Recommended Theater: ROOM-I-NATION (CAP UCLA’s Nimoy)

Aditya Prakash’s ROOM-i-Nation, an unprecedented adaptation of his 2023 album ISOLASHUN, comes to CAP UCLA’s Nimoy Theater on October 4 & 5, 2024. Drawing from his vibrant Los Angeles upbringing and rich musical education in India, Prakash seamlessly blends the ancient rhythms of Karnatik music with contemporary sounds. His journey of self-discovery, reflected in every note, resonates with anyone navigating the complexities of multiple identities. This evening promises to move, inspire, and connect on a deeply human level.

Through an unorthodox mix of live music, soundscape, video projection and personal stories, ROOM-i-Nation explores the challenges of being an immigrant, with Prakash drawing from both his own and his father’s experiences. In this adaptation, Prakash speaks directly to the audience as an immigrant, addressing challenges such as the struggle to find the right words (the title, ROOM-i-Nation, is play on this idea) and how to make traditional music his own.

Check out the library and media stations in The Nimoy lobby spaces that feature reading materials, films, interviews and podcasts that explore Aditya’s journey in creating ROOM-i-Nation.

Stay after the Friday performance for a brief post-show discussion between Prakash and Professor David Gere. David Gere is on faculty at the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance and has been following Prakash’s work for more than a decade. Dr. Gere has studied Karnatik singing in Tamil Nadu, India, and has a master’s degree in music (ethnomusicology) from the University of Hawaii – Manoa.

Saturday’s performance will be followed by a brief meet and greet with Prakash in the lobby of The Nimoy.

In both ROOM-i-Nation and throughout his career, Prakash explores this question of finding one’s own voice in traditional music. As one of the foremost young virtuosos of Karnatik music and one of the youngest musicians ever to tour and perform with sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, Prakash is deeply immersed in the tradition of this historic genre. At the same time, he has been searching for ways to make this tradition his own, founding the eclectic music group Aditya Prakash Ensemble, which creates a space for dialogue between Karnatik and jazz, and pushing the boundaries of tradition in an entirely new creative form on his album ISOLASHUN.