Supriya Nagarajan: Cross-Cultural Music Making

Supriya Nagarajan, Dewsbury-based musician and founder/CEO of Manasamitra, gives a talk drawing upon her expertise in making music that moves between and unites a range of traditions, genres and communities.

Topics covered will include:

• Benefits and challenges of cross-cultural music-making

• How to find collaborators

• Sources of support and funding

• How to find an audience for a project

• Examples of cross-cultural projects from Supriya’s own practice

If you’ve thought about starting a cross-cultural project but don’t know where to begin, or even if the idea is new to you, Supriya’s insight and advice will inspire and encourage you to take those first steps!

The seminar is the first of 12 online events featuring musical artists and audio professionals planned for 2020-21 as part of Level Up In Audio. This YSWN project aims to inspire, grow and sustain the skills and creative opportunities of women and people of minority genders who have an interest in music and technology and whose work and professional development have been curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The seminar will take place via Zoom on 17 December 12.30pm-2pm; attendees will receive a private link through the email used for booking in advance of the event. Tickets are free and limited to 15 per seminar.

Supriya will speak for around 60 minutes, followed by 30 minutes open for audience questions and discussion.

As part of YSWN’s Level Up in Audio project this seminar series is intended for an audience of women and people of minority genders – we ask that you respect this when booking tickets and do not deny someone else a place if you are not among this group. We plan to record the seminar for sharing online with a wider audience at a later date.

YSWN's Level Up in Audio project is funded by Arts Council England.

About Supriya Nagarajan

Supriya Nagarajan is the founder and CEO of Manasamitra, a UK-based arts organisation with global reach. She is one of the most sought-after Carnatic vocalists in the UK and has performed around the world in India, Thailand, Cambodia and cities across Europe and the UK.

Known for working in unusual, non-traditional performance spaces, she strives to engage and inspire new audiences and bring them unique cultural experiences. Supriya has performed and worked with a number of global artists across vocals, dance and storytelling from diverse cultures to produce dynamic collaborations, including creating music responses to artists including Andy Goldsworthy and David Nash.

A Bombay-born Indian musician who studied Carnatic Vocal (classical South Indian) music from the age of five, Supriya initially built up a successful career in the UK banking sector. In 2005 she changed direction and founded Manasamitra to fulfil her passion for music and traditional and contemporary Indian art in order to give UK audiences an ambience of India, its tradition and culture.

Her recent projects include:

The Sound of Tea: a multimedia music project which explores the tradition of tea through music, performance and digital technology.

Lullaby Sonic Cradle: a contemporary musical exploration of night-time sounds interspersed with lullabies from India and audio recording gathered from communities across the UK and Europe.

Bollywood Jazz: an Indo-Jazz music fusion inspired by the songs and instrumental music of Bollywood films, which culminated in a UK tour in 2018-19.

Supriya is passionate about empowering young and emerging artists to realise their dreams and through Manasamitra, supports more than 40 artists locally and nationally and is an active mentor in the local community to artists and school children alike. She is currently a PRSF Jerwood composer and an alumna of New Voices 2018.

Eventbrite ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/supriya-nagarajan-cross-cultural-music-making-tickets-131496009103

For more information visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/supriya-nagarajan-cross-cultural-music-making-tickets-131496009103