Rahman, Salim Sulaiman, Talat Aziz, Asha Bhosle, and The Hazards.

Aditya Kalyanpur is a tabla maestro who has worked with giants of the music industry. His playing can be heard on Katy Perry’s “Legendary Lovers” from her multi-platinum album Prism. He has also recorded with Keith Richards and performed with Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire).

A child prodigy, Kalyanpur studied tabla under the aegis of the late, legendary Ustad Allah Rakha and his son, two-time Grammy-winner Ustad Zakir Hussain. Kalyanpur received his diploma in music from the University of Mumbai and his bachelor of commerce degree from Mithibai College.

He established the Shyamal Music Foundation in Mumbai, India, a nonprofit for the promotion, preservation, and propagation of Indian classical music by giving a platform to the next generation of talented musicians.