Yay! Another Mehfil night, brought to you by The Mehfil Space in partnership with zer0classikal who actively promote and facilitate south Asian Classical music in Brighton and beyond.They are committed to showcasing high-quality music and arts from the South Asian diaspora and global traditions, fostering cross-cultural dialogue, and building local community.
For those who haven’t been, the curator Atiya Gourlay and her Mehfillitas (as they like to call themselves) come and transform the Rose Hill with her beautiful carpets, cushions and throws, cook fresh samosas to share and fill the space the most exquisite and restorative vibes.
Mehfil means an intimate gathering where music, art or poetry are shared.
Some words from The Mehfil Space:
Start the festive sparkly winter season with rising sitar star, Akash Parekar, performing with virtuoso Janan Sathiendran on tabla. Again, The Mehfil Space is so excited to host this evening at The Rose Hill, bringing you high quality south Asian classical music. You won’t want to miss this night.
Akash Parekar – Sitar
Akash is a talented sitar artist, bringing an energy and spark to his performances, as well as offering nuanced playing which delves deep into emotion that, some say, only south Asian classical music can conjure. He began learning the Sitar at the late age of 18 and is now part of the new generation of exciting British-born sitar players. His musical upbringing was initially in western classical and contemporary western music, but he focussed on the sitar in his late teens. From the young age of 5, Akash was already performing on stage and has since flourished as a creative musician.
Akash is the disciple of the world renowned Sitarist Roopa Panesar. Akash has also received guidance from many great musicians such as ustad Dharambir Singh (MBE), Ustad Harjinderpal Singh (disciple of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma) and Ustad Irshad Khan (Disciple and son of Ustad Imrat Khan and nephew of Ustad Vilayat Khan).
He has worked on many collaborative projects including Penguins rising with Zak Starkey (The Who and Oasis), Mayur Navekar (Bandish Projekt) and Michael Tedstone (ManikeMusic). Akash has also played at prestigious venues such as the Darbar festival at The Barbican, Royal Albert Hall with the Philharmonic Orchestra and De Montfort hall , Glastonbury Festival, Birmingham Symphony Hall.
Akash performs in the UK and internationally and is now working on his debut album.
Janan Sathiendran – Tabla
Janan Sathiendran is a London-born percussionist and medical doctor whose artistic voice has been shaped by the rich cultural diversity of his hometown. Trained from childhood in both the Hindustani and Carnatic classical traditions of India, and raised in a home immersed in a wide spectrum of musical influences, he developed a deep rhythmic sensitivity and stylistic adaptability from an early age.
A versatile performer, Janan works fluently across south Asian classical music and dance, Qawwali, Western classical collaborations, and contemporary and urban genres. This breadth has taken him to stages around the world, sharing performances with renowned artists including A.R. Rahman, Nitin Sawhney and Abi Sampa. Through his work with the Orchestral Qawwali Project, Janan has brought the nuance and spontaneity of south Asian percussion into conversation with chamber and symphonic forces, creating music that moves between intimacy and scale.