Weaving a rich sonic tapestry

Acts taking the stage at the Esplanade include RaghaJazz, Shaan and The F16s

- Eddino Abdul Hadi

From pop and jazz to indie rock and Bollywood music, Esplanade's Kalaa Utsavam - Indian Festival of Arts 2024 which runs from Nov 15 to 24 and celebrates Indian arts and culture during the festive period of Deepavali - will feature a variety of contemporary music acts.

The Straits Times speaks to three outfits set to take the stage: Singaporean jazz fusion group RaghaJazz; Indian singer Shaan, a familiar voice in multiple Bollywood films; and Chennai-based indie rock band The F16s.

To mark their 15th year, RaghaJazz's concerts at Esplanade Recital Studio on Nov 22 and 23 will showcase the organic development and collaborative nature of the home-grown band, who are known blending for contemporary jazz with Indian classical music.

The group is led by bansuri player Raghavendran Rajasekaran, better known as Ragha. He says in a Zoom interview that his aim has always been to create a sound that is unique to Singapore.

"I just wanted to present music that expresses a Singapore sound," the 36-year-old says of their songs, which have been included in the music syllabuses of Singapore's primary and secondary schools.