Upcoming Events

An afternoon of Poetry is a much-awaited annual event curated by Ambica Sharma as part of Kabir Centre’s NexGen Festival. Through narration of poetry in mulitple languges and an engaging panel discussion on the relevance and influence of poetry on our lives, the event enhances the bridge-building activities of the centre.

Admission Free; donations greatly appreciated.
RSVP: info@centrekabir.com

Garden of Literary Delights is an engaging literary event curated by Veena Gokhale as part of Kabir Centre’s NexGen Festival. Through readings, conversation, and creative exploration, the event invites participants into a vibrant garden of stories, ideas, and imagination, celebrating literature as a space for connection, reflection, and cultural discovery.

Admission Free; RSVP: info@centrekabir.com

Interludes – Ishita Banerjee & Sekhar Roy

Life is a mix of shapes, figures, expressions, moods, and feelings that, once captured on canvas and interpreted through colors and their interactions, represent a creative interlude for an artist within a continuous symphony, reflecting the intensity of life’s movement. The brushstrokes, the choice of colors, and their interactions — which strive to capture and reveal the fluidity of emotions and expressions — shine through in the paintings of these two internationally renowned artists.

VERNISSAGE: THURDDAY 8TH OCTOBER 5 TO 7 PM

EXHIBITION 5-25 OCTOBER 2026
accessible during the opening hours of the centre

FREE ADMISSION 

Long awaited throughout the year, the Music Day of the NexGen MultiArts festival highlights the talents of emerging
Canadian musicians (also some estabished) from the South Asian / Asian communities. The following music will be presented.

Bolbolestan – Urmawi Ensemble – 2:30 pm
In the land of the nightingale, the Urmawi Ensemble, led by Lamia Yared, presents ‘Bolbolestan,’
a program where classical Arab and Persian musical traditions come together. An original work by Showan Tavakol sits alongside
Persian tasnifs, muwashshahât, and improvised pieces, weaving connections between heritage and creativity.

Echoes of the Monsoon – Utkarsha Kale Ensemble – 4 pm
Join us for a North Indian (Hindustani) vocal concert weaving the tale of the rain, the storm, and the earth.
Utkarsha leads an exploration of the path of the monsoon through Indian Ragas and semi-classical melodies, joined by Ninad on Harmonium and Subir on Tabla. Experience a performance that seamlessly blends musical storytelling, the evocative soundscapes of seasonal transformation, and shared human emotion.

Man Kunto Maula Qawwali – Mushfiq Ensemble – 5:15 pm
This Sufi music performance will feature the famous composition “Man Kunto Maula” by Hazrat Amir Khusrow,
as well as selected qawwalis made famous by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The program will include Sufi devotional poetry
in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and Persian, including verses inspired by Rumi. The performance will celebrate the spiritual beauty of
Qawwali, Sufi thought, and traditional devotional music.

ADMISSION FREE; ALL WELCOME!

On this day dedicated to emerging Canadian dancers (and their gurus) from the South Asian community of artists,
the festival presents the following three fascinating events.

Vadya Katha – Mrudanga Ensemble & Enakshi Sinha – 2:30 pm
Vadya Katha, which means Musical Story-telling in Sanskrit, is a mesmerizing Odissi dance production of a style originating from the eastern Indian state of Odisha. It takes you on a rhythmic journey through Odisha’s diverse soundscapes. From the sacred temple rhythms of Puri to the raw earthy beats of Sambalpur’s folk traditions, this production brings to life the voices of 15 different kinds of Percussion instruments – from the lyrical Mrudanga and the vibrant Daskathia, to the electrifying Tassa and beyond.

Kingdom of Cards – Kalavatee Dance Centre – 4 pm
This is an English adaptation (with French translation) of Rabindranath Tagore’s renowned dance drama Tasher Desh (Kingdom of Cards), a powerful and imaginative story of rebellion, freedom, and transformation. Originally written by Tagore from the land of Bengal as a symbolic critique of rigid social structures, the production brings together storytelling, music, and dance in a visually engaging and culturally rich performance. This interpretation blends multiple classical and contemporary dance styles, including Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Manipuri, and contemporary, creating a dynamic and accessible experience for diverse audiences.

Bharatamohanam – Adishankara Academy of Performing Arts – 5:15 pm
This event is an intriguing dialogue of dance, weaving together the elegance of Bharatanatyam and the poise of Mohiniyattam, two classical dance styles from the South of India.

ADMISSION FREE, ALL ARE WELCOME!

Friday, November 20, 2026
Église Saint-Enfant-Jésus du Mile-End
5039 Saint-Dominique Street, Montreal
(across from Parc Lahaie – St-Laurent Blvd., between St-Joseph and Laurier)

Public Transit: Buses 55, 80, 51 – Laurier Metro Station

Parking: ClickPark – behind the church complex at 5043 de Bullion Street (one-way northbound from St-Joseph) 

Tickets: lepointdevente.com [ https://lepointdevente.com/billets/9y9261120001 ]

A legendary figure in Indian music and a pioneer in bridging East and West, L. Shankar ranks among the most remarkable violinists, vocalists and composers of his generation. Rooted in the Carnatic classical tradition of South India, he has pursued an extraordinary career spanning more than five decades, bringing Indian music into a strikingly free-flowing dialogue with jazz, rock and world music.

A virtuoso from childhood, Shankar rose to international prominence in the 1970s, notably alongside John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain and Vikku Vinayakram in Shakti, a groundbreaking ensemble that redefined the boundaries between jazz and Indian music. Cash Box magazine described Shankar and McLaughlin as “the pillars of Shakti, one of the decade’s most innovative musical groups.”

At the heart of his distinctive sound is his spectacular 10-string stereophonic double violin, whose exceptional range allows him to create an almost orchestral palette of colours and textures. His virtuosity deeply impressed Frank Zappa, who declared: “I think Shankar’s probably the best violinist in the world; he’s really incredible.”¹ Over the course of his career, Shankar has collaborated with a constellation of major artists, including Zakir Hussain, Bruce Springsteen, Jan Garbarek, Trilok Gurtu, Frank Zappa, Sting, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel. His distinctive voice and double violin have played a particularly significant role in Gabriel’s musical world, from So and Passion—the soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ—to Secret World Live.

In Montreal, Shankar returns to the essence of his art: Carnatic classical music, driven by raga, improvisation and fascinating rhythmic dialogues. He will be joined by masters of Indian percussion Selvaganesh Vinayakram, on kanjira and mridangam; Amit Kavthekar, on tabla; and Swaminathan Selvaganesh Vinayakram, on kanjira and ghatam.

A rare opportunity to experience “one of the most audacious architects of world music,” as Asia News describes him.

¹ Frank Zappa, interviewed by Michael Branton, BAM Magazine, October 1979.