Ragarasa

» Profile

For the past decade, Ragarasa have enriched hundreds of events with their unique flare for improvisation on sitar and tabla. Whether at concerts, recordings, corporate events, weddings or receptions - their playing has been consistently praised for its finesse and beauty.

Both musicians are gifted in their own right. Jonathan (sitar) has performed with the likes of Dave Stewart, Sir Paul McCartney, The Dub Pistols, Sarah Brightman and Ashok Dutta, and has appeared on BBC TV. Neil (tabla) has recently toured with Christian Garrick’s Firewire Ensemble and the fusion band Deva, and has recorded for the BBC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and many others. Previous clients and venues include Aveda, Pfizer, The Officer’s Association, Blenheim Palace, Crockfords, HM Treasury, The Wentworth Club, The Yoga Therapy Centre (Islington) and hundreds of private clients. Whatever the occasion, ragarasa will provide sensuous, atmospheric music pitched to the exacting standards of the most discerning client.

Jonathan Mayer
Son of the late composer and co-founder of Indo-Jazz Fusions John Mayer, Jonathan began his musical training at an early age and at 16, resolved to be a sitarist. His teachers have included Clem Alford (the first ever European sitarist), Subroto Roy Chowdhury and Wajahat Khan. Jonathan gained a B.Mus (Hons) from the Birmingham Conservatoire where he studied both sitar and composition. He has played with artists such as The Bingham String Quartet, The Bombay Dub Orchestra, Kumar Bose, Shiv Shankar Ray, Rohan de Saram, John Wilson, Sarah Brightman and Sir Paul McCartney. His solo album was released by Cooking Vinyl Records. Jonathan’s compositions have been performed by Erich Gruenburg, Joji Hattori, Indo-Jazz Fusions and for orchestra. He has toured worldwide as a soloist and in various ensembles.

"astonishingly virtuosic" - Classic CD, UK
"exhilarating solos from Jonathan on sitar" - The Times, UK

Neil Craig
A classically trained percussionist, Neil has performed in many musical contexts throughout his career, including orchestral, avant-garde and traditional Hindustani music. After graduating with a B.Mus from the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music in Perth, his native city, he freelanced with various orchestras and ensembles, touring North and South America, Australia and Southeast Asia. At the age of 24 he was a full-time lecturer in music in Malaysia. Trained in Latin percussion (Cuban and Brazilian), Neil went on to study tabla in Benares, India, and later in London under renowned tabla player, Pandit Sharda Sahai. He has since gained a degree equivalent (Sangit Prabhakar) majoring in tabla. Neil can be heard on The Christian Garrick Quartet’s album FLY 3 and recently toured with the augmented version of this band, the Firewire Ensemble. His third album with Deva is soon to be released following their recent tour of Scotland.

"formidable… tabla maestro Neil Craig beautifies" - jazzcds.co.uk
"Australian tabla player Neil Craig adds further richness" - Jazzwise

» Music

• Improvised Hindustani classical music.
• Always played to suit the occasion.

» Previous clients

• Aveda
• Pfizer
• The Officer’s Association
• Blenheim Palace
• Crockfords
• HM Treasury
• The Wentworth Club
• The Yoga Therapy Centre (Islington)
• Hundreds of Private Clients
• ...and Many More!

» Testimonials

"We were delighted that you were able to play at our formal Divisional Guest Night at the Joint Services Command and Staff College. Despite the international attendance on the course, most of the attendees were not familiar with the sitar and tabla, but really enjoyed the opportunity to experience this music which is not traditional at these types of function. It was excellent background accompaniment in the dining hall. You were also thoroughly professional, friendly and flexible to fit into the order of events. "
- Phil Game, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham

"I am writing to thank you for the sublime performance given by Ragarasa at our Cultural Event. The classic sitar and tabla sound provided the right kind of background music and was perfect for the occasion. It was commented that ‘both musicians are obviously accomplished and they have a great rapport with each other’. In fact many of the guests attending the event approached you after your performance to give their praise. We wish you all the success and would highly recommend you for any future events being organised. "
- Dipti Shah, HM Treasury, UK

"Neil Craig and Jonathan Mayer played at our joint 40th and 50th birthday party in July 2006 which had an Indian theme. Their music perfectly complemented the evening and they were extremely professional. Their playing attracted lots of compliments from our guests and we were delighted to have had two such talented musicians starting the evening."
- Steve Todd, Private Client, Surrey

» Travel

Ragarasa travel UK wide and abroad. Travel costs outside the UK are calculated on an individual basis depending on the distance and duration of travel/stay.

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