Roshni Samlal + Kane Mathis

Spiral Music presents acoustic music every Wednesday evening at the base of the Museum’s spiral staircase. Artists who specialize in music from the Himalayas and South Asia are invited to forge a connection between their music and the art in the galleries.

About the Performers

Roshni Samlal is a New York”“based tabla player who hails from the West Indies, where she was initiated into the ancient tradition of Indian classical music by her vocalist father. She has continued her tutelage in the Benares style of tabla playing under Shri Tapan Modak and is currently a student of Pt. Anindo Chatterjee. While her passion is Indian classical tabla, she has played folk, jazz, and other genres. Samlal has performed at notable local venues such as Pianos, The Knitting Factory, The Bitter End, The Shrine, and Tea Lounge.

Kane Mathis (kora, oud) began making trips to The Gambia, Africa, in 1996 to live with a family with a long lineage of musicians, studying primarily with Malamini Jobarteh. Mathis holds a diploma from the Tiramang Traditional Music School in The Gambia and has performed on the country’s national television and radio. In 2011 Mathis became the first non-African to be endorsed by the Gambian National Center for Arts and Culture. He has also studied at the ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory in Istanbul and completed a five-year apprenticeship with oud virtuoso Münir Beken. He is a 2010 Earshot Jazz album of the year winner and a recipient of the 2012 Chamber Music America grant.