Across the Indian classical spectrum, musicians are struggling to retain audiences without betraying their ancient traditions. Ayaan Ali Khan and Amaan Ali Khan are India’s biggest classical music rock-stars. On the one hand, they have inherited their father Amjad Ali Khan’s six-generation Sarod legacy, while on the other hand, they have introduced innovations in response to the digital age. We will have an informal conversation about the culture of the Sarod and Hindustani classical music, and how it is evolving in response to globalization. Dr. Afroz Taj is an associate professor at UNC with research and teaching centering around South Asian media, with emphasis on the film industry and television. His book, The Court of Indra and the Rebirth of North Indian Drama, explores the origins of the Urdu-Hindi musical theater in mid-nineteenth-century Lucknow. Dr. Taj’s accolades include the Institute for the Arts and Humanities Fellowship and UNC’s Course Enrichment Grant for First-Year Seminar, “Media Masala.” John Caldwell is a teaching associate professor in Hindi-Urdu in UNC’s Department of Asian Studies. His research interests include South Asian film and media culture, the music of South Asia, comparative musicology, among many others. He’s co-directed the UNC Summer in India Study Abroad Program since 1999. Please join Professor Taj and Professor Caldwell for a pre-performance talk at 6:00 pm. Following the talk, the Honors Carolina Student Association will distribute a limited number of tickets to Raga Rock-stars: Tradition and Modernity on the Sarod which will take place at Memorial Hall at 7:30 pm. RSVP here.