Bhāvaye Paramātmānam

“We do not say there are many gods. We do not say there is one God. We say there is ONLY God.” These profound words of Swami Dayananda Saraswati have been the inspiration for this uniquely presented concert. Bhāvaye Paramātmānam is our 2020 donor appreciation event and is dedicated to Swami Dayananda Saraswati, AIM for Seva’s founder, on his 90th jayanti this year. He firmly believed in the validity of all cultures, and exhorted everyone to preserve and celebrate the diverse forms.

Bhāvaye Paramātmānam is a confluence of music, dance and languages. Seven top-performing artists from the field of classical music and dance have come together to celebrate the great master and his vision.

Shankar Mahadevan is a singer and composer and the main vocalist for the Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy trio. Having learned Hindustani classical and Carnatic music as a child, he began playing the veena at the age of 5. Mahadevan has achieved much success in Bollywood, having composed the tunes of big films like “Dil Chahta Hai,” “My Name is Khan,” “Lakshya,” and “Raazi.” He won a National Film Award for his song in “Kandukondain Kandukondain,” and was felicitated with the Padma Shri Award, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, for his contribution to film music.

Alarmél Valli is a Bharatanatyam dancer of international renown, whose signature dance style has been described as “classical and yet contemporary, precise and poetic.” Her work has won wide critical acclaim in India and abroad. Valli has performed at prestigious venues including the Bolshoi Theatre, the Theatre de la Ville, Royal Albert Hall, and The Kennedy Center. Her extensive research into Sangam poetry and her interpretation of these unique poems through dance for over three decades is recognized as a significant contribution to the Bharatanatyam repertoire.

Pantula Rama is a leading exponent of Carnatic music. She has received international acclaim as “the golden voice” that traverses more than three octaves with a mesmerizing effect in the lower octave. Dr. Rama is a celebrated scholar, having earned her Ph.D. in music from Andhra University, and is hailed as the “Nightingale of Andhra Pradesh” and “melody queen.” Her unique style, distinctive for brilliant artistry, clarity of diction, an ever-fresh approach, and a perfect balance of the different elements of Carnatic music, enthralls audiences around the world.

Bombay Jayashri Ramnath is a Carnatic vocalist, music composer, writer, philanthropist and 2013 Oscar Awards nominee. Trained in both the Carnatic and Hindustani styles, her technique pushes new directions in creativity, embellished by the gift of her melodic voice, creating a spiritual, mystical and a uniquely sublime experience for the listener. She has performed extensively in India and abroad and has had the rare privilege of being the first Carnatic classical performer at the Opera House in Durban and The Russian Opera House in Helsinki.

Debashree Bhattacharya is a kathak practitioner, teacher and choreographer. Her inquisitive and imaginative mind resonates through her creative endeavors. She regularly performs in prestigious venues and festivals in India and abroad. Bhattacharya holds a Sangeet Prabhakar in kathak from Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad. She is the co-founder of Ranan Performance Collective and the secretary of Samskritiki Shreyaskar, Smt. Rani Karnaa’s academy.

Jayateerth Mevundi hails from the land of great singers and maestros of Hindustani classical music, and is considered to be one of Kirana Gharana’s leading vocalists. Mevundi’s initial training began at home, informally singing bhajans and other devotional music. At age 14, he ventured out to find a guru, receiving instruction from Pandit Arjunsa Nakod, and later training with Shripati Padigar, a disciple of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Mevundi continues to take an eclectic, spiritual approach to classical music.

Sharmila Biswas is one of the leading dancers and choreographers in the field of Indian classical dance, and has made a considerable contribution to the development and promotion of Odissi dance and music over the past two decades. One of the prominent students of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Biswas has performed as the lead dancer in a number of his dance productions, and toured in India and abroad. Biswas is the artistic director of Odissi Vision and Movement Centre, one of the prime cultural institutions of India. She is the recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her contribution to Odishi dance, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists.

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