Kiran Ahluwalia
2013
PM
MEL LEHAN HALL AT ST. JAMES i
3214 West 10th Ave, Kitsilano
Accessible 
All ages
This event has already taken place.
A voice destined to enchant more than one generation
(fROOTS)
Her crystal clear voice arched superbly above rhythms that coursed
through the audience.
- Los Angeles Times
A powerful woman with depth of character in her wonderfully pliable,
expressive voice.
The Observer UK
Expressing her muse through ghazals and Punjabi folk songs, Kiran Ahluwalia explores the language of the heart with beautiful artistry and smoldering intensity. Born in India, raised in Canada, and now living in New York City, her enchanting and seductive music has garnered glowing praise from critics around the world.
At the 2012 JUNO ceremonies Kiran's latest CD, Aam Zameen: Common Ground was awarded Canada's prestigious BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR, and was selected by the UK's Songlines magazine as one of the Ten Top of the World CD's. Kiran also won the Canadian Folk Music award for World Solo Artist of the Year.
It's incredibly invigorating to see how much interest my music is
sparking,
says Ahluwalia. When you're doing something with no clear
blueprint it's hard to know if it's working. But I'm getting lots of
feedback these days that it's working,
she adds with a laugh.
With each successive recording project, Kiran has moved ever onward from her own musical upbringing, reaching well beyond her extensive training in the genres of ghazal and Punjabi folk song. Her compositions and arrangements are a reflection of an ongoing quest to create timeless music that looks to the future while still maintaining a vital through line to its storied past. On her latest CD she collaborated with legendary Tuareg band Tinariwen. Previous recordings have found her fusing the sounds of her native India with Portugese fado and the Celtic fiddle of Natalie MacMaster.
On stage Kiran is accompanied by some of North America's most exciting artists; Downbeat magazine's No. 2 Rising Star guitarist Rez Abbasi, hard grooving tabla player Nitin Mitta, the very funky Mamadou Ba on bass and superbly melodic accordion player Will Holshouser.
Her discography, now five albums deep, is one of global music's most interesting furrows. Her ease of manner on stage makes her a unique and inspiring performer whose legion of fans continues to grow with every captivating performance.
I like to connect things that I am passionate about even if they are
outside my Indian musical upbringing,
says Ahluwalia. When it works its
nothing short of sublime. It's really the essence of everything for me.