Navin Chettri's Goonj at DROM

“Goonj" is an idea initiated by Navin Chettri to explore elements of Nepali folk/classical music, West African influences and jazz with some of New York’s finest musicians from various musical backgrounds. The project is an opportunity to exchange musical energies with artists and friends who have been to Kathmandu Jazz Festival (Jazzmandu) and the collaborations they made in Nepal is something they wanted to recreate and share in NYC. In 2015 the band’s performance at the Nepal Earth Quake Relief concert in NYC with Davie Liebman as a featured artist was received with great enthusiasm.
...

read more

“Goonj" is an idea initiated by Navin Chettri to explore elements of Nepali folk/classical music, West African influences and jazz with some of New York’s finest musicians from various musical backgrounds. The project is an opportunity to exchange musical energies with artists and friends who have been to Kathmandu Jazz Festival (Jazzmandu) and the collaborations they made in Nepal is something they wanted to recreate and share in NYC. In 2015 the band’s performance at the Nepal Earth Quake Relief concert in NYC with Davie Liebman as a featured artist was received with great enthusiasm.

The music will feature Navin Chettri, percussionist/vocalist and composer with Jamie Baum - flute, Kenny Warren - trumpet, Pawan Benjamin - saxophone, Matt Moran - Vibraphone, Manu Koch - Piano/Keyboard, and Trifon Dimitrov - bass Navin Chettri is a percussionist, vocalist, composer, educator and the Founder & Artistic Director of The Kathmandu Jazz Festival (Jazzmandu) in Nepal and Artist in Residence / Organizer of the World Music Celebration at the Lionel Hampton School of Music in the US. Chettri is considered to be a pioneer and a driving force behind the growth of Jazz in Nepal. His music is a blend of elements from Nepali folk music, Indian classical influences, West African sounds and jazz. He has shared the stage with musicians from around the world including Sting, Diane Reeves, Bobby McFerrin, Dee Daniels, Claudio Roditti, Tito Puente Jr, and Magda Giannikou, to name a few.

“Any band is only ever as good as its drummer and this one is surprisingly good”. Sting, Walking on the Moon, Men’s Journal (England) “Chettri is a gifted chant-and-scat vocalist and a creative drummer whose foundations constantly elevate even average performances from other players.” Mark Sabbatini

show less