Watersmeet: A Meeting Between South Asian & Western Musicians

‘Watersmeet’ is a suite of new music composed and arranged by Mohamed Assani for Vancouver’s Indian Summer Festival.

This project brought to life a musical collaboration between Hindustani and Western musicians as a metaphoric meeting between rivers. Individually, rivers are distinct, with their specific sources, discernible shapes, and colors, but when they meet (as in this collaboration), they come together in a way that makes it impossible to deconstruct.

The group consisted of Hindustani musicians, members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and jazz musicians. ‘Watersmeet’ offered a vision of plurality, fluidity, and joy that is sorely needed in the world. It was performed and filmed at Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre in July 2021 for the annual Indian Summer Festival.

Mohamed Assani – Composer, Arranger & Sitarist
Violin – Jeanette Bernal-Singh
Viola – Sarah Kwok
Cello – Cristian Markos
Electric Bass – JeanSe Le Doujet
Tabla – Amarjeet Singh
Drums & Percussion – Liam Mc Donald

Thank you to Canada Council for the Arts for their support in creating the music.

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