MUSIC

The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB), the Association for India’s Development (AID) and Indian Raga partner to bring the Indo-Western fusion maestro Shankar Tucker to Boston, for a fundraising concert this November. Tucker rose to international acclaim with the launch of his YouTube channel "The ShrutiBox" last year. The channel features re-recordings of numerous popular Indian songs and has amassed more than 11 million views till date. Shankar Tucker's musical journey and significant contributions to the tradition of Indian Classical music is reflected in his impressive body of work, which seamlessly fuses classical Indian melodies, known as Ragas, with Western tunes. After training for many years as a Western classical clarinetist at the New England Conservatory, Tucker was drawn to the individualism of Indian Classical music. His determination and talent won him admission to Indian flute legend Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia's academy in Mumbai - an experience that Tucker describes as "nothing short of life-changing." Transcending the barriers of culture, language, and geography, Shankar’s story shows that no force is more powerful than a musician's love for music. Inspired by this story, ICJB, AID and Indian Raga formed a collaboration to present his work at MIT and give this new wave of Indian music the impetus and exposure it deserves. This fundraiser also serves as an opportunity to raise much-needed awareness about pressing social issues in India. The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB) is a human rights group committed to bringing justice to the victims of the Bhopal gas disaster of 1984. ICJB helps the survivors of the gas disaster by supporting legal recourse, awareness campaigns and environmental initiatives. AID is an award-winning charity that supports and promotes grassroots organizations that seek to help India achieve "sustainable, equitable and just development." IndianRaga is an MIT-based initiative and winner of the prestigious IDEAS Global Challenge, 2012. Recognizing the need for talented musicians to train with accomplished maestros, IndianRaga has partnered with India's prestigious ITC Sangeet Research Academy, a foremost academy for the most talented Indian classical artists, to offer residential courses to Indians and non-Indians who wish to reach their highest musical potential. Music lovers are invited to this unique concert, which will feature singers Rohan Kymal and Rohini Ravada (from Tucker’s The Shrutibox) on Sunday, November 4th, from 6 to 8:30 PM at MIT’s Kresge auditorium. All proceeds from the concert go to AID and the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB).