Oliver Rajamani Comes to Paramount Theatre in November

Award-winning musician Oliver Rajamani will celebrate the release of his latest album with a concert at Austin’s Paramount Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Tickets, which start at $25, are available here.  

Weaving together pulsating Romani (Gypsy) melodies and rhythms, sensual Western orchestral string arrangements and hints of old-style Texas country with haunting Armenian duduk, American jazz and strong whiffs of exotic India, Rajamani creates an intoxicating cultural union with his music. The ballads are sung in English sprinkled with Romani and the languages of India. The Austin musician hopes his original music adds color, spice and passion to the Texas musical landscape. “My music is for people from all walks of life,” he said. “It brings together the musical threads of Gypsy/folk India, European Romani and Texas Americana while bringing recognition to the historical Indian origins of the Romani people.” 

Rajamani, whose music was influenced by a childhood listening to Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Nate King Cole and Elvis Presley, uses his music to showcase Romani culture and music. “The music of the Romani diaspora has so many styles,” he said. “Including Flamenco and Gypsy jazz as well as Gypsy/folk influences from India.” 

The concert will be Rajamani’s first public Austin concert since 2020 and will coincide with the release of his 10th album, VASI.  “This album carries a vivacious and persevering radiance that transforms the darkest of memories into light similar to traditional Romani music,” he said. Featured on the CD are: Texas artists including Suzanna Choffel, two-time Grammy winning jazz vocalist Diane Schuur as well as Roby Lakatos, the king of Hungarian Gypsy violin; Jivan Gasparayan, who plays Armenian duduk; and Gypsy jazz guitarist Amati Schmitt. 

An 18-piece orchestra will accompany Rajamani at The Paramount concert, which will also include performances by Lakatos, and Gasparyan as well as local vocalist Suzanna Choffel and musicians on sitar, dhol and Romani guitar. Austin Symphony Orchestra Music Director Peter Bay will conduct the orchestra.