Acclaimed Bengali music-practitioner-songwriter-musicologist Sahana Bajpaie joins forces with a distinguished ensemble of London-based jazz musicians—featuring clarinet (Idris Rahman), Afro-jazz percussion (Mawulikplimi Dossavi) and guest pianist —rooted in tradition, shaped by improvisation and open to everyone.
Drawing on the rich repertoire of Bengali song, the concert reimagines familiar melodies through fresh instrumental textures and spontaneous musical dialogue. Rather than blending genres, the performance creates a meeting place where the lyricism and emotional depth of Bengali music encounter the expressive language of contemporary jazz.
Sahana Bajpaie
Sahana Bajpaie was brought up and musically trained in Rabindrasangeet and Bengali folk songs in Santiniketan, India. She holds a PhD in Music from King’s College London, where she completed the first doctoral thesis on Rabindrasangeet in UK and European academia and is a Leverhulme Post Doctoral Fellow at the School of Music, University of Leeds. In recognition of her contribution to arts and culture, she was honoured at the UK Parliament with “The Bengal’s Pride Award”. Based in London, Sahana travels the world performing and collaborating with musicians across genres and geographies. She has released five critically acclaimed studio albums, and is also known for her extremely popular Bengali playback work, which has earned her a wide and devoted following. Her performances span prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Cambridge University, SOAS, LSE, and cities across the USA, Germany, Poland, Italy, The Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland. Sahana also teaches South Asian Studies and Bengali at SOAS, University of London, her alma mater.
Idris Rahman
Idris Rahman is a London-based saxophonist, clarinettist, singer, bass-player, composer and producer. He has co-led the band Soothsayers for nearly two decades and has co-written and co-produced their seven critically acclaimed albums, the most recent released on label Wah Wah 45s.
Mawulikplimi Dossavi (aka Noel)
Professional percussionist based in South Croydon, master of all types of African and Latin percussions. An experienced drum teacher, specialised in the teaching of African drums.
