We are excited to kick off our 2024 programs with an exciting Veena concert by Rajhesh Vaidhya.


  • Concert Date: Sunday 07 April 2024
  • Concert Time: 5 PM – 6:30 PM EST
  • Concert Venue: FSW Rush Auditorium, J-103 , 8099 College Parkway, Fort Myers, FL 33919
  • Admission: FREE. Please register on our website to attend.


DONATIONS WELCOME!

Register for Event - Press Submit when done

Rajhesh Vaidhya started his tutelage under Smt. Jeyalakshmi and continued learning the Saraswathi Veena under Smt Rama Nambinarayanan. He also received advanced training under carnatic veena maestro Shri Chitti Babu.


Vaidhya has composed various albums and given many stage performances. He was music director for the movie Vegam by S. Ve. Shekher, starring Ashwin Shekher. He has also worked with Vidyasagar, Harris Jayaraj, Bharathwaj, Deva, Devi Sri Prasad, Srikanth Deva, Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja and A. R. Rahman. He composed the music for K. Balachander's Sahana, a television series. He collaborated with Playing for Change, on the album Songs Around The World, (2008). He has performed with musicians and composers like Sir Elton John.

Raaga live streamed his exclusive virtual concert during Covid in 2020


Please Save the Date | Sunday 07 April 2024


We look forward to seeing you all at this concert and appreciate your continued support.

 

Read more:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajhesh_Vaidhya
https://www.facebook.com/RajheshVaidhya/
Listen to his channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT_cq6mS9dGaND0iHO8-PgA

The Saraswati Veena

The Sarawati Veena is a fretted stringed instrument with wooden resonators.


About four feet in length, its design consists of a large resonator (kudam) carved and hollowed out of a log (usually of jackfruit wood), a tapering hollow neck (dandi) topped with 24 brass or bell-metal frets set in scalloped black wax on wooden tracks, and a tuning box culminating in a downward curve and an ornamental dragon's head (yali). If the veena is built from a single piece of wood it is called (Ekanda) veena. A small table-like wooden bridge (kudurai)—about 2 x 2½ x 2 inches—is topped by a convex brass plate glued in place with resin. Two rosettes, formerly of ivory, now of plastic or horn, are on the top board (palakai) of the resonator. Four main playing strings tuned to the tonic and the fifth in two octaves (for example, B flat-E flat below bass clef - B flat- E flat in bass clef) stretch from fine tuning connectors attached to the end of the resonator across the bridge and above the fretboard to four large-headed pegs in the tuning box. Three subsidiary drone strings tuned to the tonic, fifth, and upper tonic (E flat - B flat- E flat in the tuning given above) cross a curving side bridge leaning against the main bridge, and stretch on the player's side of the neck to three pegs matching those of the main playing strings. All seven strings today are of steel.


On the Tabla: Shankh Lahiri

Shankh Lahiri is the Founder and Director of Shruti Foundation & Shruti School of Music - a fast growing Music organization in USA that promotes the rich Art of Indian Classical Music as well as Cultural and Intercultural Music through its ongoing Classes, Concerts and Workshops.


Shankh Lahiri comes from a family with a strong tradition of Indian Classical Music and has fully devoted his life to Music. Son of the visionary sitarist and Guru Shri Rabindranath Lahiri (disciple of Ustad Dabir Khan), he grew up in an environment imbued with the fragrance of Hindustani music. As a child, he received intensive trainin Shankhachur  in both vocal and tabla from his father and went on to graduate with in both subjects. He later took advanced talim in tabla from Pt. Sandeep Dev in Kolkata. Currently Shankh, as he is lovingly known in the fraternity, is devoted senior disciple of world-renowned tabla maestro Pandit Nayan Ghosh.


M. Lakshman on Mridangam

Lakshman is a mridangist in the Palghat Mani Iyer percussion tradition and learned under the tutelage of Palghat Sri. T.R. Rajamani. He has performed in major venues in the United States, Canada, Europe and India with Carnatic musicians such as Dr. L. Subramaniam, Ravikiran, Guitar Prasanna, Prof. T. N. Krishnan and Sankaran Namboodiri. He has authored articles on percussion appreciation and tutored many students worldwide. Lakshman has also conducted rhythm appreciation workshops and konnakol demonstrations.


Currently, Lakshman is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems in the Lutgert College of Business, Florida Gulf Coast University. Prior to this position, he served as faculty member at Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, India.
Lakshman has represented Raaga at the Fort Myers ArtFest.


On the Guitar: A.R.Anand

Anand commenced his musical journey at the age of 8, under the esteemed mentorship of renowned music director Shri. P.S. Divakar, followed by guidance from the illustrious Mr. Thangadurai Samuel of the Musee Musical in Chennai.


A fixture in Chennai's fusion scene, Anand has accompanied Carnatic musicians such as Padma Vibhushan Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, and Kalaimamani Rajhesh Vaidhya.


Driven by a deep admiration for Maestro Ilayaraaja, Anand is a sought-after guitarist in the realm of light music. His strings have shared the stage with legends like Padma Vibhushan S.P. Balasubramaniam, Padma Vibhushan K.J. Yesudass.

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