top of page
World_of_Rāga (15 of 24) (1)_edited.jpg

Akhil Jobanputra

Student, Educator, Performer, and Curator

of Indian Classical Music

Home: Welcome
Kalāvāṇī Festival: Launch Concert | Rāga Jhinjhoṭī | Akhil Jobanputra
35:25
Kalāvāṇī Institute

Kalāvāṇī Festival: Launch Concert | Rāga Jhinjhoṭī | Akhil Jobanputra

The Kalāvāṇī Festival was a month-long celebration of the launch of the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver’s education branch - Kalāvāṇī Institute. With an aim to provide an interdisciplinary and accessible approach to pedagogy, the festival introduced the institute to the Greater Vancouver community through professional development, educational, and artistic initiatives. This initiative was supported by CreativeBC and the City of Vancouver's Vancouver Music Fund Industry Catalyst Program. The festival culminated with a concert featuring performances by the institute’s Hindustani vocal students, followed by a Dhrupad choir composed of participants from our six day workshop with Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis and Kishan Patel, and concluding with a Khayal performance by the institute’s founder and instructor Akhil Jobanputra along with Sunny Matharu (Tabla), Satpreet Singh (Dilruba), and Kishan Patel (Harmonium). Raga: Jhinjhoti Tala: Vilambit Tintala / Drut Tintala Composers: Traditional / Vidushi Suhasini Koratkar Vocals: Akhil Jobanputra Tabla: Sunny Matharu Harmonium: Kishan Patel Dilruba: Satpreet Singh Video: Hubcast Media Productions
Rāga Mālkauns (Malkauns) | Akhil Jobanputra | Aṣṭa Prahar 2021
07:49
Akhil Jobanputra

Rāga Mālkauns (Malkauns) | Akhil Jobanputra | Aṣṭa Prahar 2021

This bandiś is an exercept from my performance at @SIMASandesh’s Aṣṭa Prahar 2021 festival. Beautifully composed by Pandit Manikbua Thakurdas, this bandiś is originally set in tīntāla but I have adapted it for āḍā cautāla. The entire performance can be viewed on the SIMA YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/Bo61xPi85uE Vox | Akhil Jobanputra Tabla | Hriday Buddhdev Harmonium | Akhil Jobanputra Editing | Kishan Patel Born and raised in Canada, Akhil Jobanputra started his journey in the Indian classical vocal form of khayal at the age of three with Asha Lohia receiving direction from his BadeGuruji Pandit Jasraj, and additionally continued his preliminary studies with Neeraja Aptikar. He is currently under the tutelage of gurus Dr. Pandit Arun Dravid and Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis, and receives additional guidance from Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar. Akhil's music encapsulates elements of self-introspection, personal narratives, metaphysical beliefs, and artistic expression, rooted primarily in the Jaipur and Mewati gharanas. He has performed across Canada, the US, India, and the U.K. with recent performances for 'Chaar Prahar Festival 2020' (Viewcy.com), and for 'Parāśakti: The Flame Within' (Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Canada), a unique production conceptualized and co-directed by Akhil. As an educator, he teaches students of diverse backgrounds, enriching Vancouver’s South Asian traditional arts and culture ecosystem. His paper “My Identity, My Music” was published by the Simon Fraser University Library as part of the proceedings of the Canadian South Asian Youth Conference. At the age of twelve, Akhil founded the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver (ICMSV) with the goal of bringing communities together and promoting various local events. Since then, he has curated a series of initiatives and events geared at increasing awareness, accessibility, and education around Indian classical music.
Bhajan in Rāga Kāphī (Kafi) | Akhil Jobanputra | Chaar Prahar Festival 2020
07:28
Akhil Jobanputra

Bhajan in Rāga Kāphī (Kafi) | Akhil Jobanputra | Chaar Prahar Festival 2020

I had the privilege of performing at the Chaar Prahar Festival 2020, organized under the banner of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA. Typically based in New York, the festival took place virtually which gave me the chance to collaborate with my elder guru-bhai Kishan from one end of North America to the other. My concluding piece in the recital is a beautiful poem, which I have composed in Rāga Kāphī. The poetry is attributed to Rasakhān, a sufi-vaiśnava devotee of the Vallabhācarya sect who became renowned for his unwavering devotion to the Lord of Vraja. Vox | Akhil Jobanputra Tabla, Esraj, Harmonium, and Editing | Kishan Patel Born and raised in Canada, Akhil Jobanputra started his journey in the Indian classical vocal form of khayal at the age of three with Asha Lohia receiving direction from his BadeGuruji Pandit Jasraj, and additionally continued his preliminary studies with Neeraja Aptikar. He is currently under the tutelage of gurus Dr. Pandit Arun Dravid and Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis, and receives additional guidance from Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar. Akhil's music encapsulates elements of self-introspection, personal narratives, metaphysical beliefs, and artistic expression, rooted primarily in the Jaipur and Mewati gharanas. He has performed across Canada, the US, India, and the U.K. with recent performances for 'Chaar Prahar Festival 2020' (Viewcy.com), and for 'Parāśakti: The Flame Within' (Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Canada), a unique production conceptualized and co-directed by Akhil. As an educator, he teaches students of diverse backgrounds, enriching Vancouver’s South Asian traditional arts and culture ecosystem. His paper “My Identity, My Music” was published by the Simon Fraser University Library as part of the proceedings of the Canadian South Asian Youth Conference. At the age of twelve, Akhil founded the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver (ICMSV) with the goal of bringing communities together and promoting various local events. Since then, he has curated a series of initiatives and events geared at increasing awareness, accessibility, and education around Indian classical music.
Home: Videos

About

As a kid, I always enjoyed singing devotional songs at the local temple, and hitting random pots and pans at home. I started taking tabla lessons, but my passion kept driving me towards singing. At the age of three, I was enrolled in the Pandit Jasraj School of Music Foundation, Vancouver. I received my preliminary training from Smt. Asha Lohia of the Jasraj school, as well as from another local teacher Smt. Neeraja Aptikar. My association with the school gave me opportunities to learn from my BadeGuruji Pandit Jasraj and other representatives of the Mewati gharana. After my association with the school, I took a period of self-study, after which I found amazing Gurus for my intensive training. I currently receive taleem in khayal from Pandit Dr. Arun Dravid, and in khayal and dhrupad from Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis. I am also fortunate to receive guidance from Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar. 


My gayaki (style) is mainly shaped by the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, but also exhibits elements of Agra, Mewati, Gwalior, and Kirana along with Dagarbani Dhrupad. My approach to Hindustani raga sangeet brings contemporary experience into the context of a traditional art-form. It is constantly evolving, finding itself situated beyond time and space, but stays firmly rooted in its essence. My music is shaped by drawing on elements of self-introspection, personal narratives, metaphysical beliefs, and artistic expression. I also enjoy composing and have created bandishes (compositions) in different ragas and compositional styles. Apart from my Gurus, some artistes who inspire my music are: Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur, Vidushi Kesarbai Kerkar, Pandit Kedar Bodas, Vidushi Mogubai Kurdikar, Pandit Maniram, Vidushi Gangubai Hangal, and Vidushi Asgari Bai.


I’ve had the privilege to perform for various organizations and festivals across Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and India either as both a soloist and an accompanist. My first solo performance in India was at the prestigious Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh at the age of thirteen. Recent performances of note include Chaar Prahar Festival 2020 (Global), Richmond World Festival 2019 (Canada), and UTSAV SpringFest 2018 (U.K.). As an accompanist, I’ve performed with BadeGuruji Pandit Jasraj in some of his performances, such as at the Sawai Bhimsen Sangeet Mahotsav, as well as with my other Gurus and various eminent vocalists.


With the permission of my Gurus, I have been teaching Indian classical music since 2010 across the Metro Vancouver region. My curriculum has been developed over the years through a variety of experiences that I’ve encountered both as a student and a teacher. Pedagogy plays an extremely important role in cultivating good musical sense, and my curriculum constantly evolves through feedback from my students. As an educator, I’ve delivered lectures, both of academic and non-academic nature, on Indian classical music. I was recently featured in the Canadian South Asian Youth Conference, and my paper “My Identity, My Music” was published by the Simon Fraser University Library. Growing up, I wanted to see more Indian classical programs curated in my hometown. At the age of twelve I founded the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver (ICMSV) with the goal of bringing communities together and promoting various local events. Since then, my team at ICMSV and myself have organized a series of initiatives and events geared at increasing awareness, accessibility, and education around Indian classical music.


Besides music, I am a University of British Columbia alumni with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Geography. My focus has been on socio-cultural development, South Asian studies, and decolonization.

Home: Bio
bottom of page