Steve Oda
Encyclopedia
Steve Oda is a sarod
e player, composer and teacher of the classical music of North India
.
A Canadian of Japanese ancestry, Steve Oda, began his musical education at the age of seven, learning to play slide guitar
and then jazz guitar
. His love of creativity through musical expression led him to the classic music of North India and the sarod
e. His classical training started in 1971 under the guidance of Ustad Aashish Khan
, and from 1973 onwards under Aashish's father, the world-renowned maestro, Dr. Ali Akbar Khan
.
In 1996, Steve received a Canada Council
Artists Grant to pursue intensive studies at and advanced level with Ali Akbar Khan and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area
in 1998. There he served for two years as Executive Director of the Ali Akbar College of Music
in San Rafael, California
.
Among the many performances Steven has given include special invitations from the Ali Akbar College of Music
, the Asian Art Museum, the Ragmala Association of Canada, the University of Toronto
, and the Spirit of India Festival.
He has performed with such notable artists as Pandit Sharda Sahai, Bob Becker (Nexus), Anubrata Chatterjee, Vineet Vyas, Ravi Naimpally (TASA), Ty Burhoe
, Stephen Bacchus and Betty Moon
. Also on stage, Steven has been honored to accompany artists including Maestro Ali Akbar Khan
, Ustad Aashish Khan
and Pandit Anindo Chatterjee
.
Steve has performed at his teachers college in California as well as numerous Canadian cities from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Victoria, British Columbia
. The demand for his playing, continues to increase in places like Chicago
, New York
, Paris
, Amsterdam
, Spain
, Sweden
, Australia
, New Zealand
and now in Japan
.
He currently resides in San Rafael, California
, actively teaching and performing the beautiful music of North India.
Sarod
The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
e player, composer and teacher of the classical music of North India
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
.
A Canadian of Japanese ancestry, Steve Oda, began his musical education at the age of seven, learning to play slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
and then jazz guitar
Jazz guitar
The term jazz guitar may refer to either a type of guitar or to the variety of guitar playing styles used in the various genres which are commonly termed "jazz"...
. His love of creativity through musical expression led him to the classic music of North India and the sarod
Sarod
The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
e. His classical training started in 1971 under the guidance of Ustad Aashish Khan
Aashish Khan
Aashish Khan Debsharma is an eminent Indian classical musician, known for his virtuosity on the Sarod. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006 in the 'Best World Music' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode"...
, and from 1973 onwards under Aashish's father, the world-renowned maestro, Dr. Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
.
In 1996, Steve received a Canada Council
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
Artists Grant to pursue intensive studies at and advanced level with Ali Akbar Khan and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
in 1998. There he served for two years as Executive Director of the Ali Akbar College of Music
Ali Akbar College of Music
The Ali Akbar College of Music is the name of three schools founded by Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan to teach Indian classical music. The first was founded in 1956 in Calcutta, India. The second was founded in 1967 in Berkeley, California, but moved to its current location in San Rafael,...
in San Rafael, California
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
.
Among the many performances Steven has given include special invitations from the Ali Akbar College of Music
Ali Akbar College of Music
The Ali Akbar College of Music is the name of three schools founded by Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan to teach Indian classical music. The first was founded in 1956 in Calcutta, India. The second was founded in 1967 in Berkeley, California, but moved to its current location in San Rafael,...
, the Asian Art Museum, the Ragmala Association of Canada, the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, and the Spirit of India Festival.
He has performed with such notable artists as Pandit Sharda Sahai, Bob Becker (Nexus), Anubrata Chatterjee, Vineet Vyas, Ravi Naimpally (TASA), Ty Burhoe
Ty Burhoe
Ty Burhoe is an American tabla player, record company owner and live concert producer.Ty Burhoe has been a disciple of the great tabla maestro, Ustad Zakir Hussain, since 1990. From that time forward, Ty has been dedicated to music, not just as a career but as a life path...
, Stephen Bacchus and Betty Moon
Betty Moon
Betty Moon is a Toronto-born Canadian singer/songwriter, producer, and filmmaker currently living in Los Angeles. Having completed her fifth album entitled “Rollin’ Revolution” she has worked with notable musicians including Kenny Aronoff, Yogi Lonich, Wes Scantlin, Glenn Milchem, Gavin Brown and...
. Also on stage, Steven has been honored to accompany artists including Maestro Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
, Ustad Aashish Khan
Aashish Khan
Aashish Khan Debsharma is an eminent Indian classical musician, known for his virtuosity on the Sarod. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006 in the 'Best World Music' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode"...
and Pandit Anindo Chatterjee
Pandit Anindo Chatterjee
Pandit Anindo Chatterjee is an Indian tabla player. He performed at Rashtrapati Bhavan when US president Barack Obama visited India in November 2010.-External links:*...
.
Steve has performed at his teachers college in California as well as numerous Canadian cities from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. The demand for his playing, continues to increase in places like Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and now in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
He currently resides in San Rafael, California
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, actively teaching and performing the beautiful music of North India.
"Steve Oda was a student of the legendary Maestro Ali Akbar KhanAli Akbar KhanAli Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
for more than 35 years before his guru's passing last year. Khan and Ravi ShankarRavi ShankarRavi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
were the men primarily responsible for bringing India's rich musical traditions from East to West. Oda plays the sarodSarodThe sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
e, a 25-string instrument that is arguably the most beautiful luteLuteLute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
in the world. In Persian, the word sarode translates to beautiful sound. The deeply emotive and highly expressive sounds of the sarode make it among the most pleasant instruments to listen to, even if you know nothing about Indian music. It is considered one of the most challenging instruments to master, but in the hands of a guru like Oda, the sarode is capable of transporting the listener to a higher place."
Discography
- 2011: Steve Oda on Sarode, Classical Ragas of India - Steve Oda (sarode), Debopriyo Sarkar (tabla), Pushpa Oda (Tanpura)
- 2010: India & Africa: A Tribute to John Coltrane - Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra
- 2007: Ragas of North India - Steve Oda (Sarode), Michael Lewis (Tabla), Pushpa Oda (Tanpura)
- 2006: Invocation - Ty Burhoe - Tala Records
- 2005: Classical North Indian Music - Steve Oda (sarode), Anubrata Chatterjee (tabla)
- 2004: Marwa - Steve Oda (Sarode), Debopryo Sarkar (Tabla), Pushpa Oda (Tanpura) - Ohm Productions
External links
- Ali Akbar College of Music
- Steve Oda at Facebook
- Steve Oda at MySpace
- [ AllMusic.com]
- Steve Oda on YouTube