District of Raga (DoR) was launched in January 2017 with a vision of creating space for practitioners and lovers of Indian classical music to gather for musical dialogue within the Washington, D.C. The inspiration to create this platform came from the successful collective of musicians in NYC known as Brooklyn Raga Massive. Prior to the pandemic, DoR was held at Bossa Bistro & Lounge in Adams Mor
gan on the last Wednesday of every month. The event showcased a local or visiting featured artist, with a focus on presenting traditional Indian classical music as well as multi-cultural sounds intersecting with Raga-inspired music. Through our platform, District of Raga strives to have a deep and consistent impact on our community of artists and audiences. Since 2017, DoR has presented over 60 curated concerts, live streams, events, and educational workshops. DoR has been featured in the IlluminAsia Festival at Smithsonian’s Freer Sackler Gallery and in collaboration with The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage as a co-presenter. DoR is honored to be one of 22 individuals/organizations in DC selected to be in the inaugural class of The Kennedy Center’s Culture Caucus. District of Raga is volunteer-run, curated, and organized by co-founders and local musicians Nistha Raj & Avi Shah. District of Raga is committed to:
● Connecting artists to audiences
● Building community through collaboration with artists, audiences, and organizations
● Recognizing and presenting artistic excellence and extraordinary musicianship
● Including educational opportunities
● Being inclusive of all people and backgrounds
● Preserving the performing arts and culture of South Asia.
