June 17 and 24, 2006 at 9 PM

MELA Foundation Dream House

275 Church Street, New York

Two Concerts of Evening Ragas in the contemporary Kirana Style of North Indian Classical Music will be performed by La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela with The Just Alap Raga Ensemble in a memorial tribute to Pandit Pran Nath on the 10th anniversary of his passing, Saturdays, June 17 and 24, at 9 pm in the MELA Foundation Dream House light environment, 275 Church Street, 3rd Floor. 

Pandit Pran Nath, who passed away on June 13, 1996, virtually introduced the vocal tradition of North Indian classical music to the West in 1970.  His 1971 morning performance at Town Hall, New York City, was the first concert of morning ragas to be presented in the U.S.  Subsequently, he introduced and elaborated to Western audiences the concept of performing ragas at the proper time of day by scheduling entire series of concerts at special hours.  Many students and professional musicians came to him in America to learn about the vast system of raga and to improve their musicianship.  In 1972, Pran Nath established his own school in New York City under the direction of his disciples La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela, the Kirana Center for Indian Classical Music, now a project of MELA Foundation.  Over the years he performed hundreds of concerts in the west, scores of them in New York City, and in Fall 1993, he inaugurated the MELA Foundation Dream House with three Raga Cycle concerts.  He continued to perform here annually during his remaining years and on May 12 and 17, 1996, his two concerts of Afternoon and Evening Ragas in the Dream House were his last public performances.

The Just Alap Raga Ensemble

La Monte Young · voice

Marian Zazeela · voice

Jung Hee Choi · voice

Jon Catler · fretless sustainer guitar

Brad Catler · tabla

The Tamburas of Pandit Pran Nath from the Just Dreams CD