and Rohin Kemani on drums and tabla. Photo by Cinthia Menutole
Kiran Ahluwalia’s “Diwali Celebration” at Roulette Intermedium delivered a boundary-defying fusion of sound, capturing the festival’s spirit of light overcoming darkness. Kiran Ahluwalia is from India and Rez Abbasi, from Pakistan: their bond is a testament to lasting love, a twenty-year duet that survived the diaspora and blended their distinct ethnic and religious heritages into one enduring partnership.
The concert was anchored in the vocalist’s mastery of the great vocal traditions of India and Pakistan —Sufi Qawwali, Ghazal, and Punjabi folk—but it is her ability to weave these classic elements with the hypnotic rhythms of West African desert blues and the sophistication of jazz that defines her luminosity.
Flanked by her band, which notably includes guitarist Rez Abbasi, the performance was sure to transcend cultural boundaries, offering a trance-like groove that makes the complex Indo-Saharan blend feel organic and essential.
The Roulette Intermedium, located in Downtown Brooklyn, is known for its embrace of experimental and global sounds, is the ideal setting for this celebration of transnational music.
Kiran Ahluwalia’s performance, which prominently features material from her latest album, Comfort Food, is more than just a musical showcase; it was an evening of cultural and social commentary woven into rhythm.
Diwali, the festival of lights, serves as the thematic backbone, inspiring songs filled with hope, joy, and a firm rejection of injustice and ethnic nationalism.
Ahluwalia uses her “soul-stirring voice” to explore the human condition, making her deeply personal and often political lyrics accessible and moving to a global audience.
For anyone seeking music that is simultaneously rooted in ancient tradition and fiercely contemporary, offering both lyrical reflection and intoxicating rhythm, this Brooklyn performance was one of the autumn season’s world music experiences.
Ahluwalia admitted that she was feeling more in touch with the audience towards closing the show, and graced us with the Indian spiritual music: we felt deeply her devotional focus, structured melodic and rhythmicms, while she was evoking spiritual emotions, peace, and a connection to the divine through her chants.
Ahluwalia’s music encompasses various forms, from classical traditions to popular congregational chanting.
We exited the theater with a profound sense of tranquility. The audience smiles and shared conversations foreshadowing dreams of an Indian holiday even as they returned home.
🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶
Roulette Intermedium
509 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Kiran Ahluwalia: Diwali Celebration! at the Roulette Intermedium is presented by:
https://www.robertbrowningassociates.com
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