13th Annual Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance

On the evening of September 28th 2024 the Massey Theatre will be transformed into an ethereal courtyard, immersing audiences into the timeless and ancient forms of Indian Classical music and dance. Founded by New Westminster’s globally recognized Cassius Khan and Amika Kushwaha, the 13th Annual Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance, which is a tribute to his guru, the late Ghazal Queen Mushtari Begum, is inviting you to experience a journey of emotions through these rare classical arts performed live. Some of the finest Canadian and Indian artists will showcase their explosive talents at this one of a kind festival. Headlining performances will be given by Western Canadian Music Award nominees Cassius Khan and Amika Kushwaha. Cassius Khan will showcase his trademark mastery of singing Ghazals while simultaneously playing the Tabla, and the melodious and graceful Amika Kushwaha will serenade all with her sonorous and melodious Harmonium. The graceful and powerful Kathak dancer Prajakta Potnis Trehan will enthrall the audience with her difficult and complex Kathak performance alongside the ever amazing Baljit Singh’s sonorous and haunting Dilruba. The thunderous Mridangam artist Keerty Raghavan will delight the audience with the Karnatic classical nightingale vocalist Remya Rajiv and the melodious Karnatic Violinist Shriram Rajagopalan with their traditional South Indian Classical music performance. This year’s special surprise guest is the powerful Juno nominee Pt Salil Bhatt who will explode with his invented 20 stringed Satvik Veena all the way from Jaipur, Rajasthan India! Each artist will perform exquisite and traditional numbers in their respective art forms. Such will be the passion and enchantment they create, intoxicating the spirit with melodies and rhythms, that undoubtedly, your Ears will begin to see and the Eyes listen!