Ravi and Shashi Bellare Arts Foundation

06/18/2025

Young Vigneya takes the stage at FOT24! Just see his expressions and love for the instrument.

Vigneya Sastry presents a Tabla solo, accompanied by Pratyush Goberdhan on Sarangi.Vigneya SastryStudent and son of Shri Anjaneya SastrySeven-year-old Vigney...

08/19/2024

Gaayatri is up to something very creative! Listen to the music of the Maihar Gharana come alive in a new way today at 5pm PST....

Happy Janmashtami 2024! Hope this song brings you into the loving mood of celebrating Lord Krishna. Very special thanks to Mr. Yaduraj Singh ji for letting u...

07/30/2024

I never imagined in a million years that I would have the opportunity to even see artists like Swapanji without binoculars let alone sit with him and talk with him so freely. I am also thanking FOT for this opportunity as it’s not myself or Mona Kotecha or our team that is making this event happen, it is a divine energy that takes over us and is giving the courage and strength to work tirelessly to make it happen. I feel my Guruji’s are guiding me and giving me ideas and when I get to FOT I forget where I am and who I am. It is a surreal experience.

Having the festival at Soka Performing Arts Center was a game changer and the campus energy is so different. The staff that was there from beginning to end helping us was nothing short of a miracle. We’ve never experienced this sort of support from any other venue.

Thank you everyone for wonderful posts about your experience at the festival. It means a lot to us and helps us stay motivated!

With love, Rupesh, Mona and the entire FOT team.

07/25/2024

Listen to Shubha Chandramouli on KPFK 90.7FM represent the Festival of Tabla ( https://www.kpfk.org/player/ ) on Thursday July 25th between 11am to 1pm on the Global Village Thursdays Broadcast with John Schneider the host. Get your tickets now for the Festival of Tabla this weekend July 27th and July 28th in Aliso Viejo as the Soka Performing Arts Center

07/23/2024

At the beginning of the year we set a goal of raising $108,000 in donations for FOT 24. We are only $18,101 away and need help to the finish line. Every donation is important.

Donate if you can! Thank you to everyone who has supported this epic and historic festival about to take place this weekend at the SOKA Performing Soka Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo, California.

https://givebutter.com/fot24

07/21/2024

Absolutely incredible offer:

216 students are invited to the Festival of Tabla and an very generous anonymous donor is covering the cost of the tickets!

Get your free pass ($93 value) by emailing
[email protected]
- first and last name
- ⁠email address
- ⁠cell number
- ⁠picture of your current student ID
- ⁠which day you want to attend: July 27 or 28

Lunch, Chaitime and Dinner are included.

See festivaloftabla.com for details.

Offer ends Sunday July 21st 11:59pm

Festival of Tabla is the largest Indian Classical Music festival on the west coast.

07/11/2024

Only a a hand full of seats left in Stage Center! If you're planning on coming then don't wait around to buy tickets! You know the website! Black spots available.

07/05/2024

A man of his word.
Our good friend and a board member of the Ravi & Shashi Bellare Arts Foundation, Mr. Bharat Maru, has kept his word. “प्राण जाए पर वचन न जाए” is his moto which literally means that you may loose your life but your promise should always be kept no matter what the life's circumstances.

Last year Bharat and his wife had already donated a good amount to the Festival but when he heard that this could be our last festival due to funding, by surprise he got up up on stage and announced that he would match whatever funds were donated by the festival attendees and that too without a cap (which I'm sure he wishes he hadn't ). This matching offer inspired the audience and donations started to come in. By the end of the two days we had collected an additional $27,917 in donations and this meant that Bharat would have to match it.

We are happy to say that Bharat not only matched the $27,917 but gave an additional $10,000 to make sure that this festival continues. In all he gave $37,917 of his own funds. Besides that he helped raise and establish lifetime donors who will donate a $1000 each year. Without what Bharat did last year, and I'm not trying to overshadow all the other support we got, we have to say that the Festival would not have survived. He also announced that day that FOT 25 would be bigger and better and his vision has come true. We will be at the prestigious SOKA Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo on July 27 & 28. Buy your tickets today https://www.festivaloftabla.com

Since the festival in 2023 Bharat has joined our board for the sole purpose of raising funds to sustain the Festival of Tabla for years to come and this past week on June 30th he and his wife Ullasini hosted an amazing fundraiser at their home for FOT 24 in which we raised $19,339 in hand and then have pending pledges of $27,000. Read my next post on this wonderful event.....

Thank you Bharat and Ullasini for your amazing generosity for supporting the Festival of Tabla and helping us continue this historic event in California this year and future years. The artist community thanks you. May Mata Saraswati bless you always.

JaiGuru
Rupesh, Mona and the FOT Board of Directors and Team

07/05/2024

The only place I can think of where you would see this many artists in one weekend would be Coachella. Missing the Festival of Tabla this year on July 27 & 28 would be like missing the biggest Indian Classical Music event that has ever happened in California's history. I'm pretty sure of it.

Tickets are selling and you should grab yours today on https://www.festivaloftabla.com

Artist - Instrument
Aakash Pujara - Bansuri Accompaniment
Aashray Harishankar -Composer, Rolli Keyboard
Aditya Ranade - Vocal
Ahilan Hatti - Santoor Accompaniment
Amit Kotecha - Dhol, Dholak Accompaniment
Anand Vemuri - Bansuri Solo
Anjaneya Sastry - Tabla Accompaniment
Arvind Kumar Azad - Tabla Solo
Ayanna Kannan - Leela Dance Collective Workshop
Chirag Dixit - Sarangi Accompaniment
Chris Votek - Cello, Composer
Dave Lewis - Drums
Deepti Ravidath - Carnatic Vocalist
Dharini Desai - Bharatanatyam
Dilzafer Singh - Tabla Solo
Gaayatri Kaundinya - Naad Yoga Workshop
Gita Desai - Raga Unvailed Documentary
Javad Butah - Tabla Accompaniment
Jayanta Banerjee - Sitar Accompaniment
Kaavya Valiveti - Harmonium Accompaniment
Kashvi Ranjan - Kathak Workshop
Kevin Moran - Drums, Electronic Music Workshop
Khushi Patel - Kathak Workshop
Kirti Dave - Harmonium
Lakshminarayana V Pisupati - Violin
Leonice Shinneman - Tabla Solo
Mehar-Jot Singh Sagoo - Tabla Accompaniment
Nandini Kannan - Bharatanatyam Arpana Dance Company
Neelamjit Dhillon - Tabla Solo
Nilan Chaudhuri - Tabla Duet
Noopur Dave - Gujarati Folk Vocalist
Pali Kalsi - Jori Duet
Pandit Arvind Kumar Azad - Tabla Solo
Pankaj Mishra - Sarangi Solo
Paul Livingstone - Sitar, Guitar, Workshop
Peter Jacobson - Cello
Prabh Hunjan - Jori
Pratyush Goberdhan - Violin
Rajen Sukhadia - Bollywood Music Workshop
Ramya Harishankar - Workshop Arpana Dance Company
Randal Fisher - Flute, Saxaphone
Ray Belli - Drum Workshop
Rekha Dave - Gujarati Folk Vocalist
Rewa Rawat - Kathak Documentary
Robin Sukhadia - Bollywood Workshop
Rohan Ramanan - Vocal Workshop
Ruhi Bhagat - Kathak Workshop
Rukhmani Mehta - Kathak Solo
Rupa Kotecha - Manjira
Salar Nader - Tabla Solo, Afghan Percussion Workshop
Sasha Salvi - Leela Dance Collective Workshop
Sathya Ramesh - Mrindungum
Seema Barua - Leela Dance Collective Workshop
Shibani Patnaik - Odissi Dance Workshop
Shivam Sudame - Tabla
Shubha Chandramouli - Mridungam
Shyam Ravidath - Mridungam
Smita Narasimhan - Kathak Workshop
Sudhakar Vaidyanathan - Tabla Duet
Sushma Kashyap Pawan - Vocal
Swapan Chaudhuri - Tabla Solo
Ted Morano - Guitar Workshop
Varenya Sastry - Tabla Accompaniment
Vigneya Sastry - Tabla Solo
Vinay Sharma - Harmonium / Veda Chanting
Visalini Sundaram - Arpana Dance Company
Visham Pathak - Sitar
Vishnu R - Navtar - Navatar
Vivek Pandya - Tabla
Yadnesh Raikar - Violin

Festival of Tabla is the largest Indian Classical Music festival on the west coast.

06/27/2024

Listen to Salar Nader on KPFK 90.7FM represent the Festival of Tabla ( https://www.kpfk.org/player/ ) tomorrow between 11am to 1pm on the Global Village Thursdays Broadcast with John Schneider the host. Salar's spot is at noon.

Salar is performing 3 times at FOT this year where he will be accompanying Rukhmani Mehta for Kathak, Playing an authentic Tabla Solo and also giving a workshop and sharing various Afghan instruments and rhythmic traditions. Get your tickets now for the Festival of Tabla only a month away on July 27th and July 28th in Aliso Viejo as the Soka Performing Arts Center

Salar will become the first Afghan Soloist to perform at FOT!

06/25/2024

The Festival of Tabla supports the LGBTQ+ community of artists. Come and enjoy artists from all around the World on our un-biased and all inclusive stage at the Festival of Tabla on July 27 & 28!

Love All Serve All

06/02/2024

The Festival of Tabla is now less than two months away. We've had a few changes in artists and here is the new poster. Unfortunately Ustad Shahbaz Hussain, Roopa Panesar and Krushna Salunke will not perform this year as their artist visa's have not been received yet. The FOT team along with the artists have had to make a tough decision and have no option but to postpone their performances to a later date. The show must go on and we have some amazing artists who have taken their place!

Buy your tickets today https://www.festivaloftabla.com