Subhash Dhunoohchand, the Maestro of Indian Jazz Fusion on tabla (Reunion)

Subhash Dhunoohchand in Mauritius. From a young age, he showed an early interest in music, inspired by the haunting melodies that floated through the streets of this mosaic island. His parents, recognizing his musical gift, encouraged him to follow his musical path.

Subhash studied Indian classical music and at the same time was exposed to fusion music from his adolescence. His virtuosity on tabla, a North Indian percussion instrument, attracted the attention of his teachers and peers. His desire to fuse the elements of Western jazz with the richness of traditional Indian music was the starting point of his career.

In the early 1990s, Subhash Dhunoohchand founded the band Cosmic Sound with other talented, like-minded musicians in Sweden. The group quickly became pioneers of Indian jazz fusion, exploring rhythms and harmonies to create a unique musical experience. Cosmic Sound has quickly become a respected name in the Indian and international music scene.

Subhash has brought many musical innovations within Cosmic Sound. He experimented with various instruments, from synthesizers to percussion, creating a sound that pushed the boundaries of jazz fusion. The group's original compositions incorporated elements of Indian ragas and complex jazz rhythms, creating a mystical harmony.

Cosmic Sound has conquered stages around the world with incredible performances. The group has played at renowned festivals in India, Mauritius, Reunion Island, England and Europe. Subhash's virtuoso solos on the tabla and his charisma on stage have won the hearts of music fans around the world.

Today, Cosmic Sound celebrates 30 years of existence, marking three decades of innovative music and captivating performances. The band has recorded several critically acclaimed albums and performed at world-renowned festivals. Subhash Dhunoohchand, as a leader, continued to push the boundaries of musical fusion, creating a unique musical legacy.

Despite his many musical achievements, Subhash Dhunoohchand remained humble and dedicated to his art. He has always devoted time to teaching tabla, currently at the Regional Conservatory, passing on his knowledge to the new generation of musicians. His influence extends far beyond the boundaries of music, as he has also been an advocate for non-violence, cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through music.

 

Anatholi Bulkin – guitar (Sweden)

Anatholi Bulkin performs and composes combining elements of Latin, jazz and blues in her music. At 40 years old, the versatile guitarist, composer, innovator and producer is a true magician with his guitar. Anatholi studied jazz at the Conservatory of Classical Music in Malmö, Sweden and was recognized as a master of arts in music. Anatholi Bulkin composed around 400 works. His compositions involve techniques and experiments with traditional rhythms (from Africa, Cuba, Brazil etc...). He loves to explore and develop rhythmic language and incorporate it into original, new and modern ideas in terms of melody and harmony. Anatholi studied percussion (congas, batá etc...) and traditional and modern rhythms. He lived with different tribes in Africa and recorded them.

His dazzling virtuosity and musical instinct have brought him the greatest successes. His meeting with Reunionese and Indian musicians enriched his already well-stocked sound horizons. He has recorded and played with musicians from the United States, Bangladesh, Africa, Denmark, Réunion, Sweden, Finland, India, Cuba, Brazil, etc...

 

Dominique Skorny – piano

Dominique Skorny begins music and piano through improvisation. A solid classical training at the CNSM in Lyon then at the Mozarteum in Salzburg led him to jazz and electronic instruments. His concerts around the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania) introduce him to new cultural landscapes each time. He has performed in concerts, festivals, television broadcasts, in various classical and contemporary formations and notably as a soloist with orchestra in concertos by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Saint-Saëns, Poulenc, Tan Dun ...

He is also a musician without borders and unclassifiable who likes to link the traditional with the contemporary, old instruments with new technologies, so-called scholarly music with the most spontaneous expression. After composing cycles linking music, theater, dance, synchronized swimming or having ventured on the paths of mixed music in real time and sound with image, Dominique Skorny settled in Reunion in 2019. There first taught piano at the Petit Conservatoire de l'Est then at the CRR de La Réunion where he currently coordinates the polyphonic instruments department while leading an improvisation-creation workshop around keyboards.

But the story linking Dominica to the intense island is a long weave over more than twenty years. His compositions “Ré-union” for mezzo-soprano, brass ensemble and organ based on the poem “Le Palmier” by Leconte de Lisle and “Canopée” for symphony orchestra were premiered at St-Denis Cathedral. D. Skorny has performed numerous times on the volcano, notably during concerts with the trumpeter Pierre Dutot, as a soloist with the Polygone de Bordeaux ensemble or in the company of the Villancico Choir directed by Jacques Detan (on the piano, on harpsichord, basso continuo or organ). More recently, the Reunion public was able to hear Dominique playing chamber music, with 2 pianos and 4 hands, in a quintet with wind instruments, with the Regional Orchestra of Reunion or in Bach's concerto for 4 pianos. Learning kozé péï, Dominique Skorny also enriched himself thanks to Creole and Indian music, with the tabla player Subhash.

 

Sangeet Mishra – sarangi (India)

Sangeet Mishra is the symbol of sarangi today in India. He comes from a line of remarkable musicians, from the Benares Gharana (school). Since childhood he has been gifted in singing and acquired high level skill in Hindustani singing under the guidance of Pandit Narayan Das Mishra. Subsequently, he received training and guidance from his grandfather Pandit Bhagwan Das Mishra - the world renowned Sarangi maestro and his father Pandit Santosh Kumar Mishra.

Sangeet has added new innovation and style to his Sarangi by blending a contemporary approach to this traditional instrument without abandoning its purity. He is a versatile performer collaborating with musicians of different genres and styles around the world and creating new musical language. His performances are a reflection of his achievements in the field of Indian Classical Music. An exceptional musician, he has already collaborated with the greatest Indian and jazz musicians. In a very short span of his life Sangeet made an effort to revive the ancient style of this soul touching instrument, the Sarangi. He acquired the 'tantakri' and 'gayaki' style of playing Sarangi from his father and practiced it since his childhood. Sangeet Mishra excels in musical improvisation both through the sustained melodic and rhythmic aspects, according to the precise themes defined by the type of raga mode chosen; and in his moving playing, vibrating the “hundred colors” of this sublime and demanding instrument that is the sarangi.