SAMYŌGA to Bring Indian Classical Music to Sierra Madre Playhouse

The mesmerizing sounds of Indian Veena (plucked string instrument), bansuri (bamboo flute), and percussive tabla blend seamlessly in a program of classical Indian ragas when Sierra Madre Playhouse continues its Hindustani Music Series with “Samyōga - A Confluence of String, Wind & Rhythm” on Saturday, September 5, 2026, 4:00 PM, at the historic 99-seat venue.

Samyōga - from the Sanskrit samyoga (संयोग), meaning "coming together"- features an afternoon of Hindustani classical music, the living classical tradition of North India. At its heart lies the rāga: a melodic personality; a constellation of notes shaped by characteristic movements, emphasized tones, ornamentation, and melodic grammar, all of which evoke a distinct emotional atmosphere, or rasa.

The program traces a journey from solitude to confluence. It begins with two solo explorations. Anand Vemuri plays the bansuri (bamboo flute) while Suman Laha performs on the ancient and revered string instrument known as veena. Each artist illuminates a rāga through the unique voice of the instrument, one carried on breath and the other ringing through strings. Though their instruments arise from different musical traditions, both share a deep commitment to the contemplative spirit and expressive subtlety of Hindustani music.

In the final set, these two melodic voices converge in jugalbandi, the celebrated duet tradition in which musicians engage in spontaneous musical dialogue, echoing, answering, challenging, and inspiring one another in real time. Throughout, Jyoti Prakas on tabla provides the rhythmic framework through the intricate cycles of tāla, completing the confluence of string, wind, and rhythm.

The concert is part of the Sierra Madre Playhouse Hindustani Music Series, which highlights Los Angeles-based artists devoted to the living tradition of Indian classical music.