The California Jazz Conservatory Presents Modirzadeh / Sahai / Batish - Together For The First Time! at California Jazz Conservatory

Hafez Modirzadeh (saxophone) and Rita Sahai (N. Indian Vocals) are long-time collaborators joining forces here for the first time with world-renowned artists, Ashwin Batish (sitar, tabla) and Keshav Batish (sitar, tabla, drums). Together, this unique quartet will develop improvisations from their own original compositions, drawing from Hindustani, African American, and Persian musical traditions.


Artist Bios:

Rita Sahai is a rare Hindustani vocalist residing in Bay Area whose uniqueness comes from her being simultaneously a soulful performer, a brilliant and prolific composer, and a venerated music teacher. She is a senior disciple of Sangeet Samrat Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Saheb, and is the only vocalist and composer to carry forward the heritage of the Seni Allaudin Gharana....

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Hafez Modirzadeh (saxophone) and Rita Sahai (N. Indian Vocals) are long-time collaborators joining forces here for the first time with world-renowned artists, Ashwin Batish (sitar, tabla) and Keshav Batish (sitar, tabla, drums). Together, this unique quartet will develop improvisations from their own original compositions, drawing from Hindustani, African American, and Persian musical traditions.


Artist Bios:

Rita Sahai is a rare Hindustani vocalist residing in Bay Area whose uniqueness comes from her being simultaneously a soulful performer, a brilliant and prolific composer, and a venerated music teacher. She is a senior disciple of Sangeet Samrat Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Saheb, and is the only vocalist and composer to carry forward the heritage of the Seni Allaudin Gharana.

Ashwin Batish is a highly respected sitarist and tabla artist, educator, composer and producer, whose pioneering work in world music has earned him international acclaim. After receiving training in the North Indian classical tradition from his father S.D. Batish, Ashwin later created his own unique fusion of Indian classical sitar with pop, rock, jazz, calypso, funk, etc., where he garnered fame for such songs as the Bombay Boogie, Raga Rock, Raga Jazz, Casbah Shuffle and Sitar Mania.

Hafez Modirzadeh focuses on original cross-cultural musical approaches, resulting in recording, publishing, and collaborating with leading traditional artists world-wide. His most recent release on Pi Recordings, Facets (2021) has garnered critical acclaim for advancing concepts of resonance for re-tuned piano.

Keshav Batish carries on the Batish musical legacy with innovative prowess - well-steeped within the disciplines of North Indian instrumental and vocal traditions, as well as jazz, he has nurtured a profoundly original compositional voice, as evidenced from the release of his 2021 debut album, Binaries in Cycle.

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