- country:India
- style(s):Indian, Jazz
- label:Ears Love Music
- type:Band, Composer/Songwriter
- gender:male
- instrumentation:instrumental, vocal
- artist posted by:LED Artists
Line up
- Matthias Mueller (Guitar)
- Neyveli S. Radhakrishna (Double-neck Violin)
- R. Yogaraja (Mrudangam, kanjira,Percussion)
- Udai Mazumdar (Tabla)
Links
Ahimsa is a four-piece ensemble based in India and Germany. Their music is a captivating fusion of Indian Carnatic music and jazz, played on guitar, violin and North and South Indian percussion instruments.
Ahimsa is a brilliant combination of musicians; South Indian violin star Neyveli S. Radhakrishna and German jazz guitarist Matthias Muller accompanied by masters of percussion from both Southern Carnatic and Northern Hindustani India, R. Yogaraja on Mrudangam and Ganjira and Udai Mazumdar on Tabla.
In Ahimsa's fierce compositions, the complex rhythmic structures and raga improvisations are balanced with the harmonic diversity of western classical music and the unlimited expression of jazz. Their forte presents enchanting and daring improvisational music played with innovative virtuosity.
The Sanskrit word Ahimsa denotes non-violence, compassion, love and reverence for all beings and all forms of life.
Neyveli S. Radhakrishna
Radha has played the violin since he was 8 years old. He studied with the violin-maestro Dr. M. Chandrasekaran and later graduated from the Annamalai University in India. At the age of thirteen he won first price in a national Indian Violin competition and also won the 'Krishna Gana Shabha-Award' in South India for young performing artists.
Recently he was honored with the 'Kanchi Kama Koti Peeta Asthanam' award which is a prestigious honor for musicians in south India.
Radha is well-versed, playing classical Indian music as well as contemporary styles such as Jazz and Fusion. He plays a unique double neck five strings violin. His captivating, unusual style and improvisational skills have led him to play
with some of the worlds greatest, such as: Pandit Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar, Jonas Hellborg and V. Selvaganesh to name a few. He also played in the album 'Soukha' with John McLaughlin, Ustad Zakir Hussain and mandolin wizard U. Srinivas.
In addition to appearances on Indian radio and television, Radha extensively tours the world. He has played in many festivals and in the world's most prestigious halls such as the Carnegie-Hall, NY, Disney-Hall, LA, among others.
www.doubleviolin.com www.myspace.com/radhakrishnas
Matthias Mueller
Matthias is a music graduate from the 'College of Music Sulzbach-Rosenberg','Munich Guitar Institute' and the 'Grove School of Music' in Los Angeles. He studied Classical & Jazz Guitars, as well as conducting, composing and arranging.
During his long carrier as a musician and composer Matthias has played concerts all around the world in wide variety of styles, including Classical, Jazz and Fusion. He has composed for film & theatre and played guitar in many recording sessions.
Matthias strong interest in Indian classical music has led him to study the Carnatic Music (South Indian style) from some of the best Indian musicians. Ahimsa was created by both Matthias and Radha from their strong passion to mix and blend the Indian classical music with western influences, such as Jazz and Fusion.
Matthias has played with some of the top Indian musicians of our generation, such as; Dr. L. Subramaniam, Sivamani, Salil Bhatt and Tanmoy Bose along with many others. Recently, Matthias has recorded a new guitar trio album with
Grammy Award Indian guitarist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
Udai Mazumdar
Udai hails from a family of fine musicians of Allahabad (north India). His father, the Late Partho Sarathy Mazumdar is among the first-generation of Indian Classical guitarists. At 6 years old Udai started his vocal training in classical Indian music and a year later he picked up and started to play the Tabla (most popular Hindustani/North Indian percussion instrument).
In 1989 Udai moved to Delhi to further his musical experience and he became one of the six disciples of Pandit Ravi Shankar. He lived with this world-renowned Sitar Maestro and learned directly from him the intricate art of Tabla accompaniment.
Udai is a skilled musician with a sensitive approach. His evocative and expressive melodic and rhythmic playing as well as his dedication and commitment to the classical music genre has made him equally sought after as both a soloist and an accompanist. He has played with some of the most noteworthy Indian masters such as; Pandit Ravi Shankar (performing before the Royal Families of England and Sweden), with Ustad Zakir Hussain (in a concert to mark Pt. Ravi Shankar's 75th birthday), with Hariprasad Chaurasia, Siv Kumar Sharma and Ustad Ashish Khan to name a few. Udai also played with western musicians such as; Paul Giger, Massimo Marcelli, Carlo Bocardo among others. He has also been featured in many Radio & TV's station around the world, including the Radio DRS, Switzerland, Radio France and the BBC. He participated in many recordings and performed in many festivals all around the world.
Currently he is based in Basel, Switzerland, engaging in performances, composing and teaching; and he continues to spend time and learn with Pandit Ravi Shankar during his regular visits to New Delhi. www.mazumdar-udai.com
R. Yogaraja
At a very young age, Yoga was trained in Mrudangam (main south Indian Carnatic drum comparable to Tabla) by his father, the Master A.S. Ramanathan. To further his education he studied at the 'Annamalai University' in Chidambaram. During that time he adopted and mastered his technique with other percussion instruments such as the Kanjira (small hand-drum with a huge range of pitches), Ghatam (Clay pot), Mosring (traditional south Indian mouth harp), as well asTabla, African and Latin American percussion instruments.
His diversity and unique playing style attracted some of the world's greatest musicians. Yoga has accompanied many famous musicians including maestro Yehudi Menuhin, Stephan Grapelli and Dr. L. Subramaniam.
He has played all around the world in major halls and events with such as the London Philharmonic and he has appeared in many Indian Radio and TV-Stations.