Sanju Sahai and Jason Kalidas

Sanju Sahai, also known as Vishnu, is currently one of the finest and most sought after tabla players. He is the direct descendant of Pandit Ram Sahai, the founder of the Benares Gharana. He is the sixth generation of tabla player in the family. Sanju was trained by his guru Pandit Sharda Sahai, a renowned tabla player. He has established himself as an internationally recognized tabla player.

Sanju began playing tabla at the age of four, demonstrating his prodigious skilled aged nine in his first public performance.

He has accompanied many of India's legendary musicians, such as Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Aashish Khan (sarod), Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra (vocal), Pandit Birju Maharaj and Gopi Krishna (Kathak), Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (guitar), Bhajan Sapori (santoor), Umyalpuram Shivraman (mridangam), Ustad Sultal Khan (Sarangi), and Shrinivas (mandolin), to name but a few. Sanju is also known as a soloist; however, he is not merely a percussionist but an imaginative and sensitive musician.He has performed throughout India, UK, Europe, Middle East, Indonesia, and USA. is recent concert venues include London's Royal Albert Hall where he participated at the 100th anniversary of the proms. He has worked with jazz, Egyptian, Spanish, hip hop, folk and blues music as well as composing ensemble pieces. Sanju has played for BBC TV, Channel East, Asian Net TV, BBC World Service, All India Radio and been published with ARC Music and NA Classical India. Glastonbury Festival, Royal Festival Hall, House of Commons, Salt Lake City for the opening of the Olympics, and worked with Michael Nyman, one of the most celebrated British composers.Sanju is based in London and promotes concerts and musical education through workshops or individual learning. Sanju teaches tabla at London University and schools/colleges throughout the United Kingdom.

BIOG  Bansuri player Jason Kalidas began as a multi percussionist at age 14 and was already living in India for long periods by age 19. He studied Hindustani classical music under his gurus for the last 26 years. 

He began on Tabla, studying with Ishwal Lal Mishra in Varanasi then going on to intense study in Raag and Bansuri learning with Mehta family of Shenai and Bansuri players and Manoj Dubey. He also studied with Rajendra Prasanna at Panditj home in Delhi.

Jasons feels passionate about the spiritual root of Indian classical music and its healing power to awaken the emotions with Raasa (essence of emotional) . His Bansuri playing is known for its depth of feeling and rythmic clarity after his many years learning Tabla.  He has performed Indian classical and fusion music all over the west and India in many world class venues and festivals including, Darbar festival, The Place London, Sadlers wells London, The UN headquarters NYC, Macba and Barcelona.

Presented by The Mehfil Space: an evening of south Asian classical music