Rhythmic Crossovers: a Confluence of Music and Movement

Self-taught guitar player, composer and founder of MoonArra, based in Bengaluru, India, Jagadeesh is an experienced guitarist performing with pop, rock, jazz and fusion ensembles for three decades. From a young age, Jagadeesh was exposed to Indian Classical sounds as well as Western Classical music. Playing both nylon guitar and electric steel string guitar, has been collaborating with musicians around the globe in jazz concerts and albums.

His interest in flamenco music led him to Spain where he spent a month studying under Juan Maria Paul in Sevilla.  Jagadeesh also developed an interest in playing the Oud after a trip to Cairo, Egypt. As Head of Events at Radio Indigo (till 2008) Jagadeesh was instrumental in conceptualising a number of international quality concert events,  reviving and putting together what is arguably Bangalore’s finest and one of India’s best Jazz Festivals – The Indigo & Blues Festival in 2007 – and in 2009 a 3 Day Jazz Festival at the UB City for the Bengaluru Habba.   Jagadeesh is the Director of the Bangalore School of Music, heading the Jazz & Contemporary music Dept., Music Relations, concerts, events, programming, etc.

Madhuri is a singer songwriter and co founder of MoonArra, Madhuri’s vocals has influences from all over the world, but rooted in India.  She began singing in school operatas and small musical productions since she was eight years old. She’s also been singing professionally since she was eighteen. She’s always loved the open sound of jazz and finds it the most inclusive form of music and a universal mode of communication. Madhuri has found a niche in world music and is constantly looking to expand the scope and possibilities of this genre with new influences and sounds from around the world as she travels. Her other interests include fine arts, performing arts, applied arts and she’s been in the field of training, learning and development as a consultant and has conducted developmental programmes in corporates, corporations, organisations and institutions.  She has an understanding of Indian Classical and Western Classical Music and uses both in her exploration of jazz and world music.  A vocalist and songwriter, Madhuri has conceived and created significant concert productions for MoonArra such as Operaaga, Raagas Round Midnight, Women Aah Men, The Cosmic Tree.  The second edition of Operaaga was also successfully produced in Italy (Milan and Bologna June 2023) in collaboration with Italian musician Nicola Baroni and his ensemble. She has a Masters in World Literature

Karthik Mani is a World Percussionist/Drummer with a solid foundation in South Indian Classical Music. As a kid, he was mostly surrounded by music as there used to be a lot of students from all over the world who learned at their school “Karnataka College of Percussion”. He started learning Vocal from his mother and Mridangam from his father. After a few years, he showed more interest in Mridangam and other Percussion Instruments. Karthik is a self taught Drummer/World Percussionist who draws inspiration from everything and everyone. He has performed shows all over India with various renowned Carnatic, Hindustani and World Musicians.

Karthik has also been a part of internationally-renowned percussion ensembles such as “Tala Tarangini”, Nandi Talavadya, Laya Lahiri, Vrushti, Laya Taranga and Laya Milana and many more. 

Phil Scarff is a pioneer of the performance of North Indian classical music on soprano saxophone, and exquisitely captures the music’s subtlety and depth. His performance at the famed Tansen Samaroh, Gwalior, India, with Saskia Rao de Haas was “The highlight of the festival.” [Dainik Bhaskar]. Indian classical appearances include India’s Nehru Center and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Mumbai); Saptak School of Music (Ahmedabad); Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture (Kolkata); ICCR Theater (Delhi); and Pt Chatur Lal Festival (virtual). Phil is a master jazz saxophonist, and leads world-jazz ensembles, Natraj and the Lewis Porter-Phil Scarff Group. World-jazz appearances include India’s JazzYatra, and Prayojana International Music Festival; Ghana’s PANAFEST; and Boston Globe Jazz Festival (USA). Phil is featured on over 40 acclaimed CDs/DVDs. He was named Best Instrumentalist in Foundations TV Red Carpet Awards (USA), and garnered New England Choice Awards for Art & Music. He is featured in the music video, “Vaishnav Jan To” (music director Dhruvit Shah), awarded “Best Music” in the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival and “Best Music – Jury” in the Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival.

Mythili Anantharaman, a Masters of Arts in English Literature, is a vocalist steeped in the Indian Carnatic Classical culture.  She started her musical journey at the age of 7 and has been performing from a young age in classical concerts and productions in India and overseas.  Mythili has also lent vocal support to eminent Indian Classical dancers in India.  Her knowledge of music theory backed by years of rigorous practice makes her the perfect medium to convey the emotions and discipline of the rich musical culture of Southern India.   For over three decades, Mythili has been tutoring and conducting workshops for Indian, International Jazz and Western Classical vocal students, thereby guiding them to learn the nuances, techniques and theory of Carnatic Music.  Her interest and study in other musical forms such as Western Classical, Jazz, Folk and Indian music has led her to research and innovate with diverse musical styles.  Mythili has often performed and collaborated with MoonArra both in India and overseas.  

Composer, Lyricist, Vocalist Lyricist, and trained in Hindustani classical music Jataveda Banerjee has been performing for more than a decade with musicians, groups and has also composed music for animation feature films and live and recorded music for theatre.

Prathima Rohini Rajashekaran is a Bangalore-based dancer, writer, and arts educator.