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February 2, 2005

“Garden State World Beat” Series Kicks Off Mar. 18 with Sangeet

The Barron Arts Center will inaugurate its international Garden State World Beat concert series Mar. 18 with a local quartet performing traditional music of India, Mayor Frank G. Pelzman has announced.

Sangeet will perform at 8 p.m., Mar. 18, at the Barron Arts Center, 582 Rahway Avenue in Woodbridge. The concert is free but reservations are required. Call 732-634-0413 for reservations.

Sangeet features the vocal and instrumental talents of Mr. Jayesh and Dr. Preeti Saraiya, a husband-wife duo from Edison, and accompanists Harish Taylor and Gopal Pandya. Sangeet performs a diverse repertoire ranging from Hindustani classical and popular film songs to devotional music and a wide array of Indian folk styles including gazals, bhajans and raas-garba. In addition to vocals, the ensemble’s instrumentation includes tampura, tabla, dholak, dhol, bul bul tarang, mandolin and harmonium.

Garden State World Beatpresents four concerts of Middlesex County performers representing international music traditions. Funding was awarded by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission through a grant provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts

The Saraiyas hail from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, a state in western India that has produced hundreds of stellar musicians over the centuries. Dr. Preeti Saraiya studied under Shri Ravjibhai Patel, a renowned teacher of Hindustani classical vocal music. Winner of numerous performance awards, she placed first in the prestigious Pandit Omkarnath Thakur vocal competition and first place three consecutive years in the Gujarat State Yuva Mahotsav competition. She is also a composer and performer on sitar and harmonium and has recorded extensively in India and the U.S.

Mr. Jayesh Saraiya is a tabla virtuoso, receiving his training from Shri Kanubhai Mody. Mr. Saraiya has appeared on numerous Indian music recordings, including the esteemed All-India Radio mandolinist and Surmani Award winner Sri Emu Desai.

The Saraiyas own the Sangeet Music Outlet on Oak Tree Road in Iselin, a retail spot for Indian CDs, videos and musical instruments. They also operate a thriving music academy teaching Indian classical music.

“New Jersey has long been a melting pot for music traditions from around the globe,” says Mayor Pelzman. “Today’s Garden State musicians are producing an exciting mix of traditional and contemporary genres from many cultures.”

Barron Arts Center Executive Director Cynthia Knight says the series is intended to acquaint Woodbridge audiences with some of the musical gems in their own backyard. “People will be astonished by the outstanding musical talent in this county,” she says. “We hope Garden State World Beat will be the start of several showcase events highlighting emerging local artists.”

The event is sponsored by the Woodbridge Township Cultural Arts Commission chaired by Dr. Dolores Capraro Gioffre with support from the Woodbridge Township Arts Council and Mayor Frank G. Pelzman.