It began with a moment of audacity. A 19-year-old student from Jai Hind College, mesmerised by a soprano’s power,...
Music Articles
Indian baritone Frazan Adil Kotwal brings opera to Mumbai stage: ‘Every note reflects my life’s journey’
From international stages to his hometown, Frazan Adil Kotwal presents From Dawn to Dream, a Western classical recital...
Meet Jini Dinshaw the phenomenal 90-year-old who runs Mumbai’s oldest orchestra
Feted around the world, Jini Dinshaw has trained generations of young musicians gratis, entirely for the love of Western classical music.It is 1962. Jawaharlal Nehru is prime minister, the...
Israel Philharmonic bids emotional farewell to Maestro Zubin Mehta
After 50 years as musical directorIsrael Philharmonic bids emotional farewell to Maestro Zubin MehtaConductor, 83, performs one last time at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park to a vast crowd of adoring fans;...
Shayaan Oshidar: My music will tackle wrong notions of beauty
Music runs in the family of Cyrus Oshidar, the man who made MTV and VH1 cool. His daughter Shayaan is topping the dance charts and planning her Indian invasion Article by Asatha Atray Banan | Mid...
Feritta–Set Myself Free: In Conversation
Our dear friend Feritta is featured in an interview on Broad Tube Music ChannelFeritta grew up in a family where education and family duty came first but her passion has always been creating in one...
Leah Divecha Graduates from the Symphony Orchestra of India
The Symphony Orchestra of India’s SOI Music Academy celebrated the graduation ceremony of five of their academy students last Saturday (April 13th 2019). Among these was 15 year old Leah...
Ailing Zubin Mehta to skip farewell U.S. tour with Israel Philharmonic
Conductor Zubin Mehta will not join the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on a U.S. tour that was to be his last here as orchestra leader, a step attributed to Mehta’s health by tour organizers who...
Freddie Mercury – The Early Years
In the countdown to the cinema release of Bohemian Rhapsody, this short film looks at the early years of Freddie’s life including his birthplace of Zanzibar, his schooling and first musical...
We Always Talk About Freddie Mercury’s Sexuality, But What About His Confusing Racial Identity?
With Bohemian Rhapsody, the film about Queen’s eccentric frontman Freddie Mercury, just around the corner, discourse about Mercury’s sexuality has rocked the internet. Some folks say that Mercury...
Freddie Mercury’s complex relationship with Zanzibar
With the release of a new film about the British rock band Queen, the spotlight has fallen again on the life of its legendary lead singer, Freddie Mercury. His flamboyant stage presence, outlandish...
UK Parsi Youth Discuss the new Freddie Mercury Biopic
Below is a video clip and an audio interview with Parsi youth in the United Kingdom, speaking about the impact of Freddie Mercury in popular culture. This is in a lead-up to biopic “Bohemian...
Parsi Dastur wins Top Audience choice award and 2nd prize in Voices of India’s first national singing competition
Ervad Frazan Adil Kotwal has recently participated in the first ever national competition for Western classical singers, ‘Voices of India’ and secured second place and the top audience choice award....
How Queen Front Man Freddie Mercury’s Zoroastrian Faith Shaped His Music
Unless you have been living in a cave, you know the rock band, Queen. For the last forty years, their music has been played at sports stadiums, movies, radio stations, and personal music players....
Legendary maestro Zubin Mehta looks back on six decades of conducting
Even at 82 years old, famed maestro Zubin Mehta conducts with the same vigor and passion that have brought him worldwide fame. Last year, Mehta announced his plans to step down as music director of...
Saraswati Devi: India’s Maiden Female Composer
Saraswati Devi was a Parsi, born as Khursheed Minocher Homji, in 1912. India's first female composer, Saraswati Devi had a sonorous legacy which met an abrupt end as she was swiftly erased from...
Set Myself Free by Feritta
Some things are just meant to be, and some things come with a lot of blood, sweat and tears. 'Set Myself Free' the new single by Feritta is the culmination of both. Feritta, a Zoroastrian and...
Singaporean Musician Zephyr Khambatta Smashing Cultural Boundaries Overseas
Yangon, Myanmar was the stage last week for Zephyr Khambatta’s duo Stadiums to launch their debut single The Other Side, featuring Charles ENERO, Singapore’s top battle rapper. The song premiered on...
Mehroo Jeejeebhoy: The Steinway comes home
In September 2016, this paper was the first to tell you about a unique fundraiser called the Steinway 88 Keys Programme, which was launched for the first time in the country by the noted Mehli Mehta...
Conductor Zubin Mehta Discusses Wagner in Israel, Palestinian Musicians
As he prepares to step down from the Israel Philharmonic in 2019, he talked about a variety of topics with The Wall Street Journal When Zubin Mehta finds an orchestra to his liking, he sticks...
With a farewell on the horizon, Zubin Mehta’s concert with the Israel Philharmonic is a triumph
Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra are touring North America again — which ordinarily wouldn't be considered a milestone. But this time it might be, because Mehta has decided to step...
Zubin Mehta to Lead Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in New York at Carnegie Hall for Final Tour Concerts
Zubin Mehta returns to Carnegie Hall with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) this fall, following a recent announcement that he will be retiring from his post as Music Director of the IPO in...
Bohemian Rhapsody: will the Freddie Mercury biopic be a whitewash?
The Queen frontman’s Zanzibarian roots are often forgotten when discussing his life. But he didn’t hide from his Persian heritage – and neither should the movie There is a sweet black-and-white...
Meet Frazan Kotwal, the Indian Parsi priest who is now a renowned Opera singer
Frazan Adil Kotwal, touted as India's youngest Opera singer, has been circling the globe exhibiting his singing prowess at various at international platforms for years now. Growing up the only...
Sandunes To Open For Bonobo In Manchester This July
To anyone who’s been keeping an eye on her career, it’s evident that Mumbai-based electronic musician Sandunes (Sanaya Ardeshir) has been waist-deep in a career surge of sorts. The Mumbai-based...
Parsis and Indian Classical Music: The secret history
The Parsis are associated today solely with Western classical music. The Swar Sadhana Samiti’s annual festival this week reminds us that this tiny community also led the way in promoting Hindustani...
Shazneen Arethna releases new single Dance Alone
Shazneen Arethna is one of the first female rock singers as part of the 90’s and early 2k’s brewing scene when the country was realizing the real potential of independent music in India. Her...
Sail Away: Zephyr Khambatta
Zephyr Khambatta is a Singaporean singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, model and host who also plays the drums. An engineering dropout from the National University of Singapore, it...
Documentary ‘Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds’ pays homage to Zubin Mehta
Bettina Ehrhardt’s film on the celebrated music conductor is being screened at the Mumbai Film Festival. The central tenet of Zoroastrianism, “Humata, Hukhta, Hvarshta”, or “Good thoughts, good...
Zubin Mehta – Good Thoughts, Words, Deeds, And Music!
'Aapro' Zubin Mehta is in the news. The ongoing Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival has an 89-minute documentary on the celebrated Western classical music conductor in its 'Discovering India' section by...
With Kersi Lord’s Passing a Long Era of Hindi Film Music Comes to an End
In 1969, Hindi film music fans were enthralled to hear the songs of Aradhana, a film starring a budding actor Rajesh Khanna and the well-known actress Sharmila Tagore. Each song was hummable, but...
Feritta – Get Up Now – Official Music Video
A new music video by Feritta was recently launched on youtube. Readers of Parsi Khabar will remember that Feritta has been featured here in the past for her previous music videos and other...
Freddie Mercury: Asteroid named after late Queen star to mark 70th birthday
An asteroid has been named after Freddie Mercury to mark what would have been the singer's 70th birthday. The Queen frontman has had his name attached to Asteroid 17473, which was discovered in 1991...
Neville Bharucha: Parsi piano man to bring Western Classical notes to Bengaluru
A Steinway pianist at 23, Neville Z Bharucha has spent considerable time in the West – earning his chops at the Trinity College in London and performing across the United States, for starters....
Ariana Vafadari: Gathas, Songs My Father Taught Me
Ariana Vafadari is a singer and along with her team at Quart de Lune has produced a new album of music titled: Gathas, Songs My Father Taught Me. Here is a youtube trailer of her album. Ariana...
The Ninety First Symphony: Homi Dastoor’s Musical Journey
The Ninety First Symphony is a beautiful documentary on Homi Dastoor’s Musical Journey. Readers of Parsi Khabar are familiar with Homi’s work which was featured here and here. His...
No One Better than Zubin Mehta for the Bharat Ratna
India’s highest civilian award should be given to someone who is admired by everyone — like Zubin Mehta. Written by Anil Dharker | Indian Express Zubin Mehta’s name would be a wonderful — and fully...
Zarathushti Kids from Michigan Perform an English version of Chaiye Hame Zarthoshti
At the 29th Annual General Meeting of FEZANA, the hosts Zoroastrian Association of Michigan hosted a Gala Event. The performance by the kids of ZAOM was part of the entertainment segment.A...
Zubin: Just another Parsi boy
A nervous, awestruck gentleman had been granted fifteen precious minutes of the Maestro's time. My friend, the gentleman in question, had spent a sleepless night memorising what to say to the great...
Hilla Poncha: Meet Zubin’s Jabra Fan for the last 80 years
There were still 20 minutes to go for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to commence, and the city's nattily dressed, high profile audience - Shireen Gandy, Adi Jehangir, Smita Chrishna, Pheroza...
Parsi kids revive Monajats at event
On Saturday evening, the Parsi community of Mumbai saw the recital of MonaJat songs, or religious Parsi songs, during a competition at Allbless Baug in Charni Road. This was for the first time that...
Zubin Mehta: I miss my father being in the audience and criticising me later
Zubin Mehta, who returns to Mumbai to celebrate his 80th with three grand concerts, says he could still do with a bit of critiquing from his father With six decades of work behind him, Padma...
Crowds Throng Mumbai Venue for Zubin Mehta Concert Tickets
It was half past midnight out side Cama Hall, opposite Li on Gate, in Fort. A compact and stockier version of the great late conductor Colin Davis stood at the shuttered entrance, looking forlorn...
Peenaz Masani: Naaz-E-Peenaz
Bestowed with the title ‘Queen of Ghazal’, Penaz Masani has enthralled audiences around the world for quite a while now with her extensive concerts, which left audience mesmerised. The stalwart...
ColdPlay Beyonce and the Parsi Connection: Soraabb Kumana
Over the past few days there has been a video that seems to have “broken the Internet in India”. “Hymn for the Weekend” by the band Coldplay also features Beyonce and the video for the most part is...
Pianist Neville Bharucha Wins 24th Ennio Porrino Competition
Phiroze Bharda of the Bangalore Parsi Anjuman informs.... I am delighted to inform all the members of our community that Neville Z.Bharucha has won the 24th Ennio Porrino International Piano...
Musician Homi Mullan Passes Away
Musician Homi Mullan passed away yesterday. He was an integral part of some of the greatest Hindi movie music scores of the last few decades. You can read an article about Homi we carried in 2014...
Zubin Mehta Conducts First Delhi Concert of Australian Orchestra
Music maestro Zubin Mehta on Friday led the Australian World Orchestra to a scintillating evening of rousing Western classical music in New Delhi with the highlight being the powerful voice of...
Zubin Mehta In COnversation with Al Jazeera
In the world of classical music, there are few conductors who are as well regarded as Zubin Mehta. He has led the world's best orchestras, but he is most closely identified with the Israel...
Zubin Mehta’s ‘The Score of My Life’ launched on Saturday
India's most celebrated music conductor, Zubin Mehta was in town to launch the paperback edition of his autobiography, The Score of My Life. Article by Lamya Karachiwala | DNA India Anil Dharker,...
Only in Mumbai: 17 hour queue for Western classical music
But Audience For Zubin Mehta Event Suffers Culture Shock At Box Office MUMBAI: Apart from Ganpati Darshan or something like the final of the cricket world cup, no one in Mumbai queues up for as long...
Behram Siganporia: The pilot who gave up his flying dream to become a rockstar
As lead vocalist and bass guitarist of the four-member electro-pop band 'Best Kept Secret', Behram Siganporia qualifies as one of Bengaluru's pin-up rock stars. The 29-year-old, who performed at...
