In Jan 2017, one of my long-standing desires came to fruition with the help of my friends; District of Raga (DoR) was launched as a monthly event at Bossa Bistro & Lounge. What is District of Raga you ask? It is a space for practitioners and lovers of Indian classical music to gather for the purpose of musical dialogue and community within Washington, D.C. The inspiration to create this platform came from the successful collective of musicians in NYC known as Brooklyn Raga Massive. DoR is currently held at Bossa Bistro & Lounge in Adams Morgan on the last Wednesday of every month. The event showcases a local or visiting featured artist, with a focus on presenting traditional Indian classical music as well as multi-cultural sounds intersecting with Raga-inspired music. Following the concert is a jam session that is open to all encouraging spontaneous collaboration between smaller groups of musicians.
Since 2017, DoR has presented over 30 concerts, events and educational workshops, and plans to grow the platform to expand the reach by presenting additional events in venues throughout Washington area. DoR has been featured in the IlluminAsia Festival at Smithsonian’s Freer Sackler Gallery and in collaboration with The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage as a co-presenter. District of Raga is curated and organized by myself and local tabla player Avi Shah. For more information and to see our upcoming events please visit: www.districtofraga.com