Created by Ashwin Baliga and George Howlett, Around the World in 8 Ragas will take you on a musical odyssey. Across continents and centuries, humanity has carried one universal companion: music. From desert caravans tracing ancient trade routes, to sailors navigating uncharted seas, to pilgrims and warriors moving across borders, cultures have exchanged not only goods and beliefs—but also sound. “Around the world in 8 Ragas” is a gig that explores how musical scales, in this case, south Asian musical scales, though born in different corners of the globe, reveal a shared human instinct for expression.
Follow the journeys of iconic scales—Pentatonic, Raga, Maqam, Modes, and more. We uncover how these musical structures spread through Silk Road markets, African diaspora rhythms, medieval monasteries, and colonial crossroads. We invite audiences to listen to history, one Raga at a time.
Performers
Ashwin Baliga: Vocals (US-Based Indian Classical vocalist, creator of the ‘Raga Bath’ [instagram])
George Howlett: Guitar (Multi-instrumentalist and blogger/author at ragajunglism.org – the most visited website for south Asian classical Ragas [instagram])
Marc Clayton: Tabla (Performer and teacher, Brighton-based).