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The KPAC Blog features classical music news, reviews, and analysis from South Texas and around the world.

Rare Indian Classical Music Performance Slated For San Antonio

There’s a music event heading our way on Friday that’s unlike what we normally hear in San Antonio: The alluring sound of music from India.

“A raga is the melodic form of an Indian classical music," said Rick Henderson, who is putting this concert together and also plays.

"I’m a sarode player; that’s a 25-stringed, fretless lute from North India, in the same family as sitar," he said.

There’s a whole family of classical music native to India, and as Henderson explained, one of its most accomplished violinists is coming to San Antonio.  

"The person that I have the honor to play with isMr. Indradeep Ghosh, who is a well established violinist in the Hindustani classical tradition, as well as a local drummer named Desh Singh, who is a Sikh," he said.

I noted to Henderson that Indian classical music violin is somewhat different than what we in the West think of for the instrument.

“Yes it is, and you’ll hear that when you listen to recordings of Indradeep Ghosh,” Henderson said.

In fact, if you hit "Listen" above you'll hear a couple of different cuts from Ghosh, and you'll see what Henderson means. The event itself is called Shantikar: Ragas for Peace.

"[Shantikar], it’s a word that means 'to create peace,' " Henderson said.

The concert is being held in the Quaker meeting house, which Henderson says is a nice, intimate place for music:

"High ceiling, beautiful cedar walls, all glass windows in the back looking out on a greenbelt," he said. "It really is a beautiful place to enjoy a concert."

It all happens on Friday night.

"Admission is $15 suggested, and $10 for students," said Henderson.

Jack Morgan can be reached at jack@tpr.org and on Twitter at @JackMorganii