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Robert and Helene Browning celebrate 45 years of presenting world music & dance. "Their work set into motion nothing less than a seismic shift in the cultural terrain of New York City and beyond. " - The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage |
Support RBA by making a tax-deductible contribution to Roulette, our not-for-profit partner. Be sure to specify in the Donation Notes box that your donation is to support RBA programming. Or, you may send a check to: Jim Staley, Director Roulette Intermedium, Inc., 228 West Broadway, FL 2 NY, NY 10013-2456 |
2021-2022 SEASON
PAST SHOWS
Photo: Aaron Fairooz
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
NIBAL MALSHI & ENSEMBLE
Directed by FIRAS ZREIK
Golden Age of Arab Music & Song
Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 8:00 pm
This captivating program of vocal and instrumental works features some of the finest Arab artists living in the US, as well as emerging names in Middle Eastern music. The exquisite Palestinian singer Nibal Malshi, who has been noted for her evocative vocals, graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and performed with such virtuoso musicians as Simon Shaheen and the National Arab Orchestra under the direction of Michael Ibrahim MORE INFO...
NIBAL MALSHI & ENSEMBLE
Directed by FIRAS ZREIK
Golden Age of Arab Music & Song
Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 8:00 pm
This captivating program of vocal and instrumental works features some of the finest Arab artists living in the US, as well as emerging names in Middle Eastern music. The exquisite Palestinian singer Nibal Malshi, who has been noted for her evocative vocals, graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and performed with such virtuoso musicians as Simon Shaheen and the National Arab Orchestra under the direction of Michael Ibrahim MORE INFO...
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus music & Dance and Roulette present
GRIGORIS MANINAKIS
& his MIKROKOSMOS ENSEMBLE
Rebetika Music of Greece
Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 8:00 pm
Grigoris Maninakis, a major vocalist of traditional and contemporary Greek music, is joined by his Mikrokosmos Ensemble in an engaging concert of rebetika, which is often called “the Greek blues.”. MORE INFO...
GRIGORIS MANINAKIS
& his MIKROKOSMOS ENSEMBLE
Rebetika Music of Greece
Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 8:00 pm
Grigoris Maninakis, a major vocalist of traditional and contemporary Greek music, is joined by his Mikrokosmos Ensemble in an engaging concert of rebetika, which is often called “the Greek blues.”. MORE INFO...
Lotus Music & Dance in partnership with Robert Browning Associates presents
WORLD DANCE FESTIVAL:
Dancing Across Cultural Borders
Red Hawk Native American Dancers/ Peruinca Folk/
Japanese Folk Dance Institute of New York/Saung Budaya
Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 4:00 pm
This exciting dance festival, now in its fifth edition, is a celebration of Mother Earth and the harvest with traditional dance from Asia and the Americas. Featured are the Red Hawk Native American Dancers, performing dances from various nations; MORE INFO...
WORLD DANCE FESTIVAL:
Dancing Across Cultural Borders
Red Hawk Native American Dancers/ Peruinca Folk/
Japanese Folk Dance Institute of New York/Saung Budaya
Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 4:00 pm
This exciting dance festival, now in its fifth edition, is a celebration of Mother Earth and the harvest with traditional dance from Asia and the Americas. Featured are the Red Hawk Native American Dancers, performing dances from various nations; MORE INFO...
Robert Browning Associates and Roulette present
TAKHT AL-NAGHAM
Classical Music of Syria
Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Takht al-Nagham, the performing ensemble of the Syrian Music Preservation Initiative, is committed to playing the Syrian classical and folk repertoire that is rarely heard in the US. This acclaimed New York-based ensemble features the sound of a traditional takht (Arab chamber music group). MORE INFO...
TAKHT AL-NAGHAM
Classical Music of Syria
Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Takht al-Nagham, the performing ensemble of the Syrian Music Preservation Initiative, is committed to playing the Syrian classical and folk repertoire that is rarely heard in the US. This acclaimed New York-based ensemble features the sound of a traditional takht (Arab chamber music group). MORE INFO...
©PNCA Pakistan National Council of Arts
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
CANCELLED
HAMZA AKRAM QAWWAL & BROTHERS
Sufi Chants of Pakistan
Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Pakistan’s Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers, grandsons of the revered Munshi Raziuddin, return to Roulette after their mesmerizing performance there in the spring of 2019. They have been acclaimed for their riveting interpretations of qawwali, the ecstatic improvisational Sufi vocal tradition made famous in the West by the late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. MORE INFO...
CANCELLED
HAMZA AKRAM QAWWAL & BROTHERS
Sufi Chants of Pakistan
Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Pakistan’s Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers, grandsons of the revered Munshi Raziuddin, return to Roulette after their mesmerizing performance there in the spring of 2019. They have been acclaimed for their riveting interpretations of qawwali, the ecstatic improvisational Sufi vocal tradition made famous in the West by the late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. MORE INFO...
Laurent Seroussi
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
OMAR SOSA & SECKOU KEITA
featuring GUSTAVO OVALLES
"SUBA": Cuban/African Connections
Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Cuban piano virtuoso Omar Sosa and Senegalese kora (21-string harp lute) master Seckou Keita, whose collaborations brilliantly embrace jazz, Latin and African influences, celebrate the release of their second album, SUBA. Written and recorded in 2020 during the global lockdown, SUBA is a hymn to hope, to a new dawn of compassion and change in a post-pandemic world, and a visceral reiteration of humanity’s prayer for peace and unity. MORE INFO...
OMAR SOSA & SECKOU KEITA
featuring GUSTAVO OVALLES
"SUBA": Cuban/African Connections
Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Cuban piano virtuoso Omar Sosa and Senegalese kora (21-string harp lute) master Seckou Keita, whose collaborations brilliantly embrace jazz, Latin and African influences, celebrate the release of their second album, SUBA. Written and recorded in 2020 during the global lockdown, SUBA is a hymn to hope, to a new dawn of compassion and change in a post-pandemic world, and a visceral reiteration of humanity’s prayer for peace and unity. MORE INFO...
Photo: Mike Anthony
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
L. SHANKAR with ABHIJIT BANERJEE & ROHAN KRISHNAMURTHY
Indian Masters
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Master violinist/vocalist/composer L. Shankar (aka Shenkar) is renowned for his deeply soulful performances of Indian classical music. Since playing his first solo concert at the age of seven, he has gone on to accompany many of South India’s leading vocalists and become a major soloist. In the 1970s, with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram and Ramnad Raghavan, he co-founded the legendary Indo-jazz group Shakti. In the 1980s, he introduced a 10-string double violin capable of covering the whole range of the orchestra’s string section from violin to double bass. To date he has continued to expand the international audience for Indian music, often combining North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Carnatic) styles. He will be accompanied by Abhijit Banerjee, one of the top-ranking tabla (tuned hand drums) players of his generation and a pioneering disciple of the late Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh. MORE INFO...
L. SHANKAR with ABHIJIT BANERJEE & ROHAN KRISHNAMURTHY
Indian Masters
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Master violinist/vocalist/composer L. Shankar (aka Shenkar) is renowned for his deeply soulful performances of Indian classical music. Since playing his first solo concert at the age of seven, he has gone on to accompany many of South India’s leading vocalists and become a major soloist. In the 1970s, with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram and Ramnad Raghavan, he co-founded the legendary Indo-jazz group Shakti. In the 1980s, he introduced a 10-string double violin capable of covering the whole range of the orchestra’s string section from violin to double bass. To date he has continued to expand the international audience for Indian music, often combining North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Carnatic) styles. He will be accompanied by Abhijit Banerjee, one of the top-ranking tabla (tuned hand drums) players of his generation and a pioneering disciple of the late Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh. MORE INFO...
© Nelly Küfner
Robert Browning Associates and Roulette present
MAMADOU DIABATE & PERCUSSION MANIA
Percussion of West Africa
Friday, April 8, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Award-winning balafon (xylophone) master Mamadou Diabate comes from a family of griots (oral historians/praise singers) of the Sambla people in Burkina Faso. Helping to keep alive the balafon’s 800-year-old history, he is a popular performer at festivals in Africa, Europe, Malaysia and India. Often when he performs balafon solos, he creates the impression that three balafonists are playing together. MORE INFO...
MAMADOU DIABATE & PERCUSSION MANIA
Percussion of West Africa
Friday, April 8, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Award-winning balafon (xylophone) master Mamadou Diabate comes from a family of griots (oral historians/praise singers) of the Sambla people in Burkina Faso. Helping to keep alive the balafon’s 800-year-old history, he is a popular performer at festivals in Africa, Europe, Malaysia and India. Often when he performs balafon solos, he creates the impression that three balafonists are playing together. MORE INFO...
© Brenda Kenneally
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
PEDRITO MARTINEZ
Afro-Cuban Magic
Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 8:00 pm
A consummate master of the Afro-Cuban folkloric music and the bata drum, Pedrito Martinez is one of Cuba’s hottest musical exports. He has performed with dozens of Cuban rumba groups and contributed to several important films, including Calle 54 (2000) and Chico and Rita (2010). MORE INFO...
PEDRITO MARTINEZ
Afro-Cuban Magic
Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 8:00 pm
A consummate master of the Afro-Cuban folkloric music and the bata drum, Pedrito Martinez is one of Cuba’s hottest musical exports. He has performed with dozens of Cuban rumba groups and contributed to several important films, including Calle 54 (2000) and Chico and Rita (2010). MORE INFO...
© Alena Soboleva
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance and Roulette present
THE SECRET TRIO:
Ismail Lumanovski, Tamer Pınarbaşı
& Ara Dinkjian
Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 7:30 pm
The Secret Trio is composed of three extraordinary musicians rooted in Turkish, Balkan Roma (Gypsy) and Armenian music who came together to create a new type of chamber music. Not bound by a single tradition, they perform original pieces and traditional melodies that incorporate the microtonal modes and improvisation of the Middle East, dance beats of the Balkans, and elements of jazz, rock, classical and world music. MORE INFO...
THE SECRET TRIO:
Ismail Lumanovski, Tamer Pınarbaşı
& Ara Dinkjian
Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 7:30 pm
The Secret Trio is composed of three extraordinary musicians rooted in Turkish, Balkan Roma (Gypsy) and Armenian music who came together to create a new type of chamber music. Not bound by a single tradition, they perform original pieces and traditional melodies that incorporate the microtonal modes and improvisation of the Middle East, dance beats of the Balkans, and elements of jazz, rock, classical and world music. MORE INFO...
IN REMEMBRANCE:
Shivkumar Sharma • Badal Roy • Pandit Birju Maharaj
Photo credit: Ira Landgarten
Shivkumar Sharma
January 13, 1938 – May 10, 2022
The legendary Shivkumar Sharma, one of India’s most celebrated classical musicians, died on May 10th of a heart attack in Mumbai. India’s greatest santoor (hammered dulcimer) player, he was a pioneering musician responsible for developing the Kashmiri folk instrument used as accompaniment for vocal music into a solo instrument in the North Indian classical repertoire. He was often noted for his inventive technique of gliding the strikers over the strings, creating a delicate, shimmering effect. Since making his first public appearance in 1955, he traveled throughout the world and received many prestigious awards and titles, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1986), Padma Shri (1991) and Padma Vibhushan (2001). He frequently performed with the virtuoso flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia, with whom he also wrote scores for Bollywood films. He appeared many times with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, who had introduced us to him, as well as with his son, Rahul, an acclaimed santoor player.
We presented him 11 times from May 1980 to September 2009 under the auspices of the Alternative Museum and World Music Institute, presenting him at such venues as Symphony. Space, Town Hall and Carnegie Hall. Shivji will be remembered in the hearts of all who came to these concerts. He was one of our favorite artists, a deeply soulful musician admired for the beauty of his music and the brilliance of his innovations. Sarod master Amjad Ali Khan said it so aptly when he wrote that Shivji’s passing “marks the end of an era…his contribution is unparalleled.”
NPR obituary by Anastasia Tsioulcas
January 13, 1938 – May 10, 2022
The legendary Shivkumar Sharma, one of India’s most celebrated classical musicians, died on May 10th of a heart attack in Mumbai. India’s greatest santoor (hammered dulcimer) player, he was a pioneering musician responsible for developing the Kashmiri folk instrument used as accompaniment for vocal music into a solo instrument in the North Indian classical repertoire. He was often noted for his inventive technique of gliding the strikers over the strings, creating a delicate, shimmering effect. Since making his first public appearance in 1955, he traveled throughout the world and received many prestigious awards and titles, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1986), Padma Shri (1991) and Padma Vibhushan (2001). He frequently performed with the virtuoso flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia, with whom he also wrote scores for Bollywood films. He appeared many times with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, who had introduced us to him, as well as with his son, Rahul, an acclaimed santoor player.
We presented him 11 times from May 1980 to September 2009 under the auspices of the Alternative Museum and World Music Institute, presenting him at such venues as Symphony. Space, Town Hall and Carnegie Hall. Shivji will be remembered in the hearts of all who came to these concerts. He was one of our favorite artists, a deeply soulful musician admired for the beauty of his music and the brilliance of his innovations. Sarod master Amjad Ali Khan said it so aptly when he wrote that Shivji’s passing “marks the end of an era…his contribution is unparalleled.”
NPR obituary by Anastasia Tsioulcas
Photo credit: Amitav Roy Chowdhury
Badal Roy
October 16, 1939 - January 18, 2022
Badal Roy was the foremost tabla player in jazz and improvisational music whose memorable work spanned decades. A groundbreaking percussionist, he played with many of the leading names in jazz, including Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, John McLaughlin, Dave Liebman, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Hancock and Herbie Mann, recorded with Yoko Ono and Richie Havens, and led his own ensembles.
Born in what was then British India – later East Pakistan and now Bangladesh, he came to New York in 1968 with $8 in his pocket with the intent to study for a doctorate in statistics. From his work beginnings as a busboy at Horn & Hardart and a waiter at Pak-India Curry House, he went on to become a pioneer in jazz fusion. He played Indian music at the Taste of India restaurant in Greenwich Village where British guitarist John McLaughlin would sit in and jam with him. Eventually McLaughlin asked him to record with him (My Goal’s Beyond) and later introduced him to Miles Davis, with whom he went on to record the quintessential On the Corner and other albums.
Badal was a joy to work with and those who knew him can relate many wonderful stories about him (like inviting the taxi driver into his home after a long ride or inviting the concert presenters over at 11pm for his wife Geeta's fantastic samosas). We looked through our files and saw that we had presented Badal 31 times from 1976 to 2004 (under the auspices of the Alternative Center for International Arts, the Alternative Museum and World Music Institute). These concerts included Steve Gorn (a frequent collaborator), Dave Liebman, Arnie Lawrence, Dewan Motihar, Perry Robinson, Don Cherry, Alirio Lima, Purna Das Baul, Arooj Lasewal, Nana Vasconcelos, Mike Richmond, Herbie Mann, Adam Rudolph, Glen Velez, Duofel, and Pharoah Sanders.
We remember Badal’s infectious smile and exuberant personality and his many appearances over the years. He was the life and soul of so many of our concerts. We will miss you!
New York Times obituary by Jon Pareles
NPR obituary by Brad Farberman:
October 16, 1939 - January 18, 2022
Badal Roy was the foremost tabla player in jazz and improvisational music whose memorable work spanned decades. A groundbreaking percussionist, he played with many of the leading names in jazz, including Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, John McLaughlin, Dave Liebman, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Hancock and Herbie Mann, recorded with Yoko Ono and Richie Havens, and led his own ensembles.
Born in what was then British India – later East Pakistan and now Bangladesh, he came to New York in 1968 with $8 in his pocket with the intent to study for a doctorate in statistics. From his work beginnings as a busboy at Horn & Hardart and a waiter at Pak-India Curry House, he went on to become a pioneer in jazz fusion. He played Indian music at the Taste of India restaurant in Greenwich Village where British guitarist John McLaughlin would sit in and jam with him. Eventually McLaughlin asked him to record with him (My Goal’s Beyond) and later introduced him to Miles Davis, with whom he went on to record the quintessential On the Corner and other albums.
Badal was a joy to work with and those who knew him can relate many wonderful stories about him (like inviting the taxi driver into his home after a long ride or inviting the concert presenters over at 11pm for his wife Geeta's fantastic samosas). We looked through our files and saw that we had presented Badal 31 times from 1976 to 2004 (under the auspices of the Alternative Center for International Arts, the Alternative Museum and World Music Institute). These concerts included Steve Gorn (a frequent collaborator), Dave Liebman, Arnie Lawrence, Dewan Motihar, Perry Robinson, Don Cherry, Alirio Lima, Purna Das Baul, Arooj Lasewal, Nana Vasconcelos, Mike Richmond, Herbie Mann, Adam Rudolph, Glen Velez, Duofel, and Pharoah Sanders.
We remember Badal’s infectious smile and exuberant personality and his many appearances over the years. He was the life and soul of so many of our concerts. We will miss you!
New York Times obituary by Jon Pareles
NPR obituary by Brad Farberman:
©Jack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos
Pandit Birju Maharaj
February 4, 1937 – January 17,2022
Legendary dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj, from a famous family of dancers, was the grand master of kathak, the North Indian classical dance characterized by subtle mime, intricate footwork and breathtaking pirouettes. A torchbearer of the Lucknow gharana (school), he developed his own distinctive style and popularized kathak throughout the world. He was the recipient of India’s highest honors – the Sangeet Natak Academy Award and the Padma Vibhushan - and was regarded as a living legend in India.
We first came to know Pandit Birju Maharaj in 1991 when he performed for World Music Institute and Lotus Music and Dance with his longtime disciple Saswati Sen. He performed three more times for WMI, including the Carnegie Hall concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. He was the sole dance artist in that concert. In addition to his mastery of kathak, he was a composer, poet, singer, and acknowledged choreographer for a number of Bollywood films. We remember him for the grace and nobility of his dance movements, and his angelic smile.
New York Times obituary by Alastair Macaulay
February 4, 1937 – January 17,2022
Legendary dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj, from a famous family of dancers, was the grand master of kathak, the North Indian classical dance characterized by subtle mime, intricate footwork and breathtaking pirouettes. A torchbearer of the Lucknow gharana (school), he developed his own distinctive style and popularized kathak throughout the world. He was the recipient of India’s highest honors – the Sangeet Natak Academy Award and the Padma Vibhushan - and was regarded as a living legend in India.
We first came to know Pandit Birju Maharaj in 1991 when he performed for World Music Institute and Lotus Music and Dance with his longtime disciple Saswati Sen. He performed three more times for WMI, including the Carnegie Hall concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. He was the sole dance artist in that concert. In addition to his mastery of kathak, he was a composer, poet, singer, and acknowledged choreographer for a number of Bollywood films. We remember him for the grace and nobility of his dance movements, and his angelic smile.
New York Times obituary by Alastair Macaulay