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2009 saw the completion of his latest composition’ Song Celestial, a piece inspired by a chapter from ancient mystical text, The Bhagavad Gita. This composition, supported by PRS Foundation for new music and Arts Council England has been touring the UK in 2009.
Baluji is developing a number of new projects (see current projects) which include pieces for sitar & orchestra and a spectacular percussion ensemble to launch at Mela 2010.
About Baluji
Baluji is one of the great sitarists to emerge from India. He is rare musician, along with solo sitar albums he also has solo releases on dilruba (fretted fiddle) and Surbhar (bass sitar). Baluji’s style has been has been described as “lush and utterly fresh” (Scotsman 2007) making him an accessible artist who’s performances are infused with a warmth and humour that help connect audiences (new and old alike) with Indian Classical Music. Baluji’s special ability is to make his music more than about incredible technique but about emotion and feelings and to experiment across traditions and genres.
Indo Jazz – Jazz Orient
Jazz Orient can not be easily captured by categories of music, but think Indian rhythms and percussion meeting, European folk and jazz to create boundary crossing, genre trashing sound, all done in a spontaneous and imaginative way.
The core of Jazz Orient are Baluji Shrivastav on Sitar, Dilruba, tabla and countless other Indian percussion instruments; Chris Conway on guitar, keyboards, tin whistle and Linda Shanovitch on vocals. The group has possible trio, quartet and quintet performance sizes.
Their third and most recent album (released on ARC music) featured the talents of the specially invited guests Andy Shepard, Guy Barker and Egyptian master percussionist Hossam Ramsy.
Composer
Having recently completed his composition ‘Song Celestial’ Baluji is currently working towards a new composition Taal Zindagi: Rhythm of Life Percussion Orchestra. This project will bring together the top percussionist originating from the subcontinent along with 30 amateur percussionists drawn from each performance locale. It is this show will premier at Croydon Mela (1st August). (See current projects).
Baluji has also composed to commission and for television, theatre and dance. In 2009 Baluji recorded a version of his composition ‘An Indian In London’ with contemporary Spanish Orchestra Gernoa XXI with whom he toured N.W. Spain. Over the years Baluji has also composed for theatre including Tara Arts, Polka Theatre,and Tamasha. He has composed and played for some of the best Indian classical and contemporary dancers.
Other compositions include ‘Sitar Guitar Sitar Suites’ for Timothy Walker, ‘Portraits of the Dark’ and ‘Sohini and Mahival’, an Urdu oratorio composed with Oscar winning composer Dario Marianelli.
Session Work
Baluji has worked across genres with a wide range of artists such as Massive Attack, Jah Wobble and The Doves 2010 album, with whom he performed at 2010 BBC electric ballrooms.
