Right bang in the middle of summer is when you’ll find a series of events celebrating South Asian music by the river in London. South Asian Sounds arrives as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations, and will see various performances take over their venues on July 1-5.
Those attending multiple events at South Asian Sounds can jump seamlessly from classical to pop to jazz to orchestral sounds, before checking out comedy, dance, live podcasts and fine art.
What events are taking place as part of South Asian Sounds?
Acts at South Asian Sounds include a performance from Raghu Dixit, who blends a multitude of genres with Indian folk music, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on July 3; as well as a concert by Amrita Kaur to close proceedings at the Royal Festival Hall on July 5.
You’ll also be able to catch a Friday night Royal Festival Hall performance by the London Bollywood Orchestra with Priyani Vani Panditt on vocals, which promises a ‘journey of Indian ragas as they blossom into everlasting Bollywood melodies’.
Here is a full lineup of South Asian Sounds events listed on the site so far:
- July 1 – Anmol Mohara: Across The Sea (Purcell Room, 7:45pm)
- July 2 – Rekesh Chauhan: Classically Reimagined (Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7:30pm)
- July 3 – Raghu Dixit (Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7:30pm)
- July 3 – London Bollywood Orchestra with Priyani Vani Panditt (Royal Festival Hall, 7:30pm)
- July 3 – Thamarai: Pritt + Prito (Purcell Room, 7:30pm)
- July 4 – Shradhanjali: A Homage to Zakir Hussain (Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7:30pm)
- July 4 – Asian Tones: Tara Lily + Shalini Rani (Purcell Room, 7:45pm)
- July 4 – Hariharan: Soul India (Royal Festival Hall, 8pm)
- July 5 – Making A Husband: Live (Purcell Room, 2pm)
- July 5 – Tez Ilyas: Work In Progress (Purcell Room, 6pm)
- July 5 – Hemantika and Beyond (Queen Elizabeth Hall, 6pm)
- July 5 – Amrita Kaur (Royal Festival Hall, 6:30pm)
Tickets to all the listed events go on general sale this Friday, May 1 at 10am, with a pre-sale for Southbank Centre members also kicking off tomorrow (April 30).
Speaking on the announcement, Vimal Anandpura, founder of the London Bollywood Orchestra, said: “The London Bollywood Orchestra is breaking new ground in popular Hindi film music by bringing to life the original, authentic sounds of Mumbai’s recording studios, with London’s finest classical and jazz talent.
“Priyani Vani Panditt joins us on this exciting adventure, her expressive voice reaching soaring high notes, alongside a deep knowledge of Indian ragas. Through her own innovative style of Rageet, she reveals how Bollywood’s most iconic songs are rooted in Indian classical traditions.
“I can’t wait to be immersed in what promises to be a one-of-a-kind evening—where two distinct musical worlds come together to create an explosion of sound, shaped by those classical nuances. There is no better stage for this initiative than the iconic Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre—an institution that has been bringing world music to new audiences for decades.”
South Asian Sounds takes place between July 1 and July 5 across various venues at the Southbank Centre. You can find the full list of events taking place and more information on the Southbank Centre’s website.
