Lyrical Slide Guitar: Joel Veena feat. Mir Naqibul Islam

Award-winning Indian slide guitarist, Joel Veena presents an evening of Hindustani ragas and original songs accompanied by Mir Naqibul Islam on tabla in the beautiful, air-conditional hall of All Saints Church in South Hadley. Immerse yourself in the tranquility and power of Hindustani ragas, framed by Joel's stories of travel and experiences learning in the rich oral tradition of Indian music.  Starting as a meditative and melodic invocation that builds to an ecstatic crescendo, Joel's concerts are a cascade of strings and beats that celebrate life and the depth of a rich musical tradition. 

Joel Veena: Joel ‘Veena’ Eisenkramer began his Indian music study in 2007 during a study-abroad program in Delhi, India. Today he is one of the leading exponent's of his instrument in the world. He is the only North American performer of the Indian slide guitar to have performed regularly in India; touring across the country to perform in venues big and small, including the 2019 Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, ICCR Delhi Azad Bhawan and the National Gallery of Modern Art in Bengaluru. In 2023, Joel was celebrated by the government of India for his "unwavering dedication and enthusiasm...of this art form" in the publication 'Bharatasya Sangeet Vishwanubandh Yatra.'  Deeply steeped in the oral tradition of the music, Joel began his study of the instrument with Mohan veena played Dr. Ranjan Kumar of Delhi and has also received training from sarod maestros Pt. Alok Lahiri and Pt. Anirban Dasgupta. In 2023, he was honored with the Meenakshi Hariharasubramani Award for Excellence in Music in Bengaluru, India. 

Joel has self-produced 10 albums of slide guitar music, several singles and has been featured by Radio New Zealand, Shemaroo Entertainment and MyGov India. During the lockdowns, he performed and produced more than 35 live-streaming concerts for free that remain available online today.

Joel's performances have been noted for their welcoming and explanatory quality; pieces are presented with their cultural and historical context so as to open the door for new audiences unfamiliar with Indian classical music. His original compositions, often inspired by the ragas he's studied, have been praised for their use of classical theory and aesthetic while creating toe-tapping, memorable melodies approachable by all. 

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.

During the intermission, audiences can enjoy masala chai along with other refreshments that will be available by donation. Also on sale will be Indian handicrafts such as shawls, purses, backpacks and silver jewellery curated by Vidhi Salla, journalist, curator, and wife of Joel Veena.

For more info visit: JoelVeena.com

Stream Joel's music at: https://vibe.to/joelveena