An Evening Of Songs With Parvathy Baul

Rare U.S. performance by Parvathy Baul, master performer in the ancient Baul tradition from Bengal, at The Center at West Park - Thursday, August 30 at 7:30pm.

The Center at West Park will present a benefit concert by Parvathy Baul this August, 30th at 7:30pm. Tickets will be $30 at the door, $25 in advance, or $20 for students and seniors. Proceeds will benefit Sanatan Siddhashram, a spiritual and cultural center in Bengal that preserves ancient cultural traditions and provides educational opportunities for rural children. This is a rare U.S. appearance by a lineage-holder in this renowned Bengali folk heritage. In conjunction, the NYC Seed Group, resident at The Center, will hold a free-admission, participatory singing session the preceding evening, August 29th beginning at 7:15pm with refreshments.

Tickets are $30 at the door // $25 in advance // $20 for students & seniors and can be purchased:  An Evening of Songs with Parvathy Baul.

Parvathy Baul is a master performer, practitioner, and teacher of the Baul tradition from Bengal, India. She has performed at prestigious concert halls and music festivals in over a dozen countries. Her mastery of vocal pitch and tone while playing multiple instruments and dancing has been lauded by music experts, while the overall impact of her performance has been described by critics as “riveting” and “spellbinding.”

Parvathy’s work emerges from a long lineage of master Baul singers, dancers, and spiritual teachers. She studied closely with two of the most respected Baul singer-gurus of the previous generation, Sri Sanatan Das Thakur and Sri Shoshanko Goshai. She was recognized by Sanatan Das as both a musical and spiritual teacher in the Baul tradition, carrying forward his spiritual legacy.

In India, Bauls are known not only for their exquisite songs but for their fierce opposition to the caste system and reverence for the feminine. While fully embodying traditional Baul music and practice, Parvathy is also renowned for her efforts in renewing this ancient heritage. As the most recognized woman Baul performer in the world, Parvathy is making systematic training in Baul arts available to women in India on a scale that has never occurred previously and frequently uses her international reputation to highlight lesser-known master performers. She was recently awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award by the government of India for her contribution to the arts, becoming the first woman Baul to receive this honor.

Parvathy is the founder of Tantidhatri, an international women’s performance festival, and Santana Siddhashram, a spiritual and cultural center offering training in both song and traditional spiritual practice. Following performances at Stanford and U.C. Berkeley last year, in 2018 she will perform in Los Angeles, New York, and at prominent universities and festivals across the U.S.parvathybaul