Hear music from the South Asian diaspora by Chennai-based Karnatik vocalist Aditya Prakash, Grammy-winning Pakistani-American vocalist, composer, and producer Arooj Aftab, Brooklyn- and India-based Sheherazaad, Brooklyn-based Indian singer Priya Darshini, and others.

Listen to music from Karnatik vocalist, composer, arranger, producer Aditya Prakash, who, on his latest album, ISOLASHUN, reflects upon the weight of privilege and explores the boundaries of Karnatik tradition, combining intricate-textures with his powerful vocal performance, even as he gets deeply personal. Then, listen to the rich, thoughtful, and mellifluous vocal lines of Brooklyn-based Pakistani-American singer and composer Arooj Aftab who weaves together sounds of Western instrumentation with texts from Urdu and Farsi poetry on her album, Vulture Prince.

Also, there’s brand new music by American performer-composer Sheherazaad, whose contemporary folk-pop synthesis shifts between India and Brooklyn, and was produced by Arooj Aftab. Plus, hear a cross-cultural approach to song by Mumbai-born, Brooklyn-based singer, composer, and ultra-marathoner Priya Darshini, from her debut record, Periphery. And more.

Program #4814, Voices of the South Asian Diaspora (First aired 11/14/2023)

ARTIST: Asha Bhosle / The Kronos Quartet 
WORK: Dum Maro Dum [4:44]
RECORDING: You've Stolen My Heart
SOURCE: Nonesuch #79856
INFO: nonesuch.com

ARTIST: Sheherazaad
WORK: Mashoor  [4:31]
RECORDING: Mashoor single
SOURCE: Erased Tapes
INFO: https://idol-io.ffm.to/mashoor

ARTIST: Arooj Aftab
WORK: Diya Hai [5:40]
RECORDING: Vulture Prince
SOURCE: New Amsterdam
INFO: aroojaftab.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Aditya Prakash
WORK: MAYA [8:06]
RECORDING: ISOLASHUN
SOURCE: New Amsterdam Records
INFO: https://lnk.fuga.com/adityaprakash_isolashun-1

ARTIST: Ali Sethi and Nicolas Jaar
WORK: Nazer Se [4:15]
RECORDING: Intiha
SOURCE: Other People
INFO: https://otherpeople.bandcamp.com/album/intiha

ARTIST: Priya Darshini
WORK: Jahaan [7:30]
RECORDING: Periphery
SOURCE: Chesky Records
INFO: priyadarshini.com

ARTIST: American Patchwork Quartet
WORK: Beneath the Willow [3:27]
RECORDING: American Patchwork Quartet
SOURCE: https://americanpatchworkquartet.bandcamp.com/album/american-patchwork-quartet-2
INFO: due out Feb. 9, 2024

ARTIST: Kiran Ahluwalia
WORK: Vo Kuch [5:52]
RECORDING: Kiran Ahluwalia
SOURCE: Vanguard
INFO: https://www.kiranmusic.com/album/10-kiranahluwalia

ARTIST: Alfredo Rodriguez, Ganavya Doraiswamy, Ibrahim Maalouf
WORK: Kaleidoscope [3:06]
RECORDING: Tocororo
SOURCE: Mack Avenue
INFO: Available at AppleMusic, Spotify, Amazon.com

ARTIST: Esperanza Spalding, ft. Ganavya
WORK: formwela 2 [:40]
RECORDING: Songwrights Apothecary Lab
SOURCE: http://songwrightsapothecarylab.com
INFO: Available at Spotify, YouTube, AppleMusic