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THE MUSIK ENSEMBLE OF BENARES "Ambassador of Indian Music" 
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The Sitar-player RAVI SHANKAR was a pioneer in the West for Indian Classical Music. Through his concert at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, the German musician GÜNTHER PAUST came in touch with the melodic Indian sounds, by which he was mesmerised.
In 1975 Günther Paust travelled overland to India by car, to take lessons in Sitar playing. But soon he realised that Sitar playing was too difficult for the Europeans. Nevertheless, enchanted by this music, he wanted to do something for the Indian Classical Music and hence started organising concerts in Europe and produced records to popularise this music in the West. Along with the musicians from the holy city of the Ganges "Benares" , which is now named "Varanasi", he founded in 1982 "The Music Ensemble of Benares" with which he started his first European tour.
From here on, this ensemble performed regularly in Europe as a more or less open unit represented by different musicians & various instruments. Günther Paust has been bringing new ideas & presenting new projects over the years. Besides presenting the traditional Raga-Music and the Kathak-Dance, he has also organised between 1989 and 1994 "Jazz meets India" , sessions with famous Jazz musicians from USA, like PAUL HORN, JOHN HANDY, DAVID FRIESEN etc. The latest project which has received worldwide popularity since 1994, is the crossover-project of the fusion of Kathak-Dance and Flamenco, to explore the common roots of the two cultures.
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Music Ensemble of Benares 1982-1984 left to right: Vikash Maharaj (Sarod) Guenther Paust (Tanpura & Harmonium) Late Pt. Prakash Maharaj (Tabla) Late Ustad Khadim Ali Khan (Shahnai) Pt.Shivanath Mishra (Sitar) |
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Music Ensemble of Benares presents: KHADIM ALI KHAN & HIS SHAHNAI PARTY, 1985 left to right: Late Dularee Hussain Khan (2nd Shahnai) Guenther Paust (Tanpura) Late Ustad Khadim Ali Khan (1st Shahnai) Abdul Kalam Siddique (Harmonium) Shankar Lal (Duggi) |
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Music Ensemble of Benares presents: Jazz meets India 1989 left to right: David Friesen (Oregon-Bass) Guenther Paust (Tanpura) Vikash Maharaj (Sarod) Paul Horn (Flute & Soprano-Sax) |
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Music Ensemble of Benares presents: Jazz meets India, 1991-1994 left to right: David Friesen (Oregon-Bass) John Handy (Alto-Sax) Late Prakash Maharaj (Tabla) Guenther Paust (Tanpura) Vikash Maharaj (Sarod) |
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Music Ensemble of Benares presents: Kathak-Flamenco, 1995-1997 left to right: Maria Serrano & Madhu Mishra feat. Antonio Andrade (Flamenco Guitar) Luis Amador (Vocals&Palmas) Bholanath Mishra (Tabla) Dhruvanath Mishra (Sitar) Prem Kishore Mishra (Vocals&Harmonium) |
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Music Ensemble of Benares presents: Kathak, Bharat Natyam & Folk Dances, 1998/99 top left to right: Vidha Joshi Jyotika Dayal Pragati Sood down left to right: Abhimanyu Lal Hemant Panwar |
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Music Ensemble of Benares presents: Splendors of Kathak Dance, 2000 left to right: Swati Sinha Sonali Sharma Jyotika Dayal Vaishali Sharma Hemant Panwar (Kathak Dance) feat. Sarwar Hussain (Sitar) Amjad Khan (Tabla) Vijay Parihar (Vocal&Harmonium) |
Music Ensemble of Benares presents:Kathak-Flamenco, 2001-2005 Jyotika Dayal (Kathak Dance & Vocals) Juanaire (Flamenco Dance & Palmas) feat. Antonio Andrade (Flamenco Guitar) Rebeca Carmona (Flamenco Dance,Vocal & Palmas) Charudatta Shrinavas Phadke (Tabla,2001-2005) Sharat Shrivastava (Violin-2002) Sunil Avchat (Bansuri 2003&2005) Milind Tulankar (Santoor-2003) Subhash Dassakar (Sitar, 2004) |
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Music Ensemble of Benares presents: Kathak Flamenco 2006-2007 left to right: Joby Joy (Tabla) Jyotika Dayal (Kathak Dance&Vocal) Allarakha Khan (Sarangi&Vocal) Antonio Andrade (Flamenco Guitar) Ursula Rosalia Moreno (Flamenco Dance&Palmas) José Parrondo (Vocal&Palmas) |
Music Ensemble of Benares presents:Kathak-Flamenco 2008-2011 Jyotika Dayal: Kathak Tanz & Vocal (2008,2009,2010,2011) Sanjukta Sinha: Kathak Tanz (2008) Ioanna Srinivasan: Kathak Tanz (2009,2010,2011) Carmen Lopez: Flamenco Tanz (2008,2009) Irene Alvarez: Flamenco Tanz (2009,2010) Miguel Sotelo: Flamenco Gitarre (2008,2009) Zamna Urista Rojas: Flamenco Gitarre (2009,2010,2011) Alexander Gavilan: Flamenco Gitarre (2010,2011) Jose Parrondo: Flamenco Gesang (2008,2009,2010,2011) Carmen Fernandez: Flamenco Gesang (2010) Allarakha Khan: Sarangi (2008,2009) Charu Dutt: Tabla (2008,2009) Arun Srinivasan: Harmonium ( 2009,2010,2011) Ravi Srinivasan: Tabla (2009,2010,2011) |
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Jyotika Dayal, Kamani Auditorium, Neu Delhi, 17th November 2011 |