Indian music occupies a vivid place in our Western imaginations.  Exotic scenes of colourful silks and spiritual love affairs fill our every breath as we allow the sensual sounds to penetrate our being. Through artists like Peter Gabriel and The Beatles, Indian music has been made accessible to our ears. With the increased popularity of Bollywood films, Indian music spreads even more into our cultural landscape.
 
With the growing expansion of Indian music into our mainstream culture, it becomes important to maintain the heart of its heritage while simultaneously evolving it. Terms like 'fusion' and 'cross-over' are being used as a way to categorize what is happening all over the world. People, cultures and traditions are mixing and mingling. This is a revolutionary time where new sounds are emerging from ancient rhythms.
 
Neeraj Prem's Ragaffaire is a performance group that harnesses the classical tradition of Indian music while penetrating their sounds into this modern day and age. Founded by virtuoso sitarist Neeraj Prem, the ensemble is a potent blend of highly accomplished musicians from a myriad of cultural backgrounds.
 
What started as a quest to render the Indian Raags and Taalas in complex and simple ways, has developed into a musical language of union between cultures. Initially, the group was a collection of musicians focusing on the heart of Indian heritage, but as their music grew, so too did the people who wanted to play with them. Karthik Ramalingam plays the Indian bamboo flute with Ragaffaire. He was trained by Pt. Janardhan, a disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar. He says of the group's leader Neeraj Prem, "He is extremely open-minded, fearless, and treats all fellow musicians with equal respect."
 
It is this openness and fearlessness that has invited new sounds to enter the sphere of Ragaffaire and carry it to where it is today. Now the ensemble includes musicians of other strongly rooted backgrounds such as Africa, Afghanistan, Iran, along with integrating styles like jazz and hip hop.
 
As Ragaffaire travels through North America and abroad sharing their music, they have been attracting the attention of other high profile musicians who want to be part of their fusing musical conversations that are erupting in dynamic mystical experiences of musical alchemy.
 
It is 'World Jazz Fusion' at its best, as each performance by Ragaffaire stirs up a musical conversation between the hearts of multiple backgrounds. It is a journey into the mythology of all our cultural roots, calling us to experience the spiritual union of where we came from. The mystical Indian sounds blend with the African beats, accompanied by jazz compositions and hip hop rhythmic treats.
 
All geographic barriers are dissolved, and a new sense of Indian music is felt, as it no longer seems to come from a distant and far away land Instead it is right where you are, intertwining with your roots, and melting the barriers to your heart.