NextThreeDays: Event Display

Spring Concert 2017: Hip Hop Meets the Music of India: Nistha Raj with Christylez Bacon
Venue: Burruss Auditorium, Blacksburg
Directions: Google Map Link
Organizations: AID Blacksburg (Association for India's Development), Christylez Bacon, Nistha Raj
Date: Sunday, April 23, 2017
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 PM
Event Types: Music
Cost: Free

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Description:
AID Blacksburg presents the Spring Concert 2017 titled "Hip Hop Meets the Music of India: Nistha Raj with Christylez Bacon" on Sunday, April 23, 2017 at Burruss Auditorium.

Grammy nominated Progressive Hip-Hop artist Christylez Bacon and Hindustani Classical violinist Nistha Raj will rock Spring Concert 2017 exploring the spaces between Indian Classical Music, Hip-Hop, and Go-Go. Since a chance encounter in 2012, the duo has been collaborating, mixing genres of music native to their cultural upbringing, infusing traditional elements of hip hop such as human beat-box, rhyming, and storytelling with Indian classical and Post-Western classical music.

Accompanying artists include Avi Shah, Tabla, Brian Falkowski, Sax & Flute and Todd Simon, Keys.

In addition to creating a cross-cultural music mash-up, the event offers an interactive style of performance. Enthrall your senses with diversity and unanticipated musical magic.

2013-2014 Strathmore Artist in Residence, Nistha Raj has been regarded as “stunningly skilled in western and eastern classical music” by the Washington City Paper. Nistha is emerging as a fresh voice in creative and world music. Her self-released debut album, “Exit 1”, funded by the Sparkplug Foundation, has been described as “edgy, innovative, and clearly awe-inspiring Indian fusion at its best” (Inside World Music).

A versatile musician, Nistha pursues new horizons by melding tradition with contemporary innovation - lending her talents to the Jazz trio The Fourth Stream, collaborations with National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) musicians, The Last Stand Quartet, Grammy nominated hip hop artist Christylez Bacon; and recording on rock band NRI’s album. A distinguished performer and teacher in the Washington, DC community, Nistha has performed at the United Nations, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the American Embassy in Bogota, Colombia. Nistha is a recipient of multiple grants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, including the 2012 Artist Fellowship.

Nistha Raj’s initial training in music began with western classical violin at the age of nine, which she pursued seriously until graduation from college. She received a B.A. in music with honors from the University of Houston in 2003. Although born and raised in the U.S., because of her Indian heritage, she was exposed to the classical music of India from her childhood and had an intense desire to delve deeper into a study of the music. To immerse herself in the music and culture of India, in 2004, Nistha traveled to the small town of Vrindavan in India to study the oldest form of Indian classical music, Dhrupad, with Tarun Krishna Das, disciple of Vidur Mallick. She spent seven months immersed in the music and instantly discovered a deep connection and affinity for the music and thus began her journey and desire to always be surrounded by this music.

“When you think of Indian classical music, you probably don’t expect to hear beat box, or strains of jazz, and even rock. But that’s exactly what Nistha Raj is all about. The violinist is mixing classical Hindustani music with modern sounds to bring it to a new generation of music lovers.”
- NPR Tell Me More

Links:

• https://nistharaj.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/nistharajviolin
• https://www.twitter.com/nistharaj
• http://instagram.com/nistharaj

Christylez Bacon (pronounced: chris-styles) is a GRAMMY Nominated Progressive Hip-Hop artist and multi-instrumentalist from Southeast, Washington, DC. As a performer, Christylez multi-tasks between various instruments such as the West African djembe drum, acoustic guitar, and the human beat-box (oral percussion), all while continuing the oral tradition of storytelling through his lyrics.

In 2011, Christylez began a cross-cultural collaborative concert series in Washington, DC, “Washington Sound Museum” (WSM). WSM is a monthly intimate celebration of music featuring guest artists from diverse musical genres with Christylez Bacon and his progressive hip-hop orchestra. Since WSM’s inception, Christylez has collaborated with artists from various cultural backgrounds, ranging from the Hindustani & Carnatic music of India, the contemporary Arabic music of Egypt, and the music of Brazil

With a mission towards cultural acceptance and unification through music, Christylez is constantly pushing the envelope – from performances at the National Cathedral, to becoming the first Hip-Hop artist to be featured at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, composing and orchestrating an entire concert for a 12-piece orchestra commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Smithsonian Institute, or recording a Folk/Hip-Hop children’s album. He is the recipient of multiple honors awarded by the Washington Area Music Association including 2013 Artist of the Year, and the Montgomery County Executive Award for Excellence in the Arts, and has even been honored as a 2012 “Library Superhero” by Friends of the Library, Montgomery County.

Links:

• http://www.christylez.com/
• https://www.twitter.com/ChristylezBacon
• http://instagram.com/christylezbacon

Admission is free and all are welcome.

AID Blacksburg was formed by students of Virginia Tech in January 1998 and is a registered student organization at Virginia Tech. Though initially started as a small chapter, AID Blacksburg has now grown into a full-fledged active chapter.

Association for India's Development (AID) is a volunteer movement promoting sustainable, equitable and just development. AID supports grassroots organizations in India and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as agriculture, energy, education, health, livelihoods, natural resources including land and water, women's empowerment and social justice.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/AID.VT

This event is co-presented by Cranwell International Center.

To view the event flyer, visit: https://s16.postimg.org/5u7l57mlh/Hip_Hop_Meets_India.jpg.

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1810729489248434/ or https://jeenams.wixsite.com/springconcert2017.