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Kiran
Morarji | He was born
in London, England, on 15 March 1989 to Jayanti and Kusum Morarji.
At a very young age, they noticed potential in the young Kiran
and at the age of two, they bought him his first set of tabla.
Since then, he has been inseparable from the ancient drum.
At the age of four, the family
moved to Toronto from the United Kingdom where Kiran started
his official tabla training under Sri Sanjay Divekar, founder
of Crystal Percussion Academy of Indian Classical Music from
which he graduated with a Visharad Degree in Tabla.
Apart from tabla, Kiran has
a very strong educational background. Currently Kiran is a student
of York University studying finance and would like to pursue
his master's degree. Looking to the future, his plans are to
complete his PhD in Indian Classical Music.
Kiran is presently a disciple
of the great tabla legend Ustad Zakir Hussain from whom he receives
extensive and personal training in the Punjab Gharana (school)
of tabla playing. Kiran is also adept at playing all others Gharana's
of tabla i.e. Delhi, Lucknow, Farukabad, Ajrada and Benares.
Tabla playing originated in
Delhi, India. From Delhi, different masters moved to different
parts of India and specialized the art accordingly. From India,
it was these great masters that risked it all and came to the
West. Tabla would not be what it is today without two of the
greatest musicians bringing it to this part of the world, namely
Pandit Ravi Shankar and the great maestro of tabla, the late
Ustad Allah Rakha, father to Kiran's Guru Ustad Zakir Hussain.
In addition, Kiran's personal
heritage and spirituality play a huge part in his music. Kiran
believes in spiritual transformation through music and chooses
to practice and perform his music to make himself happy and try
to share the same love and joy with the listener. He loves to
play the tabla "because of the spiritual connection you
feel with God."
Kiran has many great accomplishments
to date. At the age of 12, he performed at the Living Arts Center
in the prestigious Hammerson Hall in Toronto to a sold out crowd
of 1,315. In 2008, Kiran performed in the presence of Prime Minister
of Canada, Stephen Harper and former Prime Minister of India,
Abdul Kalam. Kiran has had the honour to perform alongside his
Guru in California 2007 and 2008.
From the age of 15, Kiran was
already touring the United States and Canada. He has performed
and toured with great mainstream artists such as Ustad Irshad
Khan, son of Imrat Khan and nephew of one of the greatest masters
of Sitar, Ustad Vilayat Khan. In 2007, Kiran performed for Ragamala-Toronto
with Neeraj Prem, student of Shujaat Khan. Kiran has also done
a series of tours with Neeraj for Yoga centers in Detroit, New
Jersey, Michigan, Chicago and Toronto. Kiran has also collaborated
with dancer Lata Pada and helped compose the music for a high
school musical. Kiran also had the great opportunity to accompany
Srmti Kankana Banerjee (disciple of Ustad Amir Khan of Indore
Gharana), one of India's leading vocalists. ATN, The Toronto
Star, and the Mississauga News have recently interviewed Kiran.
Being a young Indian musician
in Canada, Kiran faces many challenges. In Canada, it is difficult
to earn the respect of Indians. It is hard not to sacrifice the
music to accommodate and Kiran does not. He presents pure Indian
Classical tabla. There is a difference between entertainment
and expression and Kiran has taken the challenge to present the
purest form of tabla through expression of self.
Kiran, through his inspiration
from his parents, family and Guru, continues to practice and
perform, experimenting with different world music and fusion.
He can be reached through email at kiranmorarji@hotmail.com
for further queries.
Audio by Kiran Morarji
Teental
Tabla solo by Kiran Morarji 3:32 min (M4A file - Quicktime required -
3.3 MB)
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