Raga Echoes, an entertainment company with Surrey roots, will stage a production that blends the grandeur of American film scores with the soul of Indian classical music.
OSTād’s is billed as a “Hollywood meets Bollywood” show featuring scores and songs by Hans Zimmer, Adele, Coldplay, Interstellar, La La Land and others, March 13 at Alliance Française Vancouver.
More than a concert, it promises “an immersive, story-driven musical experience” built on film-soundtrack classics and the sounds of sitar, tabla, sarod, piano and violin.
Founded by musicians and life partners Aakash Mehta and Priya Joy, Raga Echoes launched with two concerts in Surrey last year, first Live Unbound at Bell Performing Arts Centre in July, followed by The Sufi Edit at Surrey Arts Centre in November.
The Glen D’Mello-directed OSTād’s, a fusion of the acronym OST (original soundtrack) and Ustad (master), will feature musicians including Mohamed Assani (sitar), Navin Sahjpaul (piano), Varun Muralidharan (violin) and Hriday Buddhdev (sarod, tabla). Tickets start at $46 on eventbrite.com, or $79 for VIP seats.
The new Raga Echoes Foundation is a not-for-profit dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating music and cultural arts in Canada. Through immersive live performances, artist development, community outreach and educational programs, the foundation will “spotlight South Asian genres while embracing diverse global influences and fostering cross-cultural understanding and supporting the next generation of talent.”