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Schedule

Saturday, March 30, 2024
5 p.m. Performance

Blending the rich traditions of qawwali and jazz, this unique collaboration between Riyaaz Qawwali and the Jalen Baker Ensemble brings together musicians from two distinct types of music based in improvisation. Originating from gospel music, jazz finds common ground with qawwali, a genre historically associated with religious devotion but which has evolved to include secular themes in modern interpretations.

Individually and together, these two groups will perform new pieces blending qawwali and jazz as the artists honor the cultures from which their music traditions arise while seeking to create a new soundscape of the South. This exploration, curated by Sonny Mehta of Riyaaz Qawwali, paves the way for a new soundscape where Black and Brown voices unite in musical magic and celebrate the rich tapestry of diversity within the world of music.

About Riyaaz Qawwali

Riyaaz Qawwali has performed the gripping music style called Qawwali for 16 years. The musicians, settled in Houston, have roots from India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh and represent multiple religious backgrounds. Trained in eastern and western classical music, they have released two albums and over 30 singles on social media. Sonny K. Mehta, their founder, leads the ensemble as its Artistic Director.

With heightened attention to quality, their work respectfully moves forward the 700-year-old genre of qawwali. Since their first release, they have experimented with singing new poets in the genre. Riyaaz Qawwali’s mission is to expose qawwali to new audiences by expanding the reach of the genre to new platforms and people of all faiths. To achieve this, they deliberately perform at universities (Princeton, Dartmouth, Harvard), museums (the J. Paul Getty Museum), and festivals to broader audiences. The founding members of Riyaaz Qawwali chose the qawwali genre of music because it houses unique musical elements in its repertoire that are not found in any other form of South Asian music. They have been featured in major outlets including NPR and the Huffington Post.

About Jalen Baker

Jalen Baker, born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Houston, Texas, is a vibraphonist, percussionist, educator, and composer whose early training involved both classical and jazz genres. He decided early on to focus on jazz, and in May 2017, received his BA in Jazz Studies from Columbia College Chicago. While matriculating at Columbia College, Jalen studied with percussionist Jarrett Hicks. Jalen was accepted as a Graduate Assistant in the Jazz Performance program at Florida State University, and in May 2019, received his MM in Jazz Studies. Since graduating from Florida State in 2019, Jalen has continued to distinguish himself as a performer and was chosen as a Ravinia Jazz Fellow in 2018, where he studied with Rufus Reid, Billy Childs, and Tim Haggins. He has been an active performer with The Ulysses Owens Jr, Jeremy Pelt, Michael Mwenso and The Shakes, Leon Anderson, Amina Scott quartets, as well as leading his own band in venues, in and around Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Chicago. As a band leader, Jalen has also been awarded the prestigious South Arts Jazz Roads Touring Grant. He has been the featured artist with various organizations, such as the Savannah Jazz Orchestra, Houston’s DACAMERA, Miami’s WDNA Jazz Hour, Modern Marimba, and Live Music Movement Houston.

Since 2021 Jalen has released 2 albums — This is Me, This is Us on the Outside In Music record label in June 2021, and Be Still on Cellar Live music label in July 2023 — both of which have garnered recognition by various jazz blogs and magazines such as Textura, Making a Scene, Jazziz, and Downbeat.

Performing Arts and Culture programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Syamal and Susmita Poddar. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, The Brown Foundation, Inc., the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, The Clayton Fund, Houston Endowment Inc. Generous funding also provided by The Anchorage Foundation of Texas, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts. Additional support is by the Friends of Asia Society, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing exceptional programming to Asia Society Texas.

Performing Arts and Culture Presenting Sponsors

Syamal and Susmita Poddar

Performing Arts and Culture Program Sponsors

Piano Sponsored by Kawai Piano Gallery

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.

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