ABHAY JODHPUKAR ( A J ) : Vocals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6L4S6Xn21g

The living embodiment of a versatile playback singer-Abhay Jodhpurkar was born with a rich musical heritage of prodigious talent. He nurtured his musical

skills since childhood from his Grandfather, parents and guru Ms. Sulochna Moghe. He started singing at the tender age of five and won various National

Level Competitions.

At the age of 21, he mesmerized everyone with his heart-touching voice in his debut song “Moongil Thottam” for Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film “Kadal”. Apart

from being launched by A R Rahman, he has also been a part of A R Rahman’s concerts including “Thaai Manne Vanakkam”, MTV Unplugged etc.

He has won many awards including “BIG Melody Awards” for his Debut song. He has been featured in many TV shows like Vijay TV, Jaya TV, Zee Tamil (Isai

Unplugged) & Kappa TV (Music Mojo). He is a versatile singer and holds the experience of singing in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi

and has sung a variety of genres.

PREETHY BHALLA : Vocals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wadPBI61VQ8

The vibrant lady and vocals behind the famous song “Damadam Mast Kalandar” from the album “Jalwa II - PREETHY BHALLA needs no more explanation.

Having an enriching journey through the different genres from sufi to hiphop , she creates magic with her voice that touches one’s heart and soul.

An indisputably terrific performer, she is filled with energy and has travelled all over the world. Working with companies like MTV, Zee Music, Ramoji Film

City, Samsung, Moserbaer, Satyam Computers, Philips, ONGC, Indian Navy, Eureka Forbes, ITC John Players she has enthralled the 1000’s of audience with

her power packed performance.

A versatile vocalist, Preethy has done playbacking in Choodiyan, Billa II and many more Indian languages and also a Pakistani film “Kabhi Pyar Na Karna”.

What made her different and received attention was that when she was featured in the music video and the song was nominated in the category of BEST

NEW NON-FILM TALENT for IMMIES MTV MUSIC AWARDS’ 2003. The truly blessed Preethy Bhalla with her pleasant and spontaneous attitude always keeps

the audience swaying and singing to her tunes.

CAROLA GREY : Drums

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwUrrHrsKnU&list=RDz1gJug_oSLQ

Born in Munich, Germany Carola started out as a very motivated classical pianist at the age of 6. When she discovered the drums at 14 it put an abrupt end to those carrier plans and she decided to study Jazz at the famous college for music" in Cologne where she received her masters degree in music and music education. The next 6 years she spent in New York, where, besides working with numerous artists from all kind of musical directions, she also right away started her own band and began touring. In the next couple of years concerts and drum clinics should lead her all over the globe. Her CDs made it into the Top Ten of the U.S. Gavin Jazz charts and she received several awards as a drummer and composer. Recently most of her energy goes into her reactivated group ‘noisy mama’ (“desperately awaited by her many fans”, JAZZZEITUNG). To have total creative control over her art she has founded her own record label :’ noisy mama productions’ She has released her CD ‘Drum Attack!’ in march 2007. Burghausener Jazzpreis, Staatlicher Kulturfoerderpreis Bayern, Gouvernment Grand (DAAD), Nomination for the SWF Jazzpreis for "Noisy Mama",

Nomination for U.S. "Jazzrockalbum of the Year '"for "Girls Can't Hit" are just a few to list her awards and achievements.

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Lavanya Mitwa : Saxophone / Trumpet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI4032iO1CQ

Lavanya's musical journey began at the age of six with vocal and violin training. At the age of 15, she began to learn saxophone from the Indian Saxophone maestro, Padmashree Dr. Kadri Gopalnath. Her musical repertoire ranges from Carnatic music, Hindustani, Fusion, Western to Jazz.

Saxophone Lavanya's appearances throughout the world include ‘The Little Chilli Festival of Asian Music’ at Purcell Hall, ‘The Bath International Music Festival’ at Bath Guild Hall, The festival of ‘One City One World’ at Nottingham among many others. She has performed over 5000 shows now both on national and international grounds and travelled to more than 17 countries. She is the recipient of the Rajyothsava Award by the Government of Karnataka, Padmabharathi award, Yuvakala Bharathi award , Sri Krishna Anugraha award, K.S. Mahadevan critics award, Madhura Murali Puraskar to name a few. And to top it all, she has made an entry into the Limca Book of Records for being the only professional woman Saxophonist in the country.

JOHN ANTONY : Lead Guitars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od2KmHbFEFA

John Anthony loves to call himself a freelance guitarist. This Kochi-bred musician who has jammed with some of the biggest names in the industry has

completed what he calls a `dream project': A classical contemporary band called `kARNATRiix ' and a new album named ‘Namaste'. John started off his

career with big names, way back in 1985. Sivamani, A. R. Rahman, the Kenyan Jo Joo, who is no more, and John had formed the band, `Roots,' which rocked

Chennai and other Indian cities for about four years then. Following that in 1988 came the Epidemics, featuring L Shankar of Shakthi fame and UstadZakir

Hussain. And then followed a host of other bands - Bleeding Madras, The Banned, the Yakshas and now Karnatrix… His social cause was well revealed when

he founded “The Banned” – a rock group inspired by the struggle of the survivors of the Bhopal disaster. Organised unsponsored, unticketed live “No More

Bhopals” concert featuring “Thermal and a quarter,” Earthbound” and “The Banned” for an audience of 5000 students in, IIT, Chennai. Concert was

organized to bid farewell to Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior from Chennai. Music video Featured in Channel V. Over the years his tours includes

Germany, south Africa, China, Israel, France, Spain, Russia, Belgium, UAE etc and almost all major cities in India.

RAVI CHARY : Sithar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ah8u_STbFc

The stage is misty with incense, the crowd awaits the Sitar maestro, and the star enters,

spotlessly garbed, lit by his own smile - Ravi Chary, one of the handful of Indian Rock

musicians with a classical instrument, that Mumbai’s indie rock and jazz fans are most familiar

with.

Thinking of Ravi Chary, the Hindustani sitar player, the adjectives like spontaneous, versatile,

grounded won’t be enough. With enviable ease and versatility, Ravi traverses every program

with seemingly effortless skill that goes on to break the conventional way of playing sithar,

and moves around the stage with the instrument on hand as if he plays lead guitar, with the

flow of the concert and the mood of the audience. He is an astounding and sought after

performing artist who enjoys all of the opportunities which resulted in the magical

collaborations with foreign artists from diverse musical backgrounds like Salif Keita, Kai

Eckhardt, Angélique Kidjo, Ben Watkins, Pacco Sairre, Kudsi Eulgner, Robert Miles. The

fabulous performances at various international festivals like WOMAD, Glastonbury, and

Bumbershoot also gave the audience a standing ovation. He has received a fellowship from

the ministry of HRD, Government of India for his musical pursuits.

One distinguishing factor of Ravi Chary is that his composure never deserts him. He comes in

like a fresh alpine breeze and goes out like a hurricane. It is nothing short of divine.

PRAKASH ULLIYERI : Piano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATLE05IL8zU

This man’s virtuosity on the harmonium and on the keyboard has taken him places – right from his hometown Kozhikode to the Royal Albert Hall, London and The Opera House. It would not be a hyperbole when one says that Prakash Ulliyeri has found the keys to success! With his mesmerising artistry on the keyboard, he is surging forward towards being an all time great.

He has performed with eminent and popular singers and other artists like Padmasree Hariharan, Padmasree Sankar Mahadevan, Padmasree Pankaj Udhas, Padmabhushan Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Padmasree Kadri Gopalnath, Padmasree Mandolin Sreenivas,Padmasree Mattannur Sankarankutty, Ranjit Barot ,Rajesh Vaidya, Sivamani, U.Rajesh, Purbayaan Chatterjee, Selva Ganesh, K.L.Sreeram etc. He has scored music for two Malayalam films and he is also a regular contributor to popular albums. He is still basking in the success of the Soul of India concert where he accompanied ghazal maestro Hariharan.

He has widely toured for performances in places like U.S.A London, Paris, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Nigeria, Ireland, Australia, Srilanka, Indonesia, & all Gulf Countries.

NAVEEN : Bass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jFZLKVKizU

Naveen Kumar is an accomplished freelance Bass guitarist and session artist, based in Chennai. He has performed extensively both nationally and internationally with some of the most renowned artistes in the music firmament. An extremely versatile musician, Naveen has played bass for the Abu Dhabi BigBand as part of the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra (2007-09), performed with the British Orchestra, performed at the prestigious Berklee Performance Center in Boston (USA) with the Middle Eastern Ensemble and the World Music Ensemble, performed for various musicals with the British Orchestra in Dubai, performed with renowned Jazz Duos and Trios alongside International Award-winning musicians, performed at the International YFC Middle East Conference, performed with internationally acclaimed Jazz pianist Madhav Chari, performed with the MMA Choir, toured with the UK orchestra ‘Tocatta’ and has performed extensively with the Indian band Karnatriix, to name a few. Having completed Grade 8 theory in Trinity College London and the ‘Jazz Arranging and Performing’ course in Berklee College of Music (Boston-USA), Naveen is surely one of the most talented and qualified musicians in the Music firmament today.

BIJU POULOSE : Keys and Synth

Being the most diverse and supreme electric keyboardists, his ability to recreate Indian Classical instruments as well as a wide range of percussive instruments is truly outstanding and one of a kind. To record music for over 1000 films is definitely an add on to the Indian Film Industry and he has also made his mark by winning “The Best Background Score Composer” in the year 2000 for the movie “Mazha”. He has extensively toured and performed in USA, Canada, Singapore & UAE with his music.

Biju Joseph, with his hands, plucks up the musical notes out of thin air and connects straight away to the audience and it would be a symphony of paradise.

MAHESH MANI : Thabla

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TneWGUnuVJs

The legendary Tansen must have called upon rains with his impeccable voice, but this man can set off fireworks whenever he performs – meet Mahesh Mani. The astounding Tabla player has always had his way with the audience as he goes about striking the musical instrument which he reveres.

Mahesh is a versatile artist and grasped the early lessons from his father Sri Mani and further received training in Tabla from Ustad Faizal Khureshi (brother of Ustad Zakir Hussain), Professor Manohar Keskar and Subrutho Bhatacharya.

He completed his degree in Mridangam from Sri Swathi Thirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram and has won several awards and recognitions. Not to mention numerous awards that he has received from various cultural foundations throughout India.

He has accompanied many leading artists like Padmasree Umayalpuram, K. Sivaraman, Padmasree Mattannoor Sankaran Kutty, Kadri Gopalnath, U. Srinivas, Rajesh Vaidhya, Dr Narmada, Dr. Karthik, Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan, Dr. K. J. Yesudas, K. S. Chithra, Raveendran Master, Johnson Master, Vidyasagar, Vidyadharan Master, Balabhaskar, Stephen Devasya to name a few.

He has performed all around the globe and has made a strong statement about his versatility through his sublime Tabla pieces.