Norwich Ragas: Piano & Slide Guitar Unbound
- #Norwich
- #In-Person
- SEP 19, 2025
- Friday
- 6:30 PM
- The Assembly House
- Norwich, United Kingdom
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Event Summary
Performing Artists
Performing Artists
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Debasis Chakroborty -
Deepak Shah -
Akram Khan
Event Details
Kala Festival 2025 presents Indian classical music in Norwich on Friday 19 September 2025, with a double bill in the historic rooms of The Assembly House. The raga pianist Deepak Shah plays the first set. After the interval, Pandit Debasis Chakroborty plays Indian slide guitar with the tabla player Ustad Akram Khan. Doors open at 6pm and the music starts at 6.30pm.
Deepak Shah brings his own reading of ragas to the piano. A raga is a melodic framework with its own notes and characteristic phrases. Expect delicate piano work, with tabla accompaniment.
In the second half, Pandit Debasis Chakroborty moves a steel slide along the strings, so the notes glide between pitches. Ustad Akram Khan is the seventh-generation exponent of the Ajrara Gharana, one of the six main traditional schools of tabla.
Between the sets you can take refreshments and talk with other listeners. Book your seats on this page.
The piano helps me speak the language of ragas in a new way. It’s where my heart finds balance between tradition and imagination.
Venue information
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Attendee reviews
Ratings describe the event experience.
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Event Attendee
Event experience 5/5
Completely unforgettable music that will stay with us for the rest of our days. And I understand that the combinations are unique as well, but that's a bit of a one-off for the meeting of these musicians, so that makes it even more special. So thank you very much for a wonderful evening. A massive pleasure. And thank you so much for organising this.
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Event Attendee
Event experience 5/5
First of all, we have been so privileged to be able to listen to such fabulous music from such prestigious, wonderful, awesome artists. And the tabla, it was just like gliding. It was a dance on the tabla. It was fantastic. The maestro Akram Khan was just the world's best, I would say. And everyone, their Monsoon Raga was fabulous. The piano, sitar with piano is something we've never heard. So, thank you so much. Thank you for bringing these maestros to Norwich. Thank you. Thank you so much. It's an honor to host them here. Thank you. Thank you very much.
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Event Attendee
Event experience 5/5
It was really mesmerizing, so rhythmic, and just felt transported, it was beautiful, really enjoyed the evening, and it was great to talk to the musicians afterwards, they were so friendly and approachable, it was such a treat
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Event Attendee
Event experience 5/5
Yeah, an absolutely fantastic concert tonight, absolutely incredible melodies and rhythms, really, really beautiful, and wonderful performers and an absolutely beautiful venue. So congratulations to KalaSudha, and thanks to the performers that played such beautiful music for us tonight
Showing 3 of 4 reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I go to hear live Indian classical music in Norwich, which venues have hosted KalaSudha's concerts, and where do I find the next Norwich date?
KalaSudha presents Indian classical music in Norwich and lists each concert on its Norwich page, with a link to book. For the next Norwich date, read how to hear about new Norwich concerts.
KalaSudha has presented concerts at St Andrew's Hall on St Andrew's Plain and at The Assembly House, a Grade I listed building on Theatre Street.
Who is the Indian slide guitarist Pandit Debasis Chakroborty, the senior-most disciple of Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra?
Pandit Debasis Chakroborty is a Hindustani slide guitarist and the senior-most disciple of Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra, and his playing reflects Kabra's style. His name is also written Debasis Chakraborty. He plays in the Senia-Maihar gharana and has taught since 1992.
He has been part of the Department of Performing Arts at Mangalayatan University since its inception, and returns to universities in Australia and the USA as a conductor-performer and artist-in-residence. He helped carry out a joint music research project between Mangalayatan University and Monash University, and has published 10 research papers.
Who is Deepak Shah, and what is his musical background?
Deepak Shah is a pianist, arranger and music director from a musical family. His grandfather, Shantilal Shah, and Mohan Junior taught him classical music, and that training opened the door to arrangement and direction. Over about 25 years he has worked with leading artists from India and performed in India and abroad. He has composed music and background scores for over 30 films in Bangla, Gujarati, Punjabi and Bhojpuri, and recorded albums with T-Series, Tips and Venus.
What is an Indian slide guitar, how is it played, and where can I learn it?
The Indian slide guitar is a guitar laid flat across the lap and stopped with a steel bar instead of fingers on frets. It is an instrument of Hindustani classical music, the classical music of North India. Sympathetic strings ring underneath the melody unstruck, and the player plucks extra drone (chikari) strings.
The bar never leaves the string, so one note travels into the next without a break. For its history and players, see the Indian slide guitar page. You can learn it with KalaSudha in the online academy.
What is the Ajrara (Ajrada) gharana of tabla, where did it begin, and what is it known for?
The Ajrara gharana, also spelt Ajrada, is a school of tabla that arose in the late 18th or early 19th century in the village of Ajrara, in Meerut district. Most accounts trace it to two brothers, Kallu Khan and Miru Khan, who learnt in Delhi, making it an offshoot of the Delhi gharana. Its players add the ring finger to the Delhi technique. It is best known for qaidas, themes with set variations, in aad laya, three strokes to every two beats. Ustad Akram Khan plays in the gharana today.
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