Percussionist

Join us for a night of cross cultural Persian music influenced by Indian talas and experimental motifs with four exquisite Toronto musicians.

Experimental Link: Persian Alchemy

Small World Centre

Two-time JUNO (Canadian Grammy) winner Kiran Ahluwalia’s open-hearted vocals have established her as one of global music’s most compelling cross-pollinators. An acclaimed musician with roots in Indian classical, Sufi, Ghazal, and Punjabi folk music, her six-piece band is led by ace Pakistani guitarist Rez Abbasi whose accolades include the Guggenheim Fellowship and frequent appearances on the Top Ten Guitarists of Downbeat’s International Critics Poll. Kiran and Rez are a real-life couple, one born in India, the other in Pakistan. Having grown up in the Diaspora they crossed ethnic and religious lines between their two warring motherlands to forge a musical and life partnership. Together they craft songs that are equal parts reflective and groovy and bring together the disparate traditions of Indian music, West African Blues and Jazz. Three continents come together in these songs so organically that they sound like nothing else – ethereal, raw, urgent and elegant at the same time. Over the course of seven albums, Kiran’s work has featured collaborations with leading musicians from the Celtic and Fado worlds, as well as Malian super group Tinariwen. Her reworking of the classic Qawwali tune Mustt Mustt has amassed over 3 million views online and the inspiration that drove her to create it continues to inform her music today.

Kiran Ahluwalia in Concert

South Asia Institute

In “Requiem for Water,” Chorus Niagara highlights the global water crisis and expresses humanity’s desperation for this precious resource. At the heart of this program is Reena Esmail’s Malhaar: A Requiem for Water (2023), which fuses Western choral music with Hindustani classical traditions, featuring a Hindustani vocalist, tabla, percussion, and immersive video projections. Paired with other contemporary works that echo its themes, this concert is a moving meditation on the natural world and our place within it.

Percussionist

Dhaivat Jani

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 28, 2026

Requiem for Water · FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

Past events

Nov 16, 2024

Experimental Link: Persian Alchemy · Small World Music

May 10, 2024

Kiran Ahluwalia in Concert · South Asia Institute

About

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