Artists

Melodic Intersect is a world fusion band consisting of a revolving group of musicians who are highly acclaimed in their own solo careers.  From world music to rock, Indian classical music, jazz fusion, hip-hop, folk music to established traditional genres.  This is a list of current & past artists who have either played in our albums or have given live performances with us. Go to our discography here: https://melodicintersect.com/discography/

Enayet is the son and disciple of Ustad Hamid Hossain, a renowned musician based in the United States. He is also the grandson of Ustad Kader Buksh from Murishidabad, India who was a renowned musician/musicologist.  Enayet started learning the art of Tabla at the age of six and has accompanied musicians such as Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pandit Jasraj, Shujaat Khan, Budhaditya Mukherjee, Salamat Ali Khan, Ghulam Mustafa, Ronu Majumdar to name a few, He has traveled extensively throughout the world and has appeared in many albums, which are all available in various digital formats. He is known as a versatile percussionist, easily switching from Indian classical, to light classical and fusion music. He has recently been made a full fledged voting member for the Grammy Awards given out by the Recording Academy. Enayet has been in various world music groups that featured Indian fusion music but decided to start Melodic Intersect in order to create music which resonate with him. Enayet’s record label, Aimrec is one of the few Indian classical music record labels still in existence.

Hans’ unique guitar style blends bebop, fusion, and classical influences with a wide range of world music elements. His unique musical background combines professional experience in diverse styles including jazz, rock, electronic music, and as well as orchestral composition with over 15 years of performance and study of Indian music. Beginning in 1993, Hans lived in India, studying with some of the great living masters of Indian Classical Music, including Ustad Shujaat Khan, Sharad Shaia, Pt. Indra Lal Dandra, and Pt. N. Rajam. Touring with the group Turkana and Latif Bolait expanded his musical horizons to include Arabic, Persian and Central Asian styles. He performs regularly in the United States, India and Europe and is the recipient of sixteen national and international awards and grants , including the Louis Armstrong Outstanding musician award. Hans has produced many albums and is a well known musician in the world music scene.

Multi-dimensional is the word to describe Hidayat Hussain Khan, a master sitar player and vocalist well-versed in the gayaki ang, a style of learning to play the sitar through singing developed by his late father, Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, of the “Imdadkhani-Etawah Gharana”, a lineage spanning seven generations of vocal and instrumental court musicians. Khan, who was trained in the “gayaki ang” from the age of four, also has deep knowledge of voice and composition, in addition to the sitar. Khan has composed several film scores and performed in numerous classical and fusion concerts in Europe, Japan, USA, Canada, South-East Asia and India, independently and in collaboration with the Rolling Stones, Alicia Keys, Usher, Zakir Hussain, Pete Townshend, Will.I.Am, Jay Z and Darryl Jones. Hidayat’s versatility and abilities speak for itself whether he is performing traditional Indian classical music or more progressive, fusion compositions , he is always right at home. Hidayat is at home playing fusion music and has been in the world music scene for many years involved with some of the top fusion artists throughout the world.

Greg Hatza is an American jazz organist born in Reading, Pennsylvania. Hatza started on piano at age five, and switched to organ at age fifteen. He played professionally from age sixteen, working for four years at Lenny Moore’s club. He recorded two full-length albums for Coral Records in the late 1960s with guitarist Eric Gale and drummer Grady Tate, then switched to electric keyboards in the 1970s as the organ’s popularity waned. He returned to playing the organ in the 1990s after hearing Joey DeFrancesco play, and recorded again as a leader with his ensemble The Greg Hatza ORGANization. In Academics, Greg received a degree in composition from the famed Peabody Conservatory and a Master’s degree from Baltimore’s Towson State University where he taught jazz, piano composition, improvisation and music theory for many years. Greg has also learned Indian classical music including sitar and tabla for over 20 years which makes him a terrific fusion artist and has been in the world music music scene since the 1970s.

Santoor Maestro Pt Tarun Bhattacharya has been a pioneering and revolutionary musician who has changed the face of Indian classical music, he has been truly an unparalleled music ambassador of India. One of the most celebrated torch bearers of Indian classical music he has virtually traversed the globe many times over performing in some of most awe inspiring venues and cities as Royal Albert Hall, Palace-de-beaux (Brussels), Theater- De-La-Viile (France), Apollo Theatre (Spain), Jubilee Auditorium (Canada), Kremlin (Russia).The mesmerized list of admirers include Prince Charles, George Harrison, Paolo Solaris and many more of respected figures across the Globe.The famous Maihar Gharana’s only Santoor Maestro, Pandit Bhattacharya has revolutionized Santoor, the instrument, as well as it’s style of play. He displayed for the first time ever (1980) that one could ‘meend’ or glide notes at the lower octave in a hammered instrument like Santoor. The champion maestro changed the art of playing santoor for ever. Tarun has over 100 cds and dvds released throughout the world.

Joy is a native of Bangladesh and has settled in the United States for the last 25 years.  Son of one of the most noted Cinematographers of South-East Asia, Joy has been surrounded with music and films. Joy originally started his journey in music from a rock-n-roll background, Joy was one of the members of a very well known Heavy Metal group in Bangladesh known as “In Dhaka”.  He is a superb sound engineer and has mixed and mastered all of Melodic Intersect’s albums. He continues to mix and master many different projects in the United States.   His abilities on the guitar are unsurpassed and Joy is able to reach into his knowledge of pop, rock, heavy metal and Indian classical music to bring a new dimension into the Melodic Intersect’s roster.  Joy’s brings a mellowed, aesthetic to Melodic Intersect and has also the ability to be a soloist when needed.

Mahroof Sharif, a name that has been perpetually used as one of Afghanistan’s youngest most successful musical talents especially recognized for his creative and fresh approach of keyboard playing. He has toured various countries working with the top tier of Afghanistan’s artists such as Ahmad Wali, Ehsan Aman, Habib Qaderi, Farhad Darya, to name a few. He is currently experimenting with different cultures and communities to blend his unique style and flavor with other genres of music.

Saleiman is of the most sought after tabla players in the Afghan community.  He received his training on the tabla from Ustad Hamid Hossain, a renowned teacher of Indian classical music based in the United States.  He is an accomplished classical musicians who has accompanied several prominent Indian and Pakistani classical musicians.  Saleiman is one of the preferred accompanist of Afghanistan’s legend Ahmad Wali.  He has accompanied all the top tier Afghan musicians and is equally at home playing with classical music, ghazal, folk or lighter music.  He is considered one of the top musicians of his country today.

Avirodh Sharma, one of the leading tabla players from the West Indies, incorporates West Indian rhythmic elements with Indian Classical melodic and percussive overtones, making him extraordinary as a percussionist. Trained by his father, Sharma continued his training with tabla virtuosos, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Anindo Chatterji. His performances have captivated audiences and enthusiasts of all genres of music in India, the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and the United States. Sharma has also been instrumental in creating “Globalstān™” with the vision to bridge the music of the West Indies, India, and the world in a manner that will transcend time and move the listener into the “space between the spaces” to promote peace and harmony.

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, to a family of musicians hailing from the Amritsar gharana (School), Zohaib’s lineage can be traced back six generations of sarangi players. His ancestors include the legendary Ustad Hussain Bakhsh Amritsari (1894-1984), Ustad Nathu Khan (1920-1971), Ustad Peeru Khan(1918-1995) and Ustad Abdul Hameed Khan(1928-1994). One of the finest Sarangi players today, Zohaib has played in many international festivals as an accompanist and soloist.  Zohaib was invited by the Kennedy center in Washington D.C. in 2013 and has played in the prestigious South by Southwest music festival held in Austin, Texas.

Sitar maestro Anjan Chattopadhyay was born in a family of culture and aristocracy, in Calcutta.  He was brought up in an environment of soft, sweet and serene Indian Classical Music.  His elder brother Pandit Gourishankar Chattopadhyay is an eminent surbahar and sitar player belongs to Senia Gharana.  His initial training in sitar could make an indelible impression on Anjan’s mind about the depth of instrument in sound and melody.  Simultaneously, he was having initial vocal training from his elder sister.  Anjan started to feel the fragrance and the pulsation of life in music.  He became more committed to his music and the advancement in sitar playing started rigorously under the tough guidance of his brother.

Robb Lauer is a professional jazz and rock drummer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Beginning his career in the esteemed 451st Army Band, Robb started out touring the globe with the Army Band playing all over the US and Europe. In his time he’s opened for and played with many prestigious artists such as Garth Brooks, Craig Morgan, 311, GONN, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the George Maurer Group as well has recorded albums for Grimtale and Pinata Records. Currently Robb plays with Melodic Intersect, Jiselle McCollum’s Jazz Cult, award-winning revue group Parachute Pandas, psychedelic rock group Narco States, and is currently studying with world-renown educator and drummer Dave Stanoch. He was also recently featured on the NZ Drummer Podcast. Robb plays Twin Cities Drum Collective drums and Meinl cymbals.

Tushar Ahmed is a well-known Rock Band Singer and Bass player. Even though coming from a rock background, he sang several solo and duet in Bangla Movies. He is also a music record producer and a sound engineer. Tushar is also an accomplished singer and was a vocalist and Bass player for the popular rock group In Dhaka of Bangladesh.