Musicians
Boris Purushottama Grebenshikov
Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
The Russian music legend has produced more than 50 albums since the formation of his legendary band Aquarium in 1972. His music over the years has incorporated a range of styles, from folk and blues to translucent acoustics — and includes a whole slew of various ethnic and folklore influences.
As a young student in the Soviet Union he started experimenting with poetry, music and theatre – merging Eastern philosophies and traditional Russian themes. His big break came in 1980, when he was invited to perform at the Tbilisi Rock Festival. Although his band was officially banned by the State following the festival his underground profile continued to rise sharply over the next 7 years until Perestroika ushered in a new era of opportunity. Boris became the first Russian musician to record in the West.
In Russia he can sell out any stadium. With his smoky tenor voice he continues to ‘express the inexpressable’ in a lyrical language that has earned him the affectionate title, “Poet Laureate of Russia”. When he performs to non-Russian speaking audiences he says, “There are things that are universal enough that every person who listens will perk up their ears”.
In 1989 he was the subject of “The Long Way Home,” a film by Michael Apted documenting Grebenshikov’s struggle to record his album “Radio Silence” with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics.
In February, 2006 Grebenshikov met the Indian spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy who blessed him with the name Purushottama, which relates to the one who is beyond all limitations. In May 2007, inspired by Sri Chinmoy, Boris Purushottama Grebenshikov performed with his band Aquarium to a capacity audience at the Royal Albert Hall.
“There is a great silence inside of everybody, the source of all inspiration, of everything. I always prefer to let music speak for itself and then the human puppet has no further words”
Samir Chatterjee
Tabla
Samir Chatterjee is a virtuoso Tabla player from India. He travels widely across the world throughout the year performing in numerous festivals as a soloist or with other outstanding musicians from both Indian and western musical traditions. Samir performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in 2007 and a few times at the UNO. He recently produced a collection of Sri Chinmoy’s compositions on an album titled Guru Pranam.
Samir Chatterjee lives in the New York-New Jersey area, where he has become a catalyst in the fusion of Indian and Western music, performing with Pauline Oliveros, William Parker, Branford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Dave Douglas, Dance Theater of Harlem, Boston Philharmonic and several other jazz, classical and avant guard musicians and ensembles. His compositions are widely acclaimed.
Samir Chatterjee has been teaching for the last 35 years and many of his students are established performers. He is the Founder-Director of Chhandayan, one of the leading organizations promoting and preserving Indian music and culture in the west. He is the author of two comprehensive books on Indian music entitled ‘A Study of Tabla’ and ‘Music of India’. He is on the faculty at Yale University, Manhattan School of Music, University of Pittsburgh and New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.
Since June 2008 Samir has been working in Afghanistan helping them in their musical revival.
Premik Russel Tubbs
Flute, Sax
Premik, is a composer, arranger, producer and an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. He performs on various flutes, soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, wind synthesizers, and lap steel guitar.
In May of 2008 Premik performed with Sting’s Rainforest Foundation Fund benefit concert Some Kinda Legacy at Carnegie Hall followed by extensive touring with Russian legend Boris Grebenshikov beginning in London at the Royal Albert Hall, continuing on to Dublin, Kiev, Milan, Moscow, St. Petersburg, ending the year in Vienna. In 2008 he accompanied both Ravi Shankar and his daughter Anoushka Shankar on tamboura at the Kimmell Center in Philadelphia and on various occasions in 2009 he accompanied ontemporary Rabindrasangeet vocalist Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya. May of 2009 brought Premik to California for the Narada Michael Walden Foundation, Let the Sunshine In benefit concert. May of 2010 Premik played at Carnegie Hall in the Rainforest Fund’s 21st Birthday Celebration Benefit Concert. In April of 2010 Premik accompanied renowned tabla master Samir Chatterjee in the release of Chatterjee’s CD celebrating the music of Sri Chinmoy titled Guru Pranam. In November of 2010 Premik recorded with 2010 Grammy nominee vocalist and composer Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon.
Premik has worked with Carlos Santana, Whitney Houston, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Ravi Shankar, Narada Michael Walden, Clarence Clemons, Ornette Coleman, Jackson Browne, Jean-Luc Ponty, Lonnie Liston-Smith, Sting, Billy Joel, and James Taylor, just to name a few. He is equally adept in pop, R&B, jazz, world and experimental genres
Dundubhi Dikel
Violin
Dundubhi studied the violin at the Conservatory of Bregenz, and the University of Music Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. A founding member of the female vocal and instrumental ensemble Mountain Silence, she has toured Europe, America and the Far East. As well as the violin, she also plays the chinese erhu. Dundubhi currently lives in Zurich, Switzerland.
Shamita Achenbach-König
Cello
Shamita lives in Vienna, Austria. She studied cello at the Conservatory of Bregenz, the University of Music Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Vienna Conservatory. She has performed with the Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Bach Soloists. A member of the female vocal and instrumental ensemble Mountain Silence she has toured Europe, America and the Far East. In 2005 Shamita set a Guinness World Record at the Impossibility Challenger Games in Munich, playing the cello non-stop for 24 hours.
Nilasha Broughton
Violin
Nilasha began her musical studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and continued with degrees at McGill University in Montréal and the University of Ottawa. Equally proficient on violin and viola, she has toured with orchestras in Canada, the United States, Japan and Europe. Inspired by the music of Sri Chinmoy, classical chamber music and world music, she has recently been collaborating with celtic harp, flute, guitar and Indian harmonium. Nilasha resides in Ottawa, Canada.
Listen to a full concert on Radio Sri Chinmoy…