Joel Veena, Indian Slide Guitar, with Mir Naqibul Islam, Tablas

North Indian classical music uses the unique musical form of the 'raga' or 'raag' to stir the emotions of the audience and performers, moving them towards a state of focused joy and harmony. Joel and Mir, both seasoned performers in the art form, will present a concert of North Indian music with explanation and demonstration to guide listeners in an understanding and appreciation of the form and substance of the music. This will include a closer look at their respective instruments: the 20-stringed Indian slide guitar, a relatively new instrument in classical music evolved from a modified Hawaiian steel guitar, and the tabla, perhaps the most popular and versatile percussion instrument associated with Indian music the world over. After the introductions, the audience will be treated to a full length duet performance by the artists; music largely improvised on the spot within the framework of the raga that is at once focusing, calming and inspiring.

Mir Naqibul Islam:  An avid student of tabla, Mir has trained in the traditional Guru-Shisya style of Indian classical music from Pt. Ashoke Paul, disciple of the great tabla guru Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh. Now living and working in New York city, he performs regularly with musicians from a wide variety of other genres, bringing tabla to jazz, Middle-Eastern music and other contexts. By listening, learning and playing with musicians from around the globe, Mir is developing a unique musical aesthetic bringing together the influences of traditional Farukhabad-style tabla and 21st century New York. Mir has studied with Pt. Gopal Mishra and Pt. Suresh Talwalkar in the past and is continuing his talim with the great Farukhabad Mastero Pt Anindo Chatterjee.

Joel Veena: Joel ‘Veena’ Eisenkramer began his Indian music study in 2007 during a study-abroad program. Deeply moved by the beauty of the Indian slide guitar and the ragas he heard, he was introduced to Dr. Ranjan Kumar, his first teacher. Since that time, Joel has been traveling to India to study as well as perform, giving concerts in places like the 2019 Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in Delhi. Beginning in 2018, Joel began receiving advanced training under the eminent sarod maestro Pt. Alok Lahiri in the Maihar Gharana style of playing of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pt. Ravi Shankar.

Joel has released 7 albums of slide guitar music, several singles and has been featured by Radio New Zealand, BBC Introducing and NPR.These days, Joel resides with his wife Vidhi in Vermont, USA and Mumbai, India in between touring India, the US and Europe.