Welcome to:
Kālacakra: Transcending Time Through Rāgas
with Akhil Jobanputra, Tejas Tope, & Kishan Patel
Artist Bios
Akhil Jobanputra is a young student, performer, educator, and curator of Indian classical music. He began his journey at the age of three, learning from various teachers across different gharanas over the years. Since 2017, he has been receiving intensive training under the tutelage of highly respected gurus Dr. Pandit Arun Dravid and Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis. Featured as one of CBC’s “30 under 30” Canadian classical musicians (2024), Akhil is a practitioner of various sub-genres of Hindustani vocal music, including Dhrupad and Khayal, and is deeply influenced by his exposure to a diverse array of stylistic disciplines, artists, and musical lineages. His repertoire includes a mix of centuries-old rare and common traditional compositions alongside a range of contemporary creations, including his own. Akhil has performed across Canada, the U.S., India, and the U.K., with recent notable performances at Kitab Khana (India), the Chilliwack Cultural Centre (Canada), and the Chhandayan Center for Indian Music (U.S.). His music flows between tradition and innovation, characterized by rhythmic playfulness, emotive ornamentation, and unhurried, expansive expressions of rāgas and compositions. As an educator, Akhil is passionate about investing into the future of this music. Through the Kalāvāṇī Institute, he teaches students from a variety of backgrounds, contributing to Vancouver’s vibrant South Asian arts and cultural scene. At the age of twelve, Akhil founded the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver (ICMSV). Since then, he has curated a series of initiatives and events aimed at increasing awareness, accessibility, and education about Indian classical music. Through his work, he has created a space where seasoned listeners and newcomers alike explore the depth and beauty of Indian classical music in community.
Tejas Tope is a tabla and pakhawaj player based in New York City. He has been studying tabla with his Guru, Pandit Samir Chatterjee, as well as Ustad Zakir Hussain, for the last 20 years. Additionally, Tejas has also studied Pakhawaj with Pandit Mohan Shyam Sharma, Pandit Manik Munde, and Shri Pratap Awad. Tejas has had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Ud. Shujat Khan, Pt. Krishna Bhat, Pt. Arun Dravid, and with Ud. Zakir Hussain as part of his Masters of Percussion tour. Tejas has also performed tabla solos in some of the most prestigious venues across North America and India. Tejas’s accompaniment is marked by tonal and stylistic sensitivity, with a high degree of improvisation focused on thematic exploration of the traditional Hindustani rhythmic language.
Kishan Patel is a multi-disciplinary artist who has been studying Hindustani music under the guidance of Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis. Primarily a vocalist, his repertoire spans numerous styles including dhrupad, khayal, and regional folk music. Since 2018, Kishan has taken up a self-study of the boro esraj with the goal of expressing vocal forms with the esraj as its medium. He has accompanied various established artists including his guru, Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis, as well as senior vocalist of the Jaipur gharana Pandit Arun Dravid. In addition to voice and esraj, Kishan is proficient in sitar, surbahar, tabla, pakhavaj, mridangam, and harmonium.
Tejas Tope is a tabla and pakhawaj player based in New York City. He has been studying tabla with his Guru, Pandit Samir Chatterjee, as well as Ustad Zakir Hussain, for the last 20 years. Additionally, Tejas has also studied Pakhawaj with Pandit Mohan Shyam Sharma, Pandit Manik Munde, and Shri Pratap Awad. Tejas has had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Ud. Shujat Khan, Pt. Krishna Bhat, Pt. Arun Dravid, and with Ud. Zakir Hussain as part of his Masters of Percussion tour. Tejas has also performed tabla solos in some of the most prestigious venues across North America and India. Tejas’s accompaniment is marked by tonal and stylistic sensitivity, with a high degree of improvisation focused on thematic exploration of the traditional Hindustani rhythmic language.
Kishan Patel is a multi-disciplinary artist who has been studying Hindustani music under the guidance of Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis. Primarily a vocalist, his repertoire spans numerous styles including dhrupad, khayal, and regional folk music. Since 2018, Kishan has taken up a self-study of the boro esraj with the goal of expressing vocal forms with the esraj as its medium. He has accompanied various established artists including his guru, Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis, as well as senior vocalist of the Jaipur gharana Pandit Arun Dravid. In addition to voice and esraj, Kishan is proficient in sitar, surbahar, tabla, pakhavaj, mridangam, and harmonium.