Satrangi: Queerness in South Asian Classical Arts

Satrangi: Queerness in South Asian Classical Arts: A Music, Dance and Literary Celebration will look at different musical pieces, dance pieces, poems, and paintings to showcase how South Asia has always been a queer subcontinent and what we can do to view stories and narratives around us from a lens that is queer. Performers include 

Have you ever thought of which love story is most celebrated in the South Asian subcontinent? Does it follow all the rules of wedlock, caste, marriage, or heteronormativity as one is prescribed to follow in today’s world? The West did not give South Asia the idea of queerness. South Asia has always had a strong queer presence, and it is time to reclaim and educate about queer people's space in South Asian art spaces and its place in South Asian arts and history.Performers Include:

Speaker/Hostess:

Bhargavi Thakur

Musicians:

Bhargavi Thakur, Vocalist; Randall Jamrok, Tabla; Dr. Sonny Patel, Bansuri Flute

Dancers:

Colin Mascarenhas, Odissi Dance; Devika Dhir, Kathak Dance

Randall Jamrok is a Chicago-based tabla player dedicated to the South Asian classical music scene. Trained by Pt. Samir Chatterjee of the Farrukhabad Gharana, he has performed with renowned musicians, including bansuri maestro Steve Gorn and sarangi legend Pt. Ramesh Mishra. A soloist and accompanist, he also teaches music in Chicago.

Dr. Sonny Patel is a bansuri player in the tradition of Pt. Panna Lal Ghosh and a student of Lyon Leifer. He performs with the South Asian Music Ensemble at the University of Chicago and co-founded the Patel-Jamrok Duo. A physician, he also coaches debate for the Harvard Debate Council and Chicago’s Urban Debate League.

Bhargavi Thakur is a Washington, D.C.-based international development researcher and

Hindustani classical vocalist trained in Khayal and Dhrupad. She has performed at platforms like South Asia Institute, Brooklyn Baithak, and Jashn-e-Rekhta. A visiting member of the band Do The Needful, she has also accompanied artists at the Ragamala festival.

Colin Mascarenhas is a Chicago-based Odissi dancer and LGBTQI+ activist. Trained in

Mumbai under Guru Jhelum Paranjape. He has performed at prestigious venues in India and Chicago, including NCPA Mumbai, the Chicago Cultural Center, and Mandala Arts. He serves on the board of Trikone Chicago and advocates for queer South Asian artists.

Devika Dhir trains in the patiala gharana of kathak as a disciple of Ustad Dilshad Khan. She has also trained in bharatanatyam, completing her arangetram in 2017 under her guru, Priya Narayan. Devika has studied and performed several South Asian folk-dance styles, from Malaysia, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Today, she also studies ballet, flamenco and raqs sharqi styles of international dance. 

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

South Asia Institute, 1925 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, United States