Posts

Bhavik Haria Brought The House Down At The Nehru Centre

/0 Comments/in /by

 

On 5 June we brought the house down at the Nehru Centre when international musician, Bhavik Haria performed music from his new album, Sama. It was an evening of celebration where just over 130 people from different walks of life came together to hear Bhajan music. This was the largest audience for the Nehru Centre this year. The Deputy High Commissioner, Sujit Ghosh attended along with Mark Hoda, Chairman of the Gandhi Foundation.

 

For some people, it was their first time listening to this ancient genre of music from India, and were enthralled. Bhajan music focuses on uplifting and bringing people together, and Bhavik’s music is a contemporary sound of Bhajan music. On the night Bhavik performed songs from the album with talented musicians that included a tabla player, a saxophonist, and a violinist, bringing traditional Indian and Western instruments together. Sama is part of Bhavik’s mission to #KeepBhajansAlive which he successfully started in 2020. To help further his campaign, the album has a QR code that gives an English transliteration of the lyrics from Hindi.

Sama has been produced by Kaykay Chauhan with lyrics by Ajay Chandaran and released on 30 May. It is an initiative supported by the Arts Council England. On the night Hedley Swain, CEO of the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust, Brighton & Hove said, “It has been a pleasure to see Bhavik’s music evolve and mature. He is a real talent. It is so important that music from different faiths and traditions are being heard in the UK and contributing to its rich creativity”.

Sama is an album two years in the making and is a UK-India production, where the music includes celebrated musicians from the UK and India. The album takes the listener on a soulful journey of transformation, transcending religious labels. It explores gratitude, compassion, and the liberating power of forgiveness, important reflections in today’s troubled world. Both Bhavik and Sama have earned high media praise and this feature in Asian Voice newspaper is one of our favourites.

New Bhajan Album Launch, Sama

/0 Comments/in /by

 

Growing up one of the weekly things I did with my mum was go to something called a bhajan, which I would describe as communal singing of spiritual songs. Bhajan is a centuries-old musical genre and a Sanskrit word that refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas. So, when international musician and vocalist Bhavik Haria, asked me to work on the launch of his bhajan album, ‘Sama’ I knew it was the right PR project for me.

‘Sama – songs of virtue’, is Bavik’s defining new album, and is music that honours the essence of bhajans, with a contemporary sound. To celebrate the album, we are hosting a special event on 5 June 2024 at the prestigious Nehru Centre, Mayfair London. Where Bhavik will be playing music from the album, performing with talented musicians, which includes a saxophonist and violinist, bringing traditional Indian and Western instruments to create a modern form of bhajan. The event includes special guests and the opportunity for the audience to interact with Bhavik at the end with a Q&A session.

Kaykay Chauhan has produced the album with lyrics by Ajay Chandaran and is in partnership with Arts Council England and Atlantic Electrics. It is also a UK-India production, where the sound includes celebrated musicians from the UK and India. ‘Sama’ takes the listener on a soulful journey of transformation, transcending religious labels. The album explores gratitude, compassion, and the liberating power of forgiveness, important reflections in today’s troubled world.

Bhavik has just returned from a sell-out tour of South Africa and to celebrate ‘Sama’, he will be doing a three-city UK tour this summer, that includes London, Birmingham, and Manchester. Bhavik has evolved the sacred vibration of bhajans to engage new audiences. His concerts are hugely popular drawing ethnically diverse people of all ages, from as young as 10 to 70 plus.

‘Sama’ is part of Bhavik’s mission to #KeepBhajansAlive which he successfully started in 2020 and to help further this work the album has a QR code which gives an English translation of the lyrics from Hindi.

‘Sama’ has already earned praise, and Mark Hoda, Chairman of the Gandhi Foundation says, In today’s conflict-torn world, we need more harmony. We are delighted to support Bhavik Haria’s new album, ‘Sama’, which perfectly aligns with our values to promote unity, peace, and balance. We are behind Sama’s journey for goodwill and compassion.”

Bhavik Haria says, “Sama is a special album, that reflects a universal journey we all share – a search for connection, unity, and balance in a world that often feels chaotic. It goes beyond religious boundaries, to resonate universally with everyone, exploring themes of gratitude, compassion, and the power of forgiveness. It has also been a personal quest to instil the timeless tradition of Bhajans with a new perspective that resonates with today’s generation and is part of my mission to #KeepBhajansAlive. Sama is music that explores unique compositions.”

 

For more information about the event on 5 June or ‘Sama’ drop me a line at sangeeta@serendipitypr.co.uk