Society of Poetry and Indian Music

News & Events (Upcoming & Current)

Saudha - Sonata of Soul | Tagore and Twilight | Symphony Hall, Birmingham

From May 27, 2023 to May 27, 2023 in Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

Saturday 27 May 2023 at 1pm

Symhony Hall, Broad Street, B1 2EA, Birmingham

 

A haunting production produced by Saudha Society of Poetry and Indian Music to portray Tagore's philosophical take on Twilight through spoken-word performances, dance for visual interpretation of poetry and Tagore's music composition (Rabindrasangeet) as part of Sampad Arts' Mid-Day Mantra (Tagore Special).


 
 
 

Directed by Ahmed Kaysher, this brief but extraordinary presentation features relevant Rabindrasangeet by a talented interpreter of Bhisnupur Gharana of Indian classical Music Sanjukta Mitra, acclaimed Spoken-word artists Jon Erik Schelander, Poppy Shahnaz and award-winning Indian classical dancer Monidipa Seal.

Ticket link:

B:Music | B:Music (bmusic.co.uk)

 

 

Book Launch | A Census of Preconceptions by award-winning poet Oz Hardwick

From May 31, 2023 to May 31, 2023 in Chapel Allerton Library, Leeds.

Wednesday 31 May 2023 at 4.30pm

Chapel Allerton Library, 106 Harrogate Road, Leeds, LS7 4LZ

The book launch offers insightful talks on reading/re-reading/interpreting/re-interpreting 'a dangerously witty, uncanny masterpiece' and the book dubbed as 'a triumph of language and imagination' by an award-winning poet Oz Hardwick, where 'Hardwick explores the language's possibilities in lyric gestures that repeatedly break-free from lyric norms'. Prominent academics that include Dr Anne Caldwell and Dr Edwin Stockdale and poet Ian Duhig will talk on the book while the poet himself and performance poets Shree Ganguly, Jon Erik Schelander and a few more will read Hardwick's poems from the book.


Oz Hardwick (www.ozhardwick.co.uk) is a European poet, photographer, occasional musician, and accidental academic, who has been described as a “major proponent of the neo-surreal prose poem in Britain.” He has published “about a dozen” full collections and chapbooks, including Learning to Have Lost (Canberra: IPSI, 2018) which won the 2019 Rubery International Book Award for poetry, and most recently A Census of Preconceptions (SurVision Books, 2022). He has also edited or co-edited several anthologies, including The Valley Press Anthology of Prose Poetry (Scarborough: Valley Press, 2019) with Anne Caldwell. Oz has held residencies in the UK, Europe, the US and Australia, and has performed internationally at major festivals and intimate soirees. In 2022, he was awarded the ARC Poetry Prize for “a lifetime devotion and service to the cause of prose poetry,” though he is quick to point out that he’s not dead yet. Oz is Professor of Creative Writing at Leeds Trinity University.

Free registration: 

Book Launch | A Census of Preconceptions by award-winning poet Oz Hardwick Tickets, Wed 31 May 2023 at 16:30 | Eventbrite

 

Saudha International Literature Festival

From Jun 4, 2023 to Sep 30, 2023 in London and other cities.

The festival preaches the art and beauty of imagination, languages from different cultural heritages through talks, reading, performances.

Curated by poet Ahmed Kaysher, Saudha is bringing new literature from different languages and different cultural heritages through this unique festival happening all around the UK.

Rich Mix, London

35-47 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E1 6LA

Sunday 4 June at 4pm

 

This session at Rich Mix features spoken-word performances, strong literature-based music performances from medieval and pre-medieval age, Book Launches, reading by contemporary poets and its visual interpretation through different form of dances.

 

Registration link:

Saudha International Literature Festival | Rich Mix London Tickets, Sun 4 Jun 2023 at 16:00 | Eventbrite

 

 

Canary Wharf Rooftop Garden

Crossrail Place,London,E14 5AB

Saturday, 17 June at 5pm

 

The session features spoken-word performances, reading by contemporary poets and its visual interpretation through different form of dances.

 

Registration link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/saudha-international-literature-festival-canary-wharf-rooftop-garden-tickets-626908519257?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR0tzwGrvl4RBLuCP3qtYmcAb6EBjrXXW9BsTlCRlYjfmxELY_r0JVActwg

 

 

 

Leeds Trinity University

Brownberrie Lane,Horsforth,LS18 5HD

Thursday 22 June at 6pm

 

This session in collaboration with Leeds Trinity University and Leeds 2023 is featuring a talks on New literature New Movement by a few poets and academics, spoken-word performances, poetry-theatre and performance of medieval music based on amazingly powerful lyrics.

 

Registration link:

Saudha International Literature Festival | Leeds Trinity University Tickets, Thu 22 Jun 2023 at 18:00 | Eventbrite

 

 

Poplar Union, London

2 Cotall Street,London,E14 6TL

Saturday 24 June at 5pm and Sunday 25 June at 4pm

 

this two-day session at Poplar Union (Saturday 24 June at 5pm and Sunday 25 June at 4pm) features spoken-word performances, reading by experimental poets and writers, presentations of poetry-theatre.

 

Registration link:

 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/saudha-international-literature-festival-poplar-union-tickets-627642344147?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR2LrX3jcXKpvtLfp-w5hsM5lYbQSWVmjxVZ2SXKeqhRV3rf-fvr5wgxqb4

 

Keats House, London

10 Keats Grove,London,NW3 2RR

Saturday 1 July at 5.30pm

 

the session at the Keats House is featuring a talks on New literature New Movement by a few poets and academics, spoken-word performances, poetry-theatre and book-launch.

The session focuses on reading from the literature of medieval, pre-medieval and romantic age.

 

Registration link:

Saudha International Literature Festival | Keats House Tickets, Sat 1 Jul 2023 at 17:30 | Eventbrite

 

Roundhay Park | Poetry in the wood

Roundhay, Leeds LS8 2JL

Sunday 2 July at 5.30pm

 

This session at Roundhay Park features spoken-word performances, strong literature-based music performances from medieval and pre-medieval age, reading by contemporary poets with barbecue in the wood. 

 

Registration link:

Saudha International Literature Festival |Poetry in The Wood |Roundhay Lake Tickets, Sun 2 Jul 2023 at 17:30 | Eventbrite

 

 

The House of Commons

St Margaret St,London,SW1A 0AA,GB

Tuesday 4 July at 5pm

 

Sponsored by Alex Sobel MP, Saudha is bringing new literature from different languages and different cultural heritages through this unique festival happening all around the UK.
The session at the House of Commons is featuring a talk on New literature New Movement by a few poets and academics, spoken-word performances, a book launch of a poetry collection by a talented Bengali poet and academic Shamim Reza.

 

Registration ticket link:

Saudha International Literature Festival | The House of Commons Tickets, Tue 4 Jul 2023 at 17:00 | Eventbrite

 

Nehru Centre, London

8 South Audley Street,London,W1K 1HF,GB

Thursday 13 June 2023 at 6.30pm

 

This session is in collaboration with The Gronthee that features reading by a few leading poets from different languages and a book launch of Independence to Freedom by Viram Jasani, a celebrated musician and an iconic preacher of Indian music in the UK featuring talks by the founder of Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page and a talented academic and historian Prof Nandini Chatterjee.

 

Registration link:

The Gronthee International Literature Summit | Nehru Centre London Tickets, Thu 13 Jul 2023 at 18:30 | Eventbrite

 

 

Oxford Poetry Library

The Community Works, 21 Park End St, Oxford OX1 1HH

 Saturday 9 Septemeber at 5pm

The session in collaboration with Oxford Poetry Library and an oxford-based literary magazine La Ninf Eco, features some haunting spoken-word performances from medieval and pre-medieval manuscripts of different languages (English translation), brief poetry-theatres (theatrical presentation of poetry). reading by contemporary poets from different cultural heritage (with English translation), talks on New Literature / New Movements.

 

Free registration:

Saudha International Literature Festival | Oxford Poetry Library Tickets, Sat 9 Sep 2023 at 15:00 | Eventbrite

 

Saudha Bangla Music Festival

From Jun 16, 2023 to Oct 28, 2023 in London, Leeds, Oxford, Cambridge.

Saudha Bangla Music Festival

Saudha Bangla Music Festival is returning for the 10th year with presentations of wide genres of Bengali music by the best of UK & abroad.

Curated by poet Ahmed Kaysher, the festival brings the evolution of exciting genres of Bengali music that originated from 730AD. Counted as 'the largest and top presentations of Bengali music outside Indian subcontinent, the festival arrays diverse genres of Bengali music from ancient Charajapada, Vaishnav, Ramprasadi, Toppa to Ponchokobi and modern experimental music in different venues around London and other cities e.g. Birmingham, Oxford, Leeds etc.

 

 

The House of Commons

St Margaret St,London,SW1A 0AA,GB

Monday 12 June at 6pm

 

Sponsored by Fabian Hamilton MP, the shadow minister for peace and disarmament, he session at the House of Commons (Committee Room number 9 through Cromwell Green entrance) is featuring a theatrical dance performance The World is One by an acclaimed Indian classical dancer Sohini Roychowdhury Dasgupta (India), Kristina Veselinova,( Bulgaria), Farah Daoud ( Iraq), Rishi Dasgupta (India) on acoustic guitar.

The session also presents talks and reading from the Gronthee anthology, singing from Tagore, his contemporaries and pre-Tagorian composers.

 

Registration: 

Saudha Bangla Music Festival - House of Commons Tickets, Mon 12 Jun 2023 at 18:00 | Eventbrite

 

Seven Arts Centre, Leeds

31A Harrogate Road,Chapel Allerton,LS7 3PD

Friday 16 June 2023 at 6pm

The session at Seven Arts Centre features one of the leading vocalists of Indian classical vocal music of this generation Srimati Koyel Bhattacharjee touring from India, a Leeds based prominent semi-classical singer Sumana Basu with a London based talented singer and musician Amith Dey on Keyboard and an emerging maestro of Indian classical Tabla tradition Kuntal Das from India.

Registration:

Saudha Bangla Music Festival | Seven Arts Centre, Leeds. Tickets, Fri 16 Jun 2023 at 19:00 | Eventbrite

 

Royal Albert Hall

Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP

Date to be confirmed

The session at Royal Albert Hall is bringing  a rich tradition of Bengali medieval music and its seamless fusion with other ancient music of the world. 

 

University of Cambridge | ADC Theatre

ADC Theatre, Park Street, Cambridge, CB5 8AS

Date to be confirmed

The session features a hypnotic presentation of pre-Tagorian tradition of Bengali music by leading interpreters those genres. 

 

Poplar Union, London

2 Cotall Street, London, E14 6TL

Saturday 30 September at 17:30

The session at poplar Union will feature Bengali semi-classical music by a major guests artists joining from India.

 

Registration:

Saudha Bangla Music Festival | Poplar Union Tickets, Sat 30 Sep 2023 at 17:30 | Eventbrite

 

Keats House/Museum London

10 Keats Grove, London, NW3 2RR

Saturday 7 October at 17:30

The session at Keats House is bringing the reflection and poetic affinity of Keats' idea of truth and beauty in haunting presentation of Tagorian and pre-Tagorian Bengali music.

 

Registration:

Saudha Bangla Music Festival | Keats House Tickets, Sat 7 Oct 2023 at 17:30 | Eventbrite

 

University of Oxford | Simpkin Lee Theatre

Norham Gardens, Oxford, OX2 6QA

Saturday 28 October at 5pm

The session at Simpkin Lee Theatre (Lady Margaret Hall) features a new take on Rabindranath Tagore (first non-European Nobel Laureate in Literature) and his contemporaries, presentation of splendour of their moving and universal compositions by a few leading interpreters of this captivating music as well as a special music and spoken-words production Threnody in Tagore and Troubadour directed by Ahmed Kaysher.

Registration:

Saudha Bangla Music Fesstival | University of Oxford | Simpkin Lee Theatre Tickets, Sat 28 Oct 2023 at 17:00 | Eventbrite

 

 

 

 

Rupban|| A ballad of Bengali Oedipus

From Jul 3, 2023 to Jul 3, 2023 in University of Leeds.

Rupban| A ballad of Bengali Oedipus |Leeds University Summer Festival

Leeds University, University of Leeds,Woodhouse,LS2 9JT

Monday 3 July at 7.30pm

 

A rare and exotic presentation of Bengali ancient village theatre incorporating myths, fairy-tales, folk music and dazzling dance as part of Leeds University Summer Festival and Leeds University International Concert Series.

 

This is a re-adaptation and a new take on Bengali Jatra Pala/Opera /Rural Theatre by poet T M Ahmed Kaysher that merges captivating myths, fairy-tales, visceral folk music and dazzling dance in a stunning theatrical setting. This ancient Bengali opera tells the story of Rahim, a young boy, who is destined to be married to an older girl in order to avoid a fatal curse.

Inspired by the Greek story of Oedipus this gripping Bengali folk ballad explores the conflict between free-will and fatalism, combining traditional Western storytelling with the captivating melodies of Bengali folk music. A performance guaranteed to transport you to a rural village of Bengal, to lie beneath its traditional storytelling spot; a Banyan tree draped in hundreds of lanterns.

Directed and performed by Ahmed Kaysher, this Pala features acclaimed dancers and actors Sonia Sultana and Sohel Ahmed; poet Sarwar E Alam, Dr Jeet Ganguly, singer Jessy Barua, singer and keyboardist Amith Dey, Dhol player Fahim with a brief introduction by poet and fictionist Shree Ganguly.

 

Registration:

Rupban| A ballad of Bengali Oedipus |Leeds University Summer Festival Tickets, Mon 3 Jul 2023 at 19:30 | Eventbrite

 

 

 

Taste of Twilight

From Jul 14, 2024 to Oct 27, 2023 in Nehru Centre, University of Leeds, Harrogate Theatre.

Taste of Twilight

Directed by Poet T M Ahmed Kaysher, Taste of Twilight was launched at Senedd, the Welsh Parliament and now touring to  Nehru Centre, London, University of Leeds (as part of its international concert series on 14 October ), Harrogate Theatre (27 October), as part of its international concert series, bringing a unique philosophical interpretation of #Twilight, cries and whisper through hypnotic presentation of Raag Marwa, Multani Sebastian Bach, haunting poetry by Walt Whiteman, Sylvia Plath, Dylan Thomas, Ahmed Kaysher and Shree Ganguly; visceral painting by one of the finest Russian landscape painter Isaac Levitan.

 

Nehru Centre, London

8 S Audley St, London W1K 1HF

Friday 14 July at 6.30pm

One of the finest interpreters of Indian vocal music of this time in India Srimati Koyel Bhattacharya and an emerging maestro of Indian classical Tabla tradition Kuntal Das are joining to perform this session along with a group of talented musicians, spoken-word artists and dancer.

Registration:

Taste of Twilight | Poetry, Classical Music, Dance Painting | Nehru Centre Tickets, Fri 14 Jul 2023 at 17:45 | Eventbrite

 

 

University of Leeds | International Concert Series

University of Leeds,Woodhouse,LS2 9JT

Saturday 14 October at 5pm

 

Registration:

Saudha-Taste of Twilight | University of Leeds International Concert Series Tickets, Sat 14 Oct 2023 at 17:00 | Eventbrite

 

 

Harrogate Theatre

6 Oxford Street,Harrogate,HG1 1QF

Friday 27 October at 7pm

Registration:

Saudha-Taste of Twilight | Spoken-words Music Painting | Harrogate Theatre Tickets, Fri 27 Oct 2023 at 19:00 | Eventbrite

 

Madness & Meditation Through Baul & Vaishnav Music

On Jul 16, 2023 in Victoria Park Bandstand.

Sunday 16 July from 2pm to 5pm. 

RadhaRaman Society in partnership with Saudha Society of Poetry and Indian Music is brining maddening melody of Bengali Baul and Vaishnav Music as part of the concert series run by Victoria Park Friends.

Directed by poet Ahmed Kaysher, the session features one of the most exotic and ancient music of the world being performed traditionally with dazzling dance and engaging rhythm by acclaimed interpreters of Baul and Vaishnav Music.

Free Ticket Link:

Madness & Meditation Through Baul and Vaishnav Music Tickets, Sun, Jul 16, 2023 at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite

 

Metaphysical Melodies of Ancient Minstrels

From Sep 24, 2023 to Sep 24, 2023 in Aldgate Square, London.

Aldgate Square, London

Aldgate High Street,London, EC3N 1AF

Sunday 24 September 2023 at 3pm

This is a unique and first of its kind production of ancient Indian, Persian & early European Music and poetry.

Curated and directed by poet Ahmed Kaysher, the session in collaboration with Culture team of the city of London Corporation as part of its Bartholomew Fair, features Saudha's first of its kind music and spoken-words production, an ecstasy of hypnotic melodies of Early European e.g. Troubadour, ancient Indian e.g. Vaishnav as well as Persian Sufi music followed by a Bengali village opera (Ballad) - The Story of Gallinule Hunter - Binonder Kiccha.

 

Registration:

Saudha - Metaphysical Melodies of Ancient Minstrels | Aldgate Square Tickets, Sun 24 Sep 2023 at 15:00 | Eventbrite