It’s a day we look forward to every year at the Massey Theatre. The day that Mushtari Begum Festival returns and we follow Cassius Khan and Amika Kushwaha as they take the audience on a musical odyssey that is beyond imagination.
On September 29th, 2018, the Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance will fill Massey Theatre with incredible sound and energy for the seventh time. Founded by two globally recognized New Westminster artists – Cassius Khan and Amika Kushwaha – the festival continues to be Canada’s premier celebration of Indian classical music and dance. It immerses audiences in timeless and ancient forms of music and dance in an experience like no other.
Cassius sings ghazals, an ancient form of musical poetry, while playing the tabla, a rare feat of musicianship and skill. Kushwaha is a master of Kathak, a classical Indian dance, who weaves stories throughout the evening with her stupendous movement. Other musicians include sitar masters Pt Harvinder Sharma and Sharanjeet Singh Mand , Carnatic vocalist Vidhya Sagar , Mridangam musician Abhishek Iyer and vocalist Dr. Disha Mehta.
The fine arts of Indian classical music and dance are rarely this accessible in Canada, and this festival provides opportunities for both connoisseurs of the art forms and curious newcomers to come together to enjoy and discover some of the most incredible dance and music performed in the historic Massey Theatre.
Join us as we celebrate this rare and wonderful celebration of music, orchestrated by two of New Westminster’s very own.
A full lineup of all performers is available online at www.mbfestival.ca