Partha Bose

Twenty strings, two drums, and a musical tradition built on melody, rhythm, and improvisation.

Internationally acclaimed sitarist Partha Bose comes to Caffè Lena joined by Pandit Samar Saha, one of India's leading tabla players, for an evening of Hindustani classical music.

Bose is a master of the Senia-Maihar tradition, one of the major lineages of North Indian classical music. His performances are rooted in raga—the melodic framework at the heart of the tradition—but leave ample room for spontaneity, exploration, and communication between musicians. Over a career spanning five continents, Bose has developed a particular gift for reaching listeners regardless of their familiarity with Indian classical music.

Beside him will be an equally accomplished musician. Samar Saha has spent four decades touring the United States and has performed with many of India's leading classical artists. The tabla, a pair of hand-played drums, provides far more than accompaniment. In the hands of a master, it becomes a musical voice of its own, answering, challenging, and conversing with the sitar through the intricate rhythmic cycles known as tala.

Together, Bose and Saha create music that can move from quiet, spacious passages to rapid exchanges and exhilarating improvisation. The twenty strings of Bose's sitar and Saha's two tabla drums can produce an astonishing range of sound from just two musicians.

Their Caffè Lena performance takes place on August 16, one day after India celebrates its 80th Independence Day, offering a timely opportunity to experience one of India's great classical music traditions through two musicians who have spent decades sharing it with audiences around the world.

Join us for an intimate and immersive performance, an opportunity to experience the meditative beauty and emotional power of the sitar, carried by a master of the tradition.

This concert is part of the Nordlys Global Voices Series, made possible by The Nordlys Foundation.

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