Tarana is led by percussionist/composer Ravish Momin who currently resides in New York City. He was born in India, and spent his childhood in Mumbai (Bombay), & Bahrain (Middle-East.)
Since he had also absorbed diverse influences growing up, he was not prepared to discard them, for one specific musical idiom. He had felt rootless, without a unique musical identity. As an Asian American percussionist living in the United States, he had long wanted to create music that both, utilized his Indian musical traditions reverentially, and was also reflective of his diverse influences, thus rightfully depicting his hybrid musical identity.
Therefore, the creation of Trio Tarana, in 2003, was a natural culmination of all of those diverse influences. "Tarana" itself refers to a song-style in North Indian Classical Music, where nonsense syllables or mnemonic drum sounds are used to spontaneously create a fluid chant or composition. In keeping with their namesake, the trio primarily utilizes Indian and East-Asian rhythms as the foundation for a new creative musical experience; they also employ compositions that seamlessly blend written material with spontaneous group interaction. The ensemble's mission is to continue to mature as a unit, and to share their unique Asian-American musical concept and identity with different audiences, worldwide.
Of their debut CD, AllAboutJazz.com had said: “It is fair to say that Tarana is without precedent in the world of improvised music. A true synthesis of North African, South and East Asian motifs with classical organization and the immediacy of free improvisation has probably not existed prior to “Climbing the Banyan Tree.”
About Ravish Momin:
Percussionist Ravish Momin obtained a B.Sc. in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1994. He has studied drumset with Andrew Cyrille, and Bob Moses, and has also studied North Indian percussion with Misha Masud, a disciple of Pt. Taranth Rao, and Jim DiSpirito, a student of Ustad Zakir Hussain. He has worked with a wide-range of musicians, including violinists Billy Bang and Jason Kao Hwang, percussionist Susie Ibarra, bassists Wilber Morris, Hilliard Greene, William Parker, Adam Lane & Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, guitarist Brad Shepik, trumpeters Roy Campbell and Raphe Malik, saxophonists Peter Epstein, Sabir Mateen, Andrew Lamb and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre (AACM), thereminist Pamelia Kurstin, vocalists Rinde Eckert, Gabriele Hasler, Kyoko Kitamura and Fay Victor, pianist Ursel Schlicht's Ex Tempore Project (featuring Balla Kouyata, Jamie Baum, Thomson Kneeland), up-and-coming hip-hoppers IsWhat!? (featuring MC Napolean) and Singer/songwriter Andy Goldman's Fulton Lights .
The Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation (sponsored by the National Endowment of the Arts) recently awarded him a travel grant to perform at the Mediawave Festival Arts (Gyor, Hungary). This year alone, he has already toured Italy, Slovakia, Portugal, Hungary and Poland, and has also performed at the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival (Israel). Arts International had awarded him a grant to perform at two festivals in India in 2002. In addition, in other ensembles, he has performed at festivals in the US, Canada, Finland, France, Portugal, Poland and Taiwan.
Their latest CD, Miren recorded for the prestigious Portuguese label CleanFeed will be released in July 2007. He has also recorded for the Delmark, Bleu Regard, Nu Bop, NotTwo, and C.I.M.P record labels.
Selected Highlights:
Plazuela Miguel Auza @ Cultural Festival Zacatecas, Mexico, Apr. 11, 2009;
First Feature-interview for AllAboutJazz.com, March 3, 2009;
Qingdao Concert Hall, Qingdao, China, Nov. 27, 2008;
Arab American Museum (Global Thursdays), Dearborn, MI, October 30, 2008;
Ironworks (presented by Coastal Jazz & Blues Society), Vancouver, Canada, October 11, 2008;
Jazz Ao Centro Festival, Coimbra, Portugal, June 13, 2008;
Tour of UK, April 9-16, 2008;
Yardbird Suite, Edmonton, AB, Canada, Dec.7, 2007;
Top 10 World/Jazz Artist on JazzWorldQuest;
Queens Museum of Art, Corona Park, NY, June 10, 2007;
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI, Mar.16, 2007;
Mediawave Festival Gyor, Hungary, May 5, 2006;
US Artists International Grant (Sponsored by the National Endowment of the Arts), 5/2006;
European Tour of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy & Portugal (Apr. 28-May 6, 2006);
Magazine Feature: "Indians in NY" by Antonio Branco, in Jazz.pt Nov. 2005;
New Music Circle: Christman Studios St. Louis, MO, 9/2005;
Radio Interview for WNUR (89.3 FM, Chicago, IL) 9/2005
Smithsonian Museum's Freer Gallery: Meyer Auditorium Washington, DC, 7/2005;
Jazzin' Tondela Portugal, 6/2005;
Radio Interview for KZSU (90.1 FM, Stanford, CA); 5/2005;
Rubin Museum of Art Concert Series NYC, 4/8, 11/18, 2005;
6th Taipei Arts Festival Taiwan, 10/29, 10/30, 2004;
9th Annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival, 10/2004
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