Gypsy At Heart

The music of Gypsy At Heart weaves a fusion of eclectic musical genres from East Indian Ragas and Middle Eastern scales, to Latin, Celtic, European Classical, and American Folk and Jazz.  Original
compositions and improvisations take audiences on a musical journey; blending improvisations that are spacial, and beautiful; flowing into movements that are breathtaking in intricacy and speed.  The group presents progressive, unique soundscapes and arrangements. 

Souryadeep Bhattacharyya is a well-known name among the new generation of Indian classical musicians in the field of sarod. A "Gandabandhan” disciple of the legendary sarodiya Pt.Alok Lahiri, he has an unique and versatile playing style encompassing the Maihar, Shahjahanpur and Gwalior gharanas of sarod. Souryadeep has many awards and honors to his credit including the National Gold Medal in Instrumental Music from the Association of Indian Universities, “Pt. Nikhil Banerjee Memorial Trophy for the Best Instrumental Performer” by the Dover Lane Music Conference and is a B-High grade permanent artist affiliated with All India Radio and is also an IndianRaga Senior Fellow (2014) and Creative Director (2015). Souryadeep has been recently empanelled as a performing artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Govt. of India.

Louis Romanos studied percussion under Idris Muhammad, Johnny Vidacovich and Art Perretta.  At nineteen he moved from Connecticut to go to the birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans to study music and philosophy.  Louis has since performed and recorded with a number of renowned musicians including Tommy James (Director of the  Duke Ellington Orchestra), Gene Bertoncini, Steve Masakowski, Chuck Leavell, Keith Richards, John Mayer, Charles and Cyril Neville, Al Hirt, Dave Easley of Brian Blade’s Fellowship Band, Charlie Miller of Dr. John’s band, Jazz Legend Earl Turbinton, Tricia Boutte, Marva Wright and  Dave Anderson of the Louisiana Philharmonic and many, many more.  As a Composer, Louis writes for live bands, dance, TV, video games, indie movies and commercials.  Louis’s commissioned works include 5 works for the Confederacy of Dances performance in New Orleans at the Contemporary Arts Center, Take Me There, for the University of Monroe guitar ensemble and a piece for Mirari Brass Quintet.   Louis wrote Light Waves for visual artist and Chicago producer, Nancy Bechtol, and together they have a work on Culture T.V.  Louis also composed about a dozen pieces for C-E-N-T-E-R, a collaborative project between visual artists and composers, in Los Angeles, California.   Additionally, his composition, Tyco at the Gates was licensed to the major motion picture, Cool It.

Jeremiah Raj has a love for playing improvisational music as an integral part of his musical journey. While he always enjoyed creating his own music growing up, he began formally studying "jazz" guitar as a teenager, performing in jazz combos and big bands through college, and earning a minor in jazz guitar from Mercer University. The expressive freedom within that "genre" inspired him to constantly seek new textures and sounds with which to create. Since college he has begun performing on other stringed instruments including ukulele, banjo, sitar, and oud. Embracing multiple musical instruments and influences has led Jeremy to perform with a wide range of musicians and styles.

Together these musicians weave many music background influences, of many cultures, into a tapestry that is an inspiring musical extravaganza!