October 18–24, 2019 Brooklyn Paper • www.BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260-2500 AWP 9
All the raga
Red Hook host a 24-hour
Indian music marathon
By Kevin Duggan
Brooklyn Paper
Raga ’round the clock!
A classical Indian music festival
will take listeners on a 24-hour
sonic journey, with the music in each
hour aligned with the time of day.
The Ragas Live Festival, which will
begin at 7 pm on Oct. 19, at Pioneer
Works in Red Hook, will feature 24 performances
designed to take audiences
away from the hustle and bustle of the
city in favor of the soothing sounds of
the subcontinent, said the event’s East
Flatbush founder.
“We’re used to so much stimulus,
but in this case, it’s nothing but beauty
and harmony and it sweeps away all the
noise that we’re all subjected to,” said
David Ellenbogen.
The Indian music tradition has several
modes, or ragas, that are limited to
particular times of the day, with different
notes and sounds to match the mood,
according to Ellenbogen.
“There’s specific notes that might be
used more in a morning raga but the overall
feeling is more devotional, while the
evening ragas are more romantic, with
a longing kind of direction,” said the
guitarist, who will also perform with
several acts during the event.
MUSIC
The Indian music aficionado started
the marathon show in 2012 as a 24-hour
broadcast from WKCR, the Columbia
University student radio station, and he
brought it to Pioneer Works in 2016.
This year’s lineup features both traditional
Indian musicians, such as sitarist
Anupama Bhagwat, and artists that
bring a more eclectic sound, including
Mali musician Yacouba Sissoko, who
plays a West African harp-like instrument
known as the kora, and jazz bassist
Reggie Workman, who played with
iconic saxophonist John Coltrane. Ellenbogen
said that artists who blend Indian
music with other cultures are a particular
draw for the show.
“That’s the sweet spot for us,” he said.
“Cross-cultural collaborations where
these different cultures can meet.”
The annual event, along with popular
groups like Brooklyn Raga Massive
— which holds a weekly jam session
Brooklyn Raga Massive
at the nearby Jalopy Theatre — have
led a local renaissance of interest in the
eastern music tradition not seen since
George Harrison started taking sitar lessons
from Ravi Shankar in the 1960s,
according to Ellenbogen.
“There’s been a resurgence and excitement
around this tradition,” he said.
The bash will end on Oct. 20 with
Brooklyn Raga Massive performing “In
D,” a piece that blends the Eastern tradition
with minimalist composer Terry
Riley’s work “In C.”
Ticketed audience members can come
and go throughout the lengthy concert,
and listeners around the world can also
tune in to a live broadcast and online
stream from WKCR during the event,
said Ellenbogen.
“We’re just going to beam this cycle of
sound all around the globe,” he said.
SAVE THE DATE: 11.20.19
TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE
visit www.schnepsevents.com/kings2019
or call 718-260-2582
PRINT DIGITAL EVENTS BROADCASTING
SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
PRESENTS THE 2019
A champions networking event that honors top Brooklyn men
for their outstanding leadership and contributions to the community.
Thursday 11-20-19
6:00-9:00PM
GRAND PROSPECT HALL
263 PROSPECT AVE, Brooklyn, NY 11215
For more information call Alice
at 718-260-2582 or email acoyle@schnepsmedia.com
Rag
Liv
Courtesy of Brooklyn Raga Massive
Raga roll: (Top) The Indian music
collective Brooklyn Raga Massive
will close out the 24-hour music
bash “Ragas Live Fest” on Oct.
19-20 at Pioneer Works. The show
will feature sitarist Neel Murgai
(above), along with jazz and West
African artists.
“Ragas Live Festival” at Pioneer
Works 159 Pioneer St. between
Conover and Van Brunt streets in
Red Hook, (718) 596-3001, www.
pioneerworks.org. Oct. 19 at 7 pm
to Oct. 20 at 7 pm. $35 for 12-hour
pass, $60 for 24 hours.
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