Bansuri: It is a transverse flute of India made from a single hollow shaft of bamboo with six or seven finger holes. An ancient musical instrument associated with cowherds and the pastoral tradition. The Bansuri is revered as Lord Krishna's divine instrument and is often associated with Krishna's Rasa lila; mythological accounts tell of the tunes of Krishna's flute having a spellbinding and enthralling effect not only on the women.

Shehnai: It is a double reed oboe, common in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iran, made out of wood, with a metal flare bell at the end. Its sound is thought to create and maintain a sense of auspiciousness and sanctity and, as a result, is widely used during marriages.

Pt. Rajendra Prasanna: Born in year 1956, Pt.

Prasanna belongs to a musical family of Banaras

Gharana. He is son of Late Pt. Raghunath

Prasanna who was also known as Basuri King . Pt Rajendra Prasanna is one of the most popular

flute and shehnai player in India today. Top Grade

Artist of All India Radio.

He is known for his rendering of light classical

genres like thumri, chaiti, kajri on both bansuri

and shehnai and for performing ragas Shri, Kedar

and Gorakh Kaylyan on flute.

His Key Achievements are:

• He is Grammy Award Certificate Winner in year 2004 • His major concerts are Edinburgh festival (UK), WOMAD Festival (Australia, New

Zealand)

• He is among few artists in the world who got honour to perform in UNO Headquarters and Concert of George in London.

• He is Top Grade Artist of All India Radio. • He has performed numerous shows for BBC Radio, Radio One and many more.

We are delighted that he had accepted our invitation to perform at India Art, Culture and Heritage Fiesta 2014, Hong Kong.

The rebab also known as joza" or "jawza is a type of a bowed string instrument so

named no later than the 8th century and spread via Islamic trading routes over much of

India, North Africa, the Middle East, parts of Europe, and the Far East. The bowed variety

often has a spike at the bottom to rest on the ground, and is thus called a spike fiddle in

certain areas, but plucked versions like the kabuli rebab (sometimes referred to as the

robab or rubab) also exist. Furthermore, besides the spike fiddle variant, there also exists

a variant with a pear-shaped body, quite similar to the Byzantine lyra and the Cretan lyra.

This latter variant travelled to western Europe in the 11th century, and became the

rebec.

It usually consists of a small, usually rounded body, the

front of which is covered in a membrane such as

parchment or sheepskin and has a long neck attached.

There is a long thin neck with a pegbox at the end and

there are one, two or three strings. There is no

fingerboard. The instrument is held upright, either

resting on the lap or on the floor. The bow is usually

more curved than that of the violin.

The rebab, though valued for its voice-like tone, has a

very limited range (little over an octave), and was

gradually replaced throughout much of the Arab world

by the violin and kemenche. It is related to the Iraqi

instrument the Joza, which has four strings

Hindustani Vocal: It is the Hindustani or North

Indian style of Indian classical vocal found

throughout Eastern Pakistan and North India. The

style is sometimes called North Indian classical

music or Shāst iya Sangīt or Klāsikī Mausī ī. It is a tradition that originated in Vedic ritual chants and

has been evolving since the 12th century CE,

in North India and to some extent in Afghanistan,

Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. Today, it is one of

the two sub-genres of Indian classical music, the

other being Carnatic music, the classical tradition

of South India.

Master Mehndi Hasan: He is young ustad of Rampur sahaswan gharana he is a versatile

singer.

He is the Great grandson of Late Padmabhushan Ustad Mushtaq Husain Khan and

grandson of Late Ustad Ghulam Husain Khan.

Mehndi Hasan not just sings Indian classical Raagas he is amazing at singing western songs

as well.He is performing since age on 9 Years. He is one of the youngest Indian

International Singer based in Hong Kong.

Bharata Natyam: It is a classical South Indian dance form that originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu. This dance form denotes various 19th- and 20th-century reconstructions of Sadir, the art of temple dancers called Devadasis. Bharata Natyam is known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpturesque poses. Lord Shiva is considered the God of this dance form. Today, it is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practiced by male and female dancers all over the world.

Ms Roopa Kiran: Roopa kiran, a dancer, teacher, choreographer and a performing artist who hails from a princely city of Mysore, started learning Bharatanatyam in Pandanallur style at the age of 5 under the guidance of her renowned guru Dr. Vasundhara Doreswamy in Mysore, Karnataka. She displays aesthetic taste and innovative skill while retaining the traditional purity of the style. Her main objectives are to promote the beauty of Indian classical dance outside India, to bring people together and achieve mutual understanding and harmony through the art form.

Ghazal: It is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing

the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss

or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in

6th-century Arabic verse. It is derived from the Arabian panegyric qasida.

Ghulam Abbas Khan: One of the prominent young vocalists of India, He belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana. He was initiated into music at a tender age by his grandfather, the late Ustad Ghulam Jafar Khan, a well known sarangi player of India. Later he continued his training under the guidance of his father Padmashri Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan, a classical vocalist of international repute. Ghulam Abbas happens to be the grandson of the great classical vocalist of India late Ustad Mushtaq Husain Khan who was the first recipient of the

Padmabhushan Award.

• He was invited by the Government of Mauritius to perform for the 100th Birth Anniversary of Sir Abdul Razzak Mohamed.

• In 2007 Ghulam Abbas Khan performed in special concert held at Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House) in front of Honorable President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

• In 2009 he received the Senior Fellowship Award for the research in Indian Classical Music from Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resources of India.

Ustad Nishat Khan: Nishat Khan is universally

acknowledged as a leading sitar player of his time,

transcending musical barriers with his provocative

expression and spellbinding technical mastery. The son

and disciple of Ustad Imrat Khan Nishat Khan stands at

the threshold of the future of sitar and Indian music

with his uniquely invigorating, contemporary approach.

Born in Kolkata, he has been dazzling audiences since

the age of seven, and was the youngest performer ever

to play All-India Radio at the age of thirteen.

He has performed at major venues internationally, including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in

New York, and the Royal Albert Hall in London. In January 2004, the President of Croatia received

Maestro Khan in Zagreb, where he performed "Meeting of Angels" with Gregorian chant. Later that

year, he was invited to perform alongside Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin and

others at the Crossroads Festival in Dallas, Texas. In Summer 2007 he toured across India in a fiery

fusion with violinist Vanessa Mae. In 2008 he toured Europe with his pioneering project, "Spirit &

Passion" featuring Flamenco guitar great Paco Pena and his ensemble. In 2008 Nishat made Indian

music history performing for the second time for the Henry Wood Promenade Art Concert at the Royal

Albert Hall.

Nishat Khan's trademark sitar playing is most lyrical, as is evident in all his music. He masterfully

extends this lyricism into developing further his family's hallmark sitar and surbahar playing, pioneered

by his forefathers in an unbroken lineage of seven generations.

Ghulam Siraj : One of the prominent young vocalists of

India, Ghulam Siraj belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan

Gharana which owes its allegiance to Tansen's

tradition. He was initiated into music at a tender age

by his father, the Ustad Ghulam Husain Khan, a

classical vocalist of international repute. Ghulam Siraj

happens to be the grandson of the great classical

vocalist of India late Ustad Mushtaq Husain Khan who

was the first recipient of the Padmabhushan Award.

Gifted with a sonorous and mellifluous voice, Ghulam Siraj sings classical khayal, ghazals,

thumri, dadra, Sufi, folk, bhajans and geets with equal ease. In ghazal singing he has

developed his own style which includes original compositions. He places emphasis on the

aesthetic sense of poetry and composition.

He is popular not only at music festivals and concerts in India but also performed abroad in

countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan,

Afghanistan, Sri Lanka. In 2007 Ghulam Siraj Khan performed in special concert held at

Rashtrapati Bhawan(President House) in front of Honorable President of India, Dr. A.P.J.

Abdul Kalam.

Kathak: It is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dance.

This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of

ancient northern India, known as Kathakars or storytellers. Its

form today contains traces of temple and ritual dances, and

the influence of the bhakti movement. From the 16th century

onwards it absorbed certain features of Persian dance and

central Asian dance which were imported by the royal courts

of the Mughal era.

Ms. Annanya Mishra : She born artist. She belongs to the most

famous family of music i.e. from Lucknow gharana. She is

grand daughter of the legendry Kathak Dancer

Padmavibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj and is a national award

winner kathak dancer.

She is also INDIAN IDOL4 finalist.

She is doing her best in promoting Indian Classical Music and

Dance.

Ms. Neesha Jhaveri : She is a well known Kathak Dancer in Hong Kong.

She have been practicing Kathak since age of 5. She has won many

awards and honours for her performance. She is a dancer,

choreographer and a teacher of Kathak Dance. She is usually busy

promoting Kathak in East Asian Countries.

Natya Shikara was conceived in 1997, when Guru Sandhya started with

just a single student. Since then, it has flourished rapidly and has drawn

over 50 students from various parts of Hong Kong. Sandhya is renowned

for hosting Hong Kong's first ever Bharathanatyam Aragetram in 2003 and

has since imparted her wisdom and gift to many others. Her students are

popular with the Hong Kong Government and the Indian Association and

are often called upon to showcase their talents in various cultural

programmes. Sandhya aspires to put Bharathanatyam on the world's

cultural frontier by raising the art form's profile by giving performances

on a global scale. By not only capturing talent and a sense of ethnic

grace, Sandhya wishes to instil discipline and share her love for dance.

Most importantly, her dream is to keep alive the Indian culture and roots

by carrying forward a traditional art form

Sarangi: sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument from South Asia which is used in Hindustani classical music. It is said to most resemble the sound of the human voice – able to imitate vocal ornaments such as gamaks (shakes) and meends (sliding movements).

Sarangi is a common representative of vitat class of musical instruments. It has three to four main playing strings and a number of sympathetic strings. The instrument has no frets or fingerboard; the strings float in the air. Pitch is determined by sliding the fingernail against the string rather than pressing it against a fingerboard (like violin). This instrument is extremely difficult to play, as a consequence its popularity is on the decline. This instrument has traditionally been associated with the kathak dance and the vocal styles of thumri, dadra and kheyal. It was also greatly associated with an Indian version of the geisha tradition, known as the tawaif

Ustad Kamal Sabri: He musically gifted. He is the son of

Sarangi Legend Ustad Sabri Khan Shahab and is carrying

forward the rich culture of Sania Gharana.

Kamal, who is the seventh generation of a distinguished

family of traditional musicians, has demonstrated

profound versatility in playing the Sarangi.

Kamal was initiated and trained by his father in the style

of the Senia Gharana (school) of Rampur, Moradabad

from the tender age of 5 years and very soon this child

prodigy made waves in the musical world with his talent.

His musical brilliance and talent as a seasoned

accompanist gained immense popularity amongst

eminent classical vocalists..

Kamal has also made his mark on the international musical forum, has participated

and represented India in several International festivals including the "Art of the Bow"

Festival in Geneva, Switzerland (Nov.2001) , BBC Millennium Concert in International

Convention Centre, Birmingham, UK (Dec2001), Sangeet Mela Festival ,

Rome, Italy(May2003), Tropen Theatre Museum, Amsterdam, Holland (Nov.2001) , Festival

musicale del mediterraneo, Genoa, Italy (July 2005), Festival of Indian Music,

Antwerp, Belgium (Nov2001), Oslo World Music Festival, Norway (Nov.2007)

, Surinam (May 1998), Eesti Konserte, Tallin, Estonia (May 2004), today he is a name to

reckon with in the International cultural scene. While honing his skills in the traditional

style of music, he has also adapted to the changing musical scenario and is constantly

trying to set new trends and standards within his tradition.

Sitar: It is a plucked stringed instrument used mainly Indian

classical music. The instrument is believed to have been derived

from the veena, an ancient Indian instrument, which was

modified by a Mughal court musician to conform with the tastes

of his Persian patrons and named after a Persian instrument

called the Setar. The sitar flourished in the 16th and 17th

centuries and arrived at its present form in 18th century India.

Pt. Prateek Chaudhuri: He is a brilliant performer, is acclaimed as

one of the most outstanding Sitar players of the Indian country.

His Sitar sparkles with the rare combination of virtuosity with

technical finesse and a deep sense of aesthetics. His music also

reflects the eternal essence of Sitar. He is son of Pandit Debu

Chaudhuri, Padmabhushan Awardee.

• Prateek received the rare distinction and honour to give a Special Concert for the President of United States of America, Mr. Bill Clinton .

• He also had the honour to perform for the President of India, Shri Abdul Kalam and Shri R. Venkataraman in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.

• He is the only Indian musician to have performed with the Renowned Swarovsky Music Wattens Orchestra, consisting of 80 musicians, from Austria in a Special Concert held in

Jaipur, India in the year 2005, which was highly appreciated and profusely praised by the

audience.

• He was invited to give a Special Live Concert for BBC 3 Radio in London

Sufi music : It is the devotional music of the Sufis, inspired by the works of Sufi poets, like

Rumi, Hafiz, Bulleh Shah, Amir Khusrow and Khwaja Ghulam Farid.

Qawwali is the most well known form of Sufi music and is mostly common in parts of

Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. However, music is also central to the Sema ceremony of the

whirling dervishes, which is set to a form of music called Ayin, a vocal and instrumental piece

featuring Turkish classical instruments such as the ney (a reed flute). Some of the Sufi orders

have taken an approach more akin to puritan forms of Islam, declaring music to be unhelpful

to the Sufi way.

Ustad Najmi Khan: Ustad Nazmi Khan is one of the

prominent Young Sufi Singer in India. He is famous

for his versatile style of sufi singing.

He has performed at various International concerts

in North America and Europe.

Ustad Najmi Khan has received many honors and

awards for his singing.

Indian Rock: It is a music genre in India that incorporates elements of Indian

music with mainstream rock music, and is often topically India-centric. While India is

more often known for its classical music and Bollywood music, the Indian rock scene has

also produced numerous bands and artists.

Astitva The Band : It, is a multi-genre Hindi band.

Astitva is the Sanskrit word for identity, and true

to this name. It is one of the most popular band in

India. It has always worked towards carving a

niche for itself by pioneering the dawn of a

dynamic musical experience. They have been

aiming to do just that by belting out songs with a

magical blend of rock, jazz, and Hindustani

Classical.

• The only band to give Delhi Anthem. • It is the only commercial rock band to be showcased in Indian Republic Day Parade.

Mr. Vivek Mehbubani: Mr. Vivek Mahbubani is an

Indian Origin bi-lingual and Hong Kong-bred stand-

up comedian who performs in both Cantonese

and English.

• He was crowned 2007 Chinese and 2008 English Funniest Comedian in Hong Kong.

• He was the host of the TV series Hong Kong “tories by RTHK.

• He appeared in a cameo role for the movie All’s well, ends well 2009

• He a headliner at TakeOut Comedy Club Hong Kong.

• He has appeared in many TV Commercials of CitiBank, Samsung etc.

• He is a youth Icon in Hong Kong

Bollywood Dance: It is a music genre in India that incorporates elements

of Indian music with mainstream rock music, and is often topically India-centric.

While India is more often known for its classical music and Bollywood music, the

Indian rock scene has also produced numerous bands and artists.

DJ Vijay: DJ Vijay or most commonly known as DJ VJ is an Indian

Origin bi-lingual and Hong Kong-bred Disk Jockey who Deejays in

both Hindi and English.

• He plays Bollywood, Bhangra and English at most and is most popular DJ among Indian Community in Hong Kong

• He has played at many venues at Hong Kong, China and Macau with many famous Bollywood Deejays.

Dhol: Bollywood DJ is incomplete without Dhol.

A Dhol is a double headed drum widely used in

folk music and dance of India. The Punjabi dhol is

perhaps best known abroad due to its prominent

place in the rhythm of popular Punjabi bhangra

music.

Mr. Avijeet Roy: He is a dynamic singer and performer. He is hot favourite of many

Bollywood stars for the quality of performance he delivers with his mesmerizing charm.

• He was the one and only performing

singer of a high profile World tour

called "Heat" in 2006.

• He has also done playback singing for bollywood movies.

• He has done more than 1000 live shows in India and Abroad and still

continues to do it.