We are looking forward to Rhythm Utsav this Saturday. The event is taking place in Bristol. We are delighted to present the headline artists.

Roopa Panesar (sitar player), Jesse Bannister (saxophonist), Kousic Sen (tabla) and RN Prakash (Carnatic percussionist) are joining forces in an exciting new collaboration.

Here is a collection of YouTube performances to give you a taster of their wonderful musicianship! And don’t forget to book your tickets.

ROOPA PANESAR 

JESSE BANNISTER

KOUSIC SEN

RN PRAKASH

This event is open to all. Alongside  the headline performance, there will also be short performances from local community music and dance groups who support and teach Indian classical arts in Bristol.

The event is organised by community organisation Rhythm India.

VISIT THE EVENT PAGE HERE 

WOMAD 2018 – an exciting weekend presenting two artists in three performances.

Despite initial visa delays that meant Hashmat Sultana missed their scheduled Friday night performance at the Siam Tent, we had a successful weekend at WOMAD 2018, presenting the talented Sufi Sisters in two performances on the Sunday of the Festival. We managed to fly the sisters in on Saturday morning and lined up a number of media interviews for them on Saturday evening including BBC World Service, BBC Somerset and Resonance FM.

The Sufi Sisters then performed two performances on Sunday on the Siam Tent stage at 2pm and BBC Radio 3 Charlie Gillet Stage at 6.30pm.

Hailing from Punjab, the sisters performed traditional Punjabi folk and Sufi music with poetry and songs from the great Sufi poets such as Baba Bulleh Shah and Shah Hussain. The sisters performed Sufi classics, such as Mast Qalandar and Jugni alongside their recent hits, including Rang and Ishq.

The audience reaction to their performances was incredible, with so much energy and excitement, and both performances drew a big crowd with audiences dancing and clapping along.

WOMAD 2018 – CD SIGNING

Hashmat Sultana signed CDs and met audience members after both shows, with long queues stretching out of the tent.

RADIO WOMAD 2018 – INTERVIEW AND SESSION

Hashmat Sultana also found time on Sunday between their performances to perform an acapella session live on Radio WOMAD, performing 3 songs.

Qawwali Group – Ustad Haji Ameer Khan Qawwals

We also presented Qawwali group Ustad Haji Ameer Khan Qawwals on the opening night of the Festival. The Qawwals presented a late night Qawwali performance at the Siam Tent, stepping in for the Sufi Sisters at the last minute and producing an excellent performance.

WOMAD 2018 – PHOTOS

We’ve uploaded more photos from Hashmat Sultana’s performances on our Facebook page. Take a look here.

We are delighted to announce an additional date for the Sufi Sisters, Hashmat Sultana.

The duo will now also perform at Beck Theatre, London on Saturday 28 July.

Other performances include The Canteen Bristol and WOMAD Festival.

BECK THEATRE

Beck Theatre is situated in Hayes, London. A venue bustling with exciting events, the theatre also has a restaurant where you can dine before the performance. Find out more about Beck Theatre here.

HASHMAT SULTANA UK PERFORMANCES

If you are a fan of traditional and contemporary Punjabi folk and Sufi music from the Indian subcontinent we hope to see you at The Beck Theatre in London, WOMAD Festival or The Canteen in Bristol this July.

For more details visit our Hashmat Sultana event page.

Visit the artist’s official Facebook page and Instagram feed

We are delighted to announce we are producing a UK tour with Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali group in March 2019.

The internationally acclaimed Qawwali brothers Rizwan and Muazzam will be returning to the UK for the first time since the success and critical acclaim of their UK tour in March 2017.

They will tour to venues across the UK from 16 – 31 March 2019: full dates and venues to be announced soon.

BARBICAN CONCERT – ON SALE

Announced so far is their London date at the Barbican Centre on Saturday 30 March.  Tickets are on sale now – you can book them here. After the mesmerising sold out show at the Barbican in 2017, we expect tickets to be snapped up, so don’t hang about.

Check out the live stream from their 2017 Barbican performance here.

TOUR EVENTS PAGE

More dates will be listed as they are announced. Visit our Rizwan-Muazzam tour page.

STILL TAKING BOOKINGS

If you are a venue or programmer please get in touch. We are still taking bookings for the tour.

We are pleased to announce a special warm up show for Hashmat Sultana at The Canteen Bristol.

The ‘Sufi Sisters’ will perform at The Canteen Bristol on Thursday 26 July before heading to WOMAD Charlton Park to perform at this year’s festival.

Hashmat Sultana have been winning the hearts of audiences throughout India with their refreshing take on traditional folk and ancient Sufi music, incredible versatility and powerful vocal performances.

THE CANTEEN BRISTOL

The Canteen is a great Bristol venue and supporter of live music with artists performing 7 days a week. Entry is free, but please do give generously to the donation bucket.  Food and drinks will be available to buy (food served until 10pm). Find out more about The Canteen here.

HASHMAT SULTANA UK PERFORMANCES

If you are a fan of traditional folk and Sufi music from the Indian subcontinent we hope to see you at WOMAD Festival or The Canteen Bristol this July.

For more details visit our Hashmat Sultana event page.

Visit Hashmat Sultana’s Official Facebook page and Instagram feed.

Red Baraat, “New York music scene’s best kept secret” (National Geographic) brought their high octane, gut-busting fusion of jazz, hip-hop beats, rock muscle, funky go-go, and scalding hot bhangra to the UK.

We were delighted to present Red Baraat at Rich Mix, London & The Louisiana in Bristol in May. Both shows were spectacular!

As predicted, Red Baraat got everyone dancing…

Have a listen to some of our favourite Red Baraat Tracks

Responses on social media:

Check out the event page

Find out more about Red Baraat

Your summer needs these sounds!

Red Baraat are a band with pure charisma and dance-prowess. As we look forward to summer times, we put together a playlist of some of our Red Baraat top tracks…

The Legendary, Classic Holi Track… 

Their quick gig at Forbes News Room…

Shruggy Ji…

NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

The FIRST BHANGRA PARTY EVER at the Lincoln Center!…

Charismatic or what?

Last year we supported urban Bhangra DJ, Indian Man, to attend Womex 2017 (World Music Expo), the largest annual conference for world music professionals. The conference is an exciting event. Artists are given the opportunity to network and establish new international projects.

Aashi (Asian Arts Agency) caught up with Indian Man. The DJ speaks on his Womex experience and the projects he was offered.  

What was your experience at Womex like?

My experience at Womex was amazing. Really fruitful! Really surprising in a way actually, because you get to see the pure love for music and art but also how the business works. That’s quite surprising for someone who lives and breathes the musical world because you really learn what it’s about in terms of industry and production and how to get your stuff heard. Overall my experience at Womex was so fruitful. I found people were open and up for hearing everything. So what I brought to the table with Bhangra, garage and all these modern fusions of world music – people were really keen to hear it and supportive. They gave me feedback and advice, as well as gigs. I got a lot of gigs from it, which is great.

Did you get involved in any new projects by attending Womex?

By going to Womex I was given a resident DJ slot at Womad Chile, which is a huge, huge world music festival – a massive, massive gig for me. I was playing a club in Barcelona, I was offered a show in Poland and Amsterdam, a show in Italy as well, which is all about world music and collaborating Indian music with new genres which is really, really my field of what I want to do.

Did you have any special Womex moments? 

I met a woman called Leyla McCalla. Although I love DJ’ing and doing Indian music, I also play Jazz for a living and have a huge passion for Trap Jazz. I met her in Poland and then I went to New Orleans to study Jazz and bumped into her again! I saw her play.

Has Womex been helpful to you?

It’s been hugely, hugely helpful. Particularly Jaswinder and the Asian Arts Agency, they have really supported me in this. Now, this year I have played Womad Chile, I’m going to play Womad UK, I’m playing shows in the Netherlands… I’m playing a festival every weekend for three months. And part of that is down to Womex and the help of the Agency. I’m really grateful.

Read about Indian Man on DJ’ing & Dreams! 

Find out more about Indian Man

One of the finest slide guitarists in the world, Debashish Bhattacharya, performed at St George’s, Bristol on 26 March 2018.

A REMARKABLE EVENING OF OUTSTANDING TALENT

Tabla player Sanju Sahai provided accompaniment. Being one of the finest tabla players of his generation, Sanju Sahai together with the maestro Debashish Bhattacharya, made the evening a unique experience.

One of the incredible moments the musicians @Debashishguitar & @sanjusahai gifted us at last night’s concert @stgeorgesbris #Wow #indianclassical #tabla #slideguitar #bristol #livemusic #MusicVideos #music pic.twitter.com/ndAnqppn0D

— Asian Arts Agency (@AsianArtsAgency) March 27, 2018

STANDING OVATION

The audience were thrilled and captivated by Debashish’s performance. A standing ovation and stamping of feet at the end of the concert signified the delight.

Debashish Bhattacharya’s concert touched heart strings…

https://twitter.com/markjklawrence/status/978376221699559425

Thank you @markjklawrence for your words and @AsianArtsAgency for bringing this music to Bristol https://t.co/5NDfZywMYO

— St George's Bristol (@stgeorgesbris) March 27, 2018

Visit the event page here 

PHOTOS

Check out photos from the concert

The Bollywood and Sufi singing star Harshdeep Kaur performed her debut solo UK concerts in March 2018, managed and produced by Asian Arts Agency.

The performances took place at London’s Barbican and Birmingham Town Hall.

BBC Radio 4 and more!

Harshdeep was interviewed by Samira Ahmed for BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, BBC Asian Network’s Raj & Pablo, Sikh Channel and Brit Asia prior to the concerts (+ many more).

Listen to Harshdeep Kaur on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row 

.@HarshdeepKaur and presenter @SamiraAhmedUK in the @BBCRadio4 #FrontRow studio earlier. Missed it? Listen again here: https://t.co/CWYP1HaazE #Bollywood #Sufi @BarbicanCentre @THSHBirmingham pic.twitter.com/JxEX7qUnxd

— Asian Arts Agency (@AsianArtsAgency) March 26, 2018

Standing Ovation

The Barbican audience gave Harshdeep Kaur a standing ovation.

When the audience loves you like THIS! And gives you a standing ovation 🙏🏼
Have no words ro describe this feeling! Thank you London!
Performing in Birmingham Town Hall tonight at 7pm. #HarshdeepKaurLive@AsianArtsAgency @BritAsiaTV @Punjab2000music pic.twitter.com/7HsRZTVA8J

— Harshdeep Kaur (@HarshdeepKaur) March 28, 2018

The audience loved Harshdeep Kaur…

Eastern Eye editor, Asjad Nazir:

Thanks @HarshdeepKaur for blessing London with your heavenly voice & angelic performance. Your versatility is just incredible. (And your musicians were just wonderful) #HarshdeepKaur

— Asjad Nazir (@asjadnazir) March 27, 2018

Wasn't she just. I am of Indian heritage but speak non of the Indian languages, shows that music is international. I understand why she is called 'Queen of Sufi'.

— Zena Gani (@ZenaGani) March 28, 2018

@HarshdeepKaur Wow you were brilliant in Birmingham too!! I broke the rule of dancing in the middle of the hall too. Your prayers was heart touching😍 too #asianartsagency #harshdeepkaur #thsh #pleasecomeagain pic.twitter.com/9Xh2tckbOO

— Farina (@fino4tu) March 28, 2018

It really was a special couple of concerts in London and Birmingham.

Visit the events page for more details.

PHOTOS

Check out the photographs from the tour