Anuj Rastogi

"Omnesia - Live!" - September 26, 2009

2009-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

The 8th Annual Small World Music Festival

presents

"Omnesia - Live!"

Saturday September 26, 8:00pm

Al Green Theatre (Toronto, ON)

The 8th Annual Small World Music Festival proudly presents “Omnesia – Live!” on Saturday September 26, 2009. Lead by producer/composer Anuj Rastogi, Omnesia is a dynamic ensemble of some of the finest young global musicians anywhere. Omnesia’s music is characterized by unique paradoxes that blend technology with tradition, ancient with modern, and east with west. Omnesia will feature diverse musical virtuosity, engaging production, and atmospheric visuals on a 30 foot screen. The entire group is set on putting Canada on the map for innovative world music. The group and its members have performed several successful events across Canada, the US and Europe to thousands of music lovers. The concert will raise awareness for ‘Spread the Net’. Featured Artists include Anuj Rastogi, Cassius Khan, Amika Kushwaha, Falitaa Chhabra, Sandra Chibuluzo, Hasheel Lodhia, Jay Banerjee, Branko Boras and Sunny Ray.

Tickets Available at: www.smallworldmusic.com

Partners: Small World Music, Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, Omnesia Records, Hindu Canadian Alliance, Faiths Act

Supported Cause: UNICEF Canada’s Spread the Net campaign focuses on raising funds to purchase 500,000 insecticide-treated bed nets to protect children and families in Liberia and Rwanda against malaria. Malaria is the single largest cause of death among children under the age of five in Africa, killing one child every 30 seconds and 3,000 children per day. Sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed net is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent mosquitoes from biting children and transmitting the parasite that causes malaria. A $10 donation will provide one long-lasting insecticide treated bed net and information about how to use it to protect children and their families from malaria for up to five years.

www.spreadthenet.org

Links:

www.myspace.com/omnesiarecords

www.youtube.com/omnesia

www.smallworldmusic.com

www.hcatoronto.com

www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org

Feature Artists:

Anuj Rastogi (Director /Composer - keyboards, spoken word, electronic, visuals)

Anuj Rastogi represents a new generation of composers and musicians who balance the nuances of many cultures at once in their music. As a multi-instrumentalist, composer and visionary producer, Anuj is the front-man and founder of Omnesia. To date, Anuj has produced over 30 concert and live multimedia events, attended by thousands in Canada, and the UK. Anuj’s recorded work has also garnered critical and audience acclaim across the world. His debut album “Omnesia” has received heavy radio and online rotation throughout Europe, North America and India, and his sophomore release “Dark Matter” is quickly gaining its critical acclaim.

Cassius Khan (Tabla, Ghazal & Hindustani Classical Vocalist)

Cassius Khan is a master performer and exponent of Ghazal Gayaki (singing). A charismatic personality on and off stage, Cassius is the only professional performing artist in the world who can execute highly skilled Tabla compositions and sing Ghazals simultaneously. Khan has performed extensively internationally, and collaborated with Grammy Award winning artist Mohan Veena player Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Satvick Veena player Salil Bhatt, guitarist Ellen McIlwaine, Pianist Stu Goldberg and Guitarist Dave Martone. Khan and Anuj Rastogi have worked on various Omnesia studio and live performance collaborations since 2002.

Amika Kushwaha (Kathak Dancer, Harmonium)

Amika Kushwaha is one of the finest harmonium players in Canada, with an ability to adapt her fingering to any musical style ranging from Indian classical to Indian folk music. Kushwaha performs regularly with her husband, tabla and Ghazal performer, Cassius Khan, and is also a gifted and accomplished Kathak Dancer. She has trained extensively in this art form, and now teaches the dance form in Canada. Together, she and Khan have performed at many festivals including Calgary, Edmonton, Salmon Arms Folk, and The Indian Electronica festival in Toronto. Amika has also been an important and pivotal collaborator in past and present Omnesia projects since 2002.

Falitaa Chhabra (English & Hindi Vocalist)

Falitaa Chhabra has been an avid performer since the age of 6. She studied Indian Classical singing at a young age, and moved to explore various genres of music growing up in Mumbai, India. During her college years, she was a regular face on the Rock music scene in Mumbai.

Having moved to Toronto in 2001, Falitaa connected with the city’s diverse music scene, and has contributed her rich vocal sound to a number of multi-genre performances including the Indian Electronica Festival, Desi Diwali Festival, Desifest, Chai Lounge, and Dishoom!. Falitaa has been an influential contributor to Omnesia studio releases. Her voice has become recognizable for “The River”, from the 2007 release of the album “Omnesia”

Hasheel Lodhia (Bunsuri, Classical Vocal Artist)

Hasheel Lodhia has been a devout student of Indian Classical music since a very young age. At 5, he learned the basics of Hindustani vocals, and by age 9 he has been training in under Shri Narendra Dattar. In 2000, Hasheel also started playing the Bansuri under the guidance of Jitendra Sharma at Vishnu Mandir and the Western flute at school. He quickly excelled in the field of Western music and started composing and writing his own orchestral music at the age of thirteen. Hasheel pursued his music career by taking a gap year after graduating from high school and living in India. For seven months, he studied vocal under Shri Padmaja Joglekar and had the privilege of studying bansuri under the legendary Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Hasheel is the newest member of Omnesia, bringing his unique sounds to a whole new audience.

Sandra Chibuluzo (Soul RnB Vocalist)

Sandra Chibuluzo is a soul singer of Nigerian background. Sandra’s signature sound is soulful, rich, and powerful. With a tremendous range, Sandra renders some of the most delicate melodies, and the most powerful improvisations of any soul singer around. For many, their first introduction to Sandra’s rich, haunting and captivating vocals was on “Jaane Do”, from the critically acclaimed album “Omnesia” (2007). Sandra has consistently enchanted Omnesia audiences since 2006 with multiple performances at Dishoom!, and the Indian Electronica Festival, among others.

Branko Boras (Guitarist, Yugoslavian Vocalist, Songwriter)

Branko Boras, moved to Toronto from the former Yugoslavia in his teens. Surrounded by rich musical tradition, he has spent years perfecting his touch on the Guitar. Branko brings clean, impeccable timing, and complementary sense of improvisation and progression to all his collaborations. Branko also wrote, and performed the song “Turmoil” on the album, “Omnesia” – a haunting tribute to lost love.

Jay Banerjee (Western Cello, Indian Sarod)

Jay Banerjee (aka Dr. J) is a fusion of Eastern and Western traditions himself. Being immersed in the music for most of his life, he trained in the classical traditions of cello and piano, as well as Indian music in voice and the Sarod (a 25-string fretless lute). His musical curiousity has taken him to many corners of the planet, exploring global musical styles, and developed a keen a sense of aesthetic that is uniquely manifested on the concert stage. His precision, technique, combined with a broad foundation in many different styles have made him a versatile artist and collaborator.

Sunny Ray (Soul RnB vocalist)

Sunny Ray is a 2nd generation South Asian who’s grown up between Calcutta, Edmonton, Northern Alberta and Toronto. With a diverse set of experiences, and early influences ranging from classic Hindi film songs to the height of Soul/R&B in the 90’s, Sunny has developed a unique sound. His voice is calculated, and smooth, and many have heard his guest appearance on “Breaking News”, another top single from the 2007 debut album by Anuj Rastogi, “Omnesia”.

Where can I buy the album?

2009-03-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

I still get the question from a lot lof people... "where can I buy the album?". The album is pretty readily available at the links below, no matter where you are in the World, it's a few clicks away...

The album is available for physical (CD) sale at:

www.myspace.com/omnesiarecords (purchase online, ships internationally)
HMV (Select locations)
www.cdbaby.com (US & International, Charge in $USD)
www.amazon.ca
www.hmv.ca

"Omnesia" is also available for digital download on:

iTunes (internationally)
www.puretracks.com
www.amazon.com (and amazon.ca)
www.emusic.com
www.audiolunchbox.com

Lunch Abducted in Broad Daylight...

2009-03-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

Back in action...By request from a number of people, here is the alleged email about my stolen lunch from 2005 when I was still working at an Ad Agency. It was a tragic day....

----

from: Anuj Rastogi

to : All

date: Nov 16, 2005 5:41 PM

subject: Lunch Abducted in Broad Daylight

Hello Everyone,

This afternoon, I was kindly asked by a colleague if I wanted to grab lunch from outside, to which I enthusiastically responded, "No thanks, I've got TWO lunches already waiting for me in the fridge".

By 2:30 after a day full of meetings, and a growling stomach, I made my way to the fridge on the 2 nd floor by the main stairs. What I expected to find was:

1. "Classy Chicken" – My own recipe of chicken, rice, an assortment of peppers and broccoli that is as much of a feast for the eyes as the taste buds (sealed in Tupperware, and wrapped in a grey plastic bag).

2. "Buddha Bowl " – my left over lunch from a meeting yesterday. Marinated tofu in a zesty curry sauce with a medley of vegetables on Basmati rice (in a foil bowl, with a white lid that had my name written on it in BIG BOLD LETTERS).

After much searching in drawers, on shelves, behind cupcakes with faces, and under a variety of other refrigerated wonders, I found NOTHING. I thought it might have been misplaced, or sitting outside the fridge; but still, nothing. Then, to my complete disbelief, I saw my Tupperware container sitting neatly on top of the microwave, washed and dried.

Now, to whoever may have decided to eat my "Classy Chicken", I hope you enjoyed this fine recipe. To whoever may have eaten my "Buddha Bowl ", I hope you feel more enlightened, and I'm glad to see you're eating healthy. If the same person ate both, I can see you were hungrier than I was. If neither was eaten but instead thrown out, you really missed out.

I'm not mad, only a little perplexed that not one, but two of my lunches which had been in the fridge only 24 hrs would disappear in one day. Thank you for washing the Tupperware though, that was rather considerate. Please let me know if you'd like the recipe to "Classy Chicken", as I'd be more than happy to share it. An ancient proverb reminds us that, "You can steal a man's Classy Chicken, and eat for a day; but if you learn the recipe, You can Classy Chicken everyday". Thanks.

Anuj

Anuj Rastogi

Account Manager
Cossette Communications

2008-12-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

187 Candles - A Tribute to Mumbai

So it's been a while since my last blog, mostly for two reasons. One, I kept ranting about politics and anything but music. And then tragedy and unbelievable horror hit Mumbai, and I was rendered speechless and shocked half a world away.

I didn't want to write about how I feel about this event. I wanted you to hear it. So after a few weeks, a candlelight vigil in Toronto, and many sleepless nights, here's my attempt at lighting a candle for all those we lost, and hoping to light the candle of our consciousness and human empathy...

I wrote this piece as a tribute to the city of Mumbai, and all the people who lost their lives, their livelihoods and their loved ones. Over 180 people were killed, over 350 injured, and these attacks rendered the city helpless for over 3 days.

This piece came to me as I heard the names of each victim recited by individuals here in Toronto at a candle light vigil on December 7/08. We always think about the numbers, but each one of the people had a story, had dreams, and wishes like you and me. Every one of us in every country is affected. We must not break, but come together and unite. "Jaago" means awaken, and is directed to all of us and our leaders. Ending this madness is in our hands.

Music Composed & Arranged by: Anuj Rastogi

Falitaa Chhabra - Vocals
Anuj Rastogi - Tabla, Piano, Synths, Programming

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr4TDxaOxgM

(c) copyright Omnesia Records 2008

www.myspace.com/omnesiarecords

Other Artists to Check Out

2008-11-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hi All, while I'm not particularly a fan of the labels that have been categorizing music (i.e. "World Music"), I would like tell you about other artists who are definitely worth checking out. For those new to South Asian influenced "world-electronic-acoustic-epic-narrative-orchestral-genre defying-fusion" music (for lack of a better term), these are just a few of my favorite artists, who share at least a couple common threads in that they draw on electronic and South Asian influences.

Some of the hidden treasures on this list in my opinion include

Niraj Chag (UK)
Shammi Pithia (UK)
Krita Yuga (Japan)
Kreuger Singh (Canada)
Prithpal Sirjeet (UK)

The full list includes established artists, musical-pioneers and fresh new artists you should hear right now. omnesia, shammi pithia, talvin singh, world music, prithpal sirjeet, krita yuga,

A R Rahman (www.arrahman.com)
Nitin Sawhney (www.nitin sawhney.com)
Talvin Singh (www.talvinsingh.co.uk)
Karsh Kale (www.karshkale.com) - Niraj Chag (www.nirajchag.com)
Aref Durvesh (www.myspace.com/arefdurvesh)
Shri (www.myspace.com/shrilive)
MIDIval Punditz (www.punditz.com)
Prem Joshua (www.premjoshua.com)
State of Bengal (www.stateofbengal.com)

Krita Yuga (www.myspace.com/kritayuga)
Kreuger Singh (www.myspace.com/tbc4ever)
Prithpal Sirjeet (www.myspace.com/prithpalmusic)
Shammi Pithia (www.myspace.com/shammipithia)
Nawtiks (www.nawtiks.com)
Parichay (www.parichay.net)
Sphongle (www.myspace.com/therealshpongle)
Dave Sharma (www.myspace.com/davesharma)
Ravaliya (www.myspace.com/ravaliya)
Kush Arora (www.kusharora.com)
Bandish Projekt (www.myspace.com/bandishprojektofficial)
Tigerstyle (www.tigerstyleonline.co.uk)
Micropixie (www.micropixie.com)
Jawbone (www.myspace.com/djjawbone)

Check them out for yourself...there's some brilliant music out there...

Lowest Common Denominator

2008-11-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

Breaking News – The lowest common denominator wasn't as low as we were made to believe. What do I mean by this? Well, first of all I wish to wish Mr. Obama, Mr. Biden, and their entire team a heartfelt congratulations, and express my sheer excitement over their victory last week (not that they'll be reading this anytime soon). I'm an optimist, and yet even a year ago, I would never have imagined seeing this day perhaps even in my lifetime. Obama has, in many ways, proven the pessimists wrong. No one should underestimate the significance of last Tuesday night in the context of history, or of the world…

I'm not saying this only because Mr. Obama is black, or because he's young(er), or because he's international, or because he had a poor upbringing and no inherent family political connections, or even because he listens to music that was made within the last decade. I'm saying this because he appealed to a sense, a common sense, that had been long buried. Obama seemed to believe that "rising up" to the greater intelligence of people would be a better strategy than dropping to a perceived "lowest common denominator" that McCain's team appeared to focus on, at least in the method of delivery of their message. Take for example the image below of a 'Change Matrix' that nearly a week after the election, is still posted on McCain's Myspace page. Somehow, McCain and/or his team thought that the woes of the world, and the challenges of a country in crisis could be articulated by a colorful Lego-like chart. Using oversimplified and unqualified statements like "Create Jobs" vs "Destroy Jobs", or "Lower" vs "Higher" (taxes), somehow I get the feeling McCain's team thought Americans were dumb; it seems he was wrong. Honestly, if you're going to go through the trouble of pushing campaign tactics on the Web (or 'Internets' as Bush would have us believe), then do yourself a favor and assume that the audience is smart enough to deserve more than a silly little chart. Now I only wish leaders and politicians in Canada would understand that we're not as dumb as they think either….It's been years since we've had a leader intelligent and charismatic enough to resonate here.

Anyways, again, I'm not saying I disliked McCain, or that he was insincere. Neither am I saying that voting for McCain meant one was less intelligent. I just think it was much harder to find something intelligent in his approach…He just didn't "get it". He and his team didn't understand that the voices of the largest group of people who wanted to be spoken to as intelligent and conscientious human beings, and not some grade one simpletons (though a first grader could make a better chart I'm sure, and apologize if I've offended any first graders reading this post). If I were McCain, I'd go get an IT person from George W. Bush's team to log on to the "Internets" and pull down his Dr. Seuss model of political strategy.

Just thought I'd share this with you. It's both sad, and amusing all at once. I think that's enough on politics for now....time for a music post.

Today...

2008-10-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today seemed like just a good a day as any to begin a blog. I've thought about it for a long time, and have had no good reason not to, so here we are. Those who know me know I like to talk a lot. I also like to write a lot. The only thing I hope to accomplish with this blog is to let you know what I've been thinking about, and in turn, I hope that has some sort of productive/positive impact. So without further adieu...here goes... (BTW I really use the "..." alot. It's my symbol for a dramatic pause...

"Change"

This one word has been thrown around like dirty pennies in a public fountain. Every time I turn on the TV, flip a page in the newspaper, or pass a group of people chatting on the street, I hear this one word. What does it mean?

It's ironic that living in Canada, with a federal election that just passed with relatively little noise here because all the options seemed more or less the same, we're so intensely focused on the events south of the border. I suspect that if you polled people around the world, you'd find more people would come out in droves for this U.S. election than even elections in their own countries...I guess we all feel that there's a lot of cleaning up to do after 8 years of Global mess...and this election may/may not decide whether the broom comes out or not.

So whatever "change" is supposed to be, there's no guarantee that either Obama, or McCain will ultimately be able to deliver it alone. And that's why my hopes are on Obama. He's the one potential leader who really seems to understand that no one person, or one country can do this alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve followed McCain’s campaign closely, and actually think he might be a nice guy, even likeable. I believe he’s sincere in his enthusiasm and commitment, MacCain’s limited by his disconnection from the new world. More than 20 million people cast their votes with 48 hours till the election day left…. A democratic spirit that had crumbled under the weight of its own apathy, and frustration over 8 years of nonsense, suddenly realizes what their vote means. That’s magic.

BTW, I loved the fact that Mr. Colin Powell, one of the most respected statesmen of the last decade (I won’t call him a politician) endorsed Mr. Obama. But more than that, I LOVED the fact that Vice President Dick Cheney, the most loathed man in Washington, endorsed McCain. I like McCain, but honestly, Dick Cheney could ruin the reputation of Mother Theresa, or Mandela, or even Gandhi with his endorsement, so I hate to think what that might do to McCain’s reputation. Mr. Cheney’s probably not a reference you’d want to have anywhere other than a job application at Halliburton.

Anyhow, what do I know, I live in Canada and can’t vote in this election. I’ll have kids in the next 8 years for sure, so I do know that whoever takes power tomorrow, could likely be around long enough for them to see press conferences, newsreels and the artifacts of this new administration. I just hope that it's someone who's making the world better, and not robbing it the way this generation has been robbed for nearly a decade.

If you’re American, go out and vote tomorrow. People around the world are fighting and dying for the right to put a real ballot in a box, so the lucky few of us in countries where we can do so safely, must exercise that privilege. Even Obama's not perfect, and he'll make mistakes...but he understands that the world can be, and that America is one part of it, not all, just a part of it. I don’t care who you vote for, as long as you think it through... this election means a lot to everyone on the planet.

This blog had nothing to do with music. This blog had everything to do with what has compeled me and many other artists to make music. It’s our world.

Anuj