The Berklee Indian Ensemble began in 2011, founded by Annette Philip, the first Indian musician appointed as a faculty member at Berklee College of Music.
The group became a viral sensation with its innovative 2014 tribute to Grammy and Oscar winning composer A.R. Rahman’s “Jiya Jale” from the 1998 film Dil Se. The video has over 50 million views to date, and led to the Ensemble’s sold-out shows in the United States, Canada, and India.
The Ensemble organically transitioned into a professional band in 2021, and the 2022 lineup is led by members representing India, Jordan, Israel, Nigeria, Indonesia, Norway, the United States, and other regions across the world.
Founder Annette Philip sees the band’s function as one of bridge building; a freewheeling approach to musical cultures that prioritizes the people who make them, rather than the restrictions of genre or form. “There is a unique power when musicians from different cultural and musical backgrounds make art together with vulnerability and openness in a space that celebrates their similarities and differences,” she says. “The music that gets created in this space comes across viscerally and allows a song in a foreign language to feel completely relatable because of the human connection, making you want to be part of it.”
Berklee Indian Ensemble professional band members in 2022: Harshitha Krishnan (Nigeria / India) on vocals; Rohith Jayaraman (USA) on vocals and percussion; Annette Philip (India) on piano and vocals; Shai Portugaly (Israel) on keyboards and vocals; Layth Sidiq (Jordan / Iraq) on violin; Aleif Hamdan (Indonesia / Malaysia) on guitar; Yoel Genin (Israel) on guitar and bouzouki; Guy Bernfeld (Israel) on bass; Giri Subramaniam (India) on tabla and percussion; Thomas Debelian (Brazil / Norway / Armenia) on percussion; and Yogev Gabay (Israel) on drum set and percussion.
Discography:
Shuruaat (2022)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.