New Westminster, BC – On September 30th 2017, the Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance will fill Massey Theatre with incredible sound and energy
Date/Time: Sep 30 2017, 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm
New Westminster, Massey Theatre | Event calendarCost: $31.00
Find tickets: here
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mushtari Begum Festival Returns to Massey Theatre
Founded by two globally recognized New Westminster artists - Cassius Khan and Amika Kushwaha - the 6th annual iteration continues to be Canada’s premier celebration of Indian classical music and dance. It immerses audiences in timeless and ancient forms of music and dance in an experience like no other.
Headlining the 2017 show are Western Canadian Music Award nominees Cassius Khan and Amika Kushwaha.
Khan will be singing ghazals, an ancient form of musical poetry, while simultaneously playing the tabla, a rare feat of musicianship and skill.
Kushwaha is a master of Kathak, a classical Indian dance, and will be weaving stories throughout the evening with her stupendous movement. Also performing Kathak will be Prajakta Potnis Trehan, a highly skilled and graceful exponent of the Jaipur Gharana of Kathak dance, alongside Maestro Sharanjeet Singh Mand's melodious and thrilling sitar.
Other performers in this inspiring evening include Ustad Amarjeet Singh who will deliver a powerful tabla solo recital accompanied by Baljit Singh on dilruba. Mridangam artist Abhishek Iyer and Carnatic violinist Kaushik Sivaramakrishnan, a music duo from Edmonton, will delight the audience with their playful and lilting performance.
Another highlight is the stage debut of Khan’s protégé, Dr. Disha Mehta with her original ghazal composition.
The fine arts of Indian classical music and dance are rarely this accessible in Canada, and this festival provides opportunities for both connoisseurs of the art forms and curious newcomers to come together to enjoy and discover some of the most incredible dance and music performed in the historic Massey Theatre.
A full lineup of all performers is available online at www.mbfestival.ca
About Mushtari Begum Festival
The Mushtari Begum Festival is named in tribute to Khan’s guru, the late ghazal Queen Mushtari Begum, and is a celebration of her life and art through the Indian classical music that she performed and loved. The festival was started by husband and wife duo, Cassius Khan and Amika Kushwaha, both accomplished musicians in their own right. This festival is a testament to their love of each other and the music and dance that they perform.
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