Mushtari Begum was the first Indian Ghazal exponent whose father hailed from Lucknow, India and was born in the Islands of Fiji. She was key in bringing the art of classical Ghazal to Vancouver’s communities.

In her young age, she was first a disciple of her father, the late Ustad Amjad Ali, a Thumri exponent. In her later life, she travelled to India and learned from legends such as the late Ustad Faiyaz Khan of the Sahaswan Gharana of vocal singing, and Shrimati Shyamala Bhave of Bangalore, India. Her extraordinary vocal capabilities ranged close to four octaves and, in her prime musical form, she quickly ruled the charts of Fiji’s musical industry.

She won 36 trophies and numerous recognitions and wards between 1947 and 1973. Her crowning moment was when she was awarded the title Malika-e-Ghazal or “Queen of Ghazal” in 1973, by the Indian High Consulate in the Island of Fiji. She settled in Vancouver, BC in 1973 with her husband Sheikh Mohyudean, and continued to pursue her passion as an Indian classical vocalist byway of South-Asian and Indo-Fijian community programs. She became the vocal teacher and guru of Cassius Khan in 1990, after seeing his dedication to learning the artform of vocal and tabla.

Mushtari Begum died suddenly from a massive heart attack in her home on the evening of March 14th 2004. Cassius Khan initiated this festival in her memory as a tribute to her contributions in classical Ghazal in Vancouver, and for honouring her as his guru.

Hari Pal of Maple Ridge, BC, Canada, plays tabla in traditional North Indian style as well as his own contemporary style. He has developed an unconventional style of tabla solo, where he employs 7 tablas to amalgamate Eastern classical rhythms with melody and popular rhythms. His 6 tablas are usually tuned to a pentatonic scale and when played with a bass tabla (bayan), he creates an expression of rhythm in melody.

He studied various North Indian styles of tabla at Marris College, Lucknow, and Arrah Music Academy where he earned Visharad.

As a young tabla player he earned several prizes in open competitions and was later accepted as an artist at Lucknow Radio Station, India, where he played tabla for six years with professional musicians of Lucknow in unrehearsed live radio broadcasts.

Parallel to his academic pursuits in industrial biotechnology, he has maintained routine tabla practice (riaz) in his many places of residence around the world.

Before coming to Canada in 1985, he has lived in UK, The Netherlands, USA and Kuwait, where he played and recorded his tabla performances in radio, television an public programs with several distinguished international composers and musicians such as Ton de Leeuw (piano), Ustad Imrat Khan (sitar), Ustad Shahid Parvez (sitar), Pandit V.G. Jog (violin), Ustad Irshad Khan (sitar) and Han Bennink (drum kit/percussion).

His exposure to the music of different continents has had a deep influence on his creative rhythmic impulses. Parallel to his proficiency in North Indian style of tabla, he also plays dumbek and djembe. He has conducted several percussion concerts in Canada and USA to emphasize inter-cultural fusion of rhythms with African, Latin American, Middle Eastern and North American drummers.

Amarjeet Singh, founder of the Naad Foundation, holds a Master’s degree in Music and trained under his elder brother, Mr. Deedar Singh, and Guru Shri Thakur Kishan Singh Ji of the Benaras Gharana. He has performed and taught extensively across India, Germany, Uzbekistan, Canada, and the USA, and served as a Cultural Ambassador for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Over a 24-year teaching career, Amarjeet has accompanied leading Indian musicians and dancers on Tabla and earned numerous honors, including Sangeet Bhushan (Rajasthan Education Department), the Leadership Circle Award (Canadian Red Cross), Heritage Defender Award (Darpan magazine), Innovation in the Arts (Drishti magazine), a nomination for the Mayor’s Arts Award (City of Surrey), and the BC Arts and Entertainment Award.

Baljit Singh is an instrumentalist that plays an array of bowed instruments, namely Sarangi, Dilruba, Esraj, Tar Shehnai and Taous. He is also well versed in Indian classical vocal, Harmonium, and Tabla. He started learning Dilruba from Professor Avtar Singh and later from Ustad Piara Singh Padam.

Baljit is a sought-after soloist and accompanist in and around Vancouver. He has performed alongside many renowned artists and has received much appreciation from a variety of audiences. He has performed at many local festivals and is one of the very few exponents of the Dilruba in Canada.

Baljit is currently working as a music teacher, professional musician, and is part of Naad Arts Center in Surrey BC. He is also a member of the 5-member fusion ensemble “Indian Standard Time”.

The globally renowned Cassius Khan stuns his audiences by performing his trademark style, which is to sing the classical styles of Ghazal and Thumri and play Tabla at the same time. Traditionally, Ghazal singers are known to play the Harmonium and be accompanied by another individual on Tabla. But Cassius has flipped the equation and popularized it, which is a first for Indian classical music. Khan has toured extensively and has performed with and worked on numerous albums with some of the world’s most finest musicians. Besides his performances in the Indian classical genre, Khan has paired his musical talents with a variety of styles such as Heavy Metal, Jazz, Electronica, and Blues. He has been featured on a TV ad, and recently, performed for the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations twice in 2017 and 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. The list of Khan’s accolades includes a 2011 Western Canadian Music Award nomination, the 2005 Salute to Excellence Award from the Alberta Government, and a nomination for the City of New Westminster’s Chamber of Commerce awards as Artist of the Year in 2016 and 2017.

Shruti Laya Bhedam is a Vancouver-based ensemble that unites local & global talents to spread Indian classical Karnatik music through delightful crossovers with various genres.

The name itself, “Shruti Laya Bhedam,” draws from Sanskrit, encapsulating the very essence of “Melody, Rhythm, and Striking.” With meticulous skill and precision, the ensemble masterfully intertwines the threads of melody and rhythm through Indian Classical Karnatik Music.

Gorur Keerthy Raghavan is a Mridangam artist, composer, and educator rooted in South Indian Karnatik music. Trained by Shri Rajakesari and influenced by the legendary Karaikudi R. Mani, he has performed in India, the Middle East, Africa, and at the United Nations in Nairobi.

Since moving to Vancouver BC, Keerthy founded the Laya Priya School of Performing Arts and the ensemble Shruti Laya Bhedam, presenting Indian classical music at venues including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Massey Theatre, and Surrey Arts Centre. Keerthy also leads innovative projects such as Kapi with Keerthy workshops and Electro Taal, blending traditional percussion with electronic music.

Remya Rajiv has undergone formal Karnatic music vocal training under the guidance of several renowned music teachers in India, accumulating over 25 years of dedicated practice and learning.

She is devoted to teaching Karnatic voice lessons to students of all ages, driven by an unwavering passion for music, In addition to her teaching endeavors, Remya actively participates in various cultural events as a performer. Notably, in 2018, she and her team of musicians held a concert at a sold-out Surrey City Hall. Other annual participations include cultural events conducted by Sri. Mahalakshmi Temple Vancouver, Saint. Thyagaraja fest, and Namaste Canada conducted the Consulate General of India.

Remya offers both group and private Karnatic vocal lessons, online and in-person at Burnaby, Coquitlam, and Langley, operating as ‘Sanskruti Music School’. https://sanskrutimusicschool.com/

Shriram is a versatile artist well versed in both Karnatic vocal and instrumental music. He has honed his skills under the guidance of esteemed mentors in India. Trained by the veteran Mani Bhagavathar in Karnatic vocal music and Guru Nellai Ravindran in instrumental music, Shriram further refined his craft through advanced violin techniques under the tutelage of Padma Bhushan MS Gopalakrishnan and Kalai maamani Dr. Narmadha.

Shriram has performed as a soloist an as an accompanist in over 100 concerts. Now based in Vancouver, Canada, he continues to enthrall audiences with his mastery of the classical violin. His recent performances include prestigious events like Stand festival, South Asian Festivals, and Bharath Utsav. Shriram holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and works as a Project Manager in Vancouver.

Prakriti Hemmige Raghavan is a vocalist with a background in Carnatic music and a repertoire that spans semi-classical, devotional, film, and light music in multiple languages. She has performed in India, Africa, and Canada, appearing at cultural festivals, Bollywood concerts, unplugged collaborations, and devotional gatherings. Her work bridges traditional and contemporary music for diverse audiences.

Amika Kushwaha is one of the few Kathak artists in Canada who pairs her performances with live musical accompaniment. Apart from showcasing this Indian Classical dance form in its traditional glamour, Amika has choreographed Kathak to many different musical genres and can intuitively collaborate with dancers of any dance style.

Amika is the recipient of the 2016 Shakti Award for Artistic Excellence and has taken part in notable festivals such as Namaste Geneva, Next Step Dance Festival, the Indian Electronica Festival, and the Vancouver Island, Mission, Harrison and Vancouver Folk Music Festivals.

Amika’s dance training began with her mother and continued under Kathak maestro Pt. Ram Mohan Mishra (Maharaj) at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in New Delhi, India. Over the years, she has refined her technique through intense workshops with leading masters of the present global Kathak dance community, namely the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandita Saswati Sen, Maulik Shah, Pandita Uma Dogra, and most recently with Raghav Raj Bhatt.

Amika is also a well-synchronized Harmonium player, and has accompanied a number of great musicians including the Khalifa of the Delhi Gharana of vocal, Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan.

In addition to dancing and performing music, Kushwaha works as a professional engineer in Vancouver. Amika and her husband, Ghazal and Tabla artist, Cassius Khan, are proud founders and directors of the Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance, held annually since 2012.