Leicester Raga Rhythms: Kathak, Indian Slide Guitar & Tabla Duet

An evening of Indian classical artistry arrives in Leicester from the bandwagon of Kala Festival 2025. Bringing together movement, melody, and rhythm in a single, immersive experience. Three sessions in this single evening concert make it a must-attend for all rasiks of our traditional arts.

Kathak dancer Jaymini Sahai, whose training began at the age of six under Nilima Devi in the Jaipur tradition, has evolved into one of Britain’s most expressive storytellers through footwork that sparks both percussive fire and graceful geometry. And, she is local to Leicester.

Pioneering Indian slide-guitarist Pandit Debasis Chakroborty draws on the Senia-Maihar lineage to let steel strings sing with the inflexions of the human voice. With him is rising artist Upneet Singh, a Leicester local rooted in the Benares tradition, who balances accompaniment finesse with forward-looking creativity.

The heartbeat of the night belongs to two distinguished tabla players for a duet, the first time in the UK. Pandit Sanju Sahai, a sixth-generation torchbearer of the Benares Gharana, brings a reputation for lightning-fast fluency and melodic clarity. Ustad Akram Khan, a seventh-generation exponent of the Ajrara school, complements that brilliance with the deep bass resonance and intricate phrasing that have earned him thousands of international appearances.

Together, these performers weave ragas coloured by microtonal bends. Rhythmic cycles that expand and contract with thrilling unpredictability. And stories etched in both sound and movement. Listeners can expect moments of hushed reflection, passages of driving virtuosity and a finale that sends tabla voices into exhilarating dialogue. Reserve your place early, as demand is expected to be high and capacity is limited.