WORLD & FOLK

Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan est un grand maître du shenai, hautbois indien qui résonne dans chaque temple de Benarès.

Anoushka Shankar, at the young age of 21, is on the verge of following in the footsteps of the finest virtuose of the classical sitar alive, Ravi Shankar, her father. The young princess is the apple of her father's eye and a favourite with music lovers around the globe.

Born into a musical family on January 12th 1963, Debashish Bhattacharya proved to be something of a child prodigy. He first performed on national All India Radio at the age of four, wielding his Hawaiian lap guitar with astonishing dexterity. The Calcutta-born innovator has since adapted classic Indian ragas to a variety of guitars he designed himself. His vision and ability have allowed him to break ground in a 1,000 year-old tradition without shocking purists of India’s raga heritage.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is one of the world’s greatest bansuri flute players alive. His remarkable breathing technique and masterful command of the subtleties of his bamboo instrument remain unrivalled to this day.

Wandering poets, court musicians, gypsy dancers: Musafir is composed of a varied and highly colourful mix of traditions from the Rajasthan region of India.

If the Indian Tabla is as well known today as the Cuban conga, it is above all thanks to one quite extraordinary musician, Zakir Hussain. Both national treasure and international star, Zakir's huge talent and visionary style have made him into one of India's most renowned musical ambassadors.

L'ensemble des musiciens membres de la troupe du Palais Impérial ont été désignés comme "Trésor National Vivant", titre exceptionnel qui au Japon reconnaît le caractère inestimable d'une forme artistique, culturelle et lui confère la plus haute place dans le patrimoine du pays et de son histoire.

One of Japan’s most prolific artists, Keiko Matsui has established herself in international circles as a gifted pianist and composer. She has been pigeonholed as a jazz musician, but critics argue over the diversity and texture of her 17 CDs. A stunning and vivacious instrumentalist, Matsui has successfully exported her music to jazz venues worldwide. In the course of her rich career, Billboard chose her as the Number 1 Contemporary Jazz Independent Artist and she was finalist for the Female Artist of the Year Award.

Shin’ichi Kinoshita is considered the best in a new generation of players of Japan’s Tsugaru-shamisen, an instrument akin to a three-string banjo. At 39 years old he is considered a pioneer in shamisen-playing. That’s thanks to his marriage of centuries-old rhythms to to jazz and rock. Since releasing two albums simultaneously in 2001, Kinoshita has established himself in Japan and beyond, where he has earned the nickname of the man with “divine hands”.

Yang Lining a étudié le cithare Qin au conservatoire National de Chine jusqu'en 1987, date à laquelle elle s'est installée en France. Là, elle fonde l'ensemble Yang Lining et anime l'association culturelle Espace Dragon.

The unusual composer and conductor Tan Dun's work lies somewhere in between Oriental and Western traditions. Famous for his film soundtracks, such as 'Crouching Tiger" and "Hero" by Ang Lee, he is also the author of original contemporary creations.