Vinaya by Paul Livingstone

Paul plays and endorses Santa Cruz guitars, D'Addario strings and SWR acoustic amplifiers.

Paul has also studied Persian classical music with Hossein Alizadeh, Javanese Gamelan with Pak Djoko Walujo, Macedonian music with Miroslav Tadic, and jazz with Larry Koonse and Charlie Haden. With concert performances in the US, Mexico and Spain, Paul has played with world music and jazz artists such as Swapan Chaudhuri, Geetha Bennett, John Bergamo, Glen Velez, Hossien Alizadeh, Jihad Racy, Poovalur Sriji, Kenny Burrell, Chitravina RaviKiran, Pedro Eustache, Wadada Leo Smith, and Sandip Burman.

Paul is currently collaborating in a creative new ensemble called "Tumbafé" composing new world music and playing sitar with master kora player and griot musician from Guinea, West Africa, Prince Diabaté. This unique and innovative Indo/African quartet was received with tremendous enthusiasm in several events of the World Festival of Sacred Music.

Alongside a community of dedicated individuals Paul has formed and is directing the Sangeet School of World Music and Dance in Los Angeles where he teaches many students on sitar, guitar and classes such as Indian music for Western Instruments and World Traditions of Modal Improvisation. He also contributes his music to film scores and CD recordings including the debut record of Ozomatli and documentary film soundtracks for the Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Additionally, Paul composed and performed the music for the award winning film, "Turbans" currently on festival tour and scheduled to air on PBS shortly. A cd of the Paul's original Turbans soundtrack is now available.

In Winter 2002, Paul's debut record titled "Arohi" will be released. Using a unique variety of traditional and contemporary instruments from around the globe, this collection of original creative world music stirs up a potent blend of traditional and contemporary forms, styles and improvisations. The Arohi Trio features Leonice Shinemann on world percussion drum set and Anand Bennett on mandacello and contrabass who have also created unique instruments that matching their creative and diverse styles of music making. The Arohi Ensemble, additionally features flute virtuoso and world wind phenomenon Pedro Eustache from Venezuela. The group is augmented on occasion by guest artists such as explosive mridangist Poovalur Sriji, Geetha Bennett vocal and veena master from South India and master Yugaslav guitarist Miroslav Tadic. Arohi, a term from Indian music means "an ascending melody".

Paul has received the Artist in the Community grant from the city of Los Angeles for the past two years for producing innovative and educational world music concerts. Paul has conducted music workshops and produced free and low cost concerts of world music and dance events in schools, churches and community centers since 1993. He is committed to making diverse art forms of music and dance available to people of all backgrounds in Los Angeles. This winter Paul is performing regularly with the Arohi Ensemble and conducted a new series of free workshops entitled "Raga Jazz Experience, Contemporary Applications of Indian Music".

This past December Paul performed as the sitar soloist with the Pacific Symphony and Choral for the world premiere of an innovative work by composer Eric Whitacre, "Winter" at the Orange County Center for the Performing Arts for over 3000 people. The concert was subsequently broadcast on KMozart Radio on Christmas Eve.

Most recently, Paul composed and recorded an Indian/hip hop musical score for Swaroop. Swaroop, an innovative Warner Brothers animation short debuted this summer on Cartoon Network and is the first ever Indian/American cartoon.

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