Musicians in the Museum: Tarun Balani
Conversations and a Vinyl Listening Session on cultural memory, migration & the making of music
How do cultural legacies endure through music as people, traditions and contexts move across borders?
In this edition of Musicians in the Museum, composer and drummer Tarun Balani reflects on these questions through his album Kadahin Milandaasin ڪڏهن ملنداسين (Sindhi for “When will we meet?”). A deeply personal work, the album draws on the life and legacy of his late grandfather, K.S. Balani, a celebrated Sindhi post-modern writer and painter. Through music, Tarun explores his relationship with Sindhi identity, ancestral memory and the experience of migration.
The programme will begin with a conversation facilitated by IME’s Programmes Manager Sarvar Kahlon on Tarun’s personal and artistic journey, his creative process and the influences that have shaped his work. This will be followed by a guided listening session, featuring selections from Kadahin Milandaasin and other works from his repertoire, alongside music and sounds that have informed his practice.
Through conversation and listening, audiences will gain insight into how personal histories and cultural inheritances can find expression in contemporary music.
About the Artist: Tarun Balani
Tarun Balani is a composer, drummer, artist and educator whose work brings together improvisation, composition, performance and technology. His music moves across contemporary jazz and electronic sound, often exploring themes of identity, migration, memory and the environment.
His recent albums include the critically acclaimed Kadahin Milandaasin and Where the Ice Meets the Water. His sound installation Listening Room reflects deeply personal experiences of climate anxiety and ecological grief, while also emphasizing the possibility of hope in a changing world. Through his recordings and live performances, Balani creates immersive musical experiences that draw on personal narratives, cultural influences and contemporary sound.
About the Album: Kadahin Milandaasin ڪڏهن ملنداسين
Kadahin Milandaasin, meaning “When Will We Meet Again?”, is an album inspired by Tarun Balani’s late grandfather, K.S. Balani, a prominent Sindhi writer and painter. Drawing on family history, Sindhi culture and the experience of migration, the album explores how music can hold memories of people, places and traditions across generations.
Described by The Hindu as a “sonic love letter to Sindh”, Kadahin Milandaasin brings together musical influences rooted in Sindhi culture and folk traditions with contemporary composition and sound. The work offers a way to engage with a cultural history shaped by displacement, memory and the connections people maintain with the places they come from.
The work brings together contemporary jazz, ambient electronic music and sonic storytelling to create a personal reflection on identity, belonging and cultural inheritance. It has received international recognition, with features on NPR Music, JazzTimes and Bandcamp’s Best of Jazz 2025.
About the Series: Musicians in the Museum
Musicians in the Museum is a series of artist conversations at the Indian Music Experience Museum that offers audiences an opportunity to understand the people and experiences behind the music. Through conversations with musicians from different genres and generations, the series explores their personal, professional and artistic journeys – from their early influences and formative experiences to their creative processes, challenges and evolving practices.
Previous editions have featured artists including Indian Ocean, Sumangala Damodaran, Divyam Sodhi and Khwaab. The series creates a space for audiences to engage with musicians beyond the stage and gain a deeper understanding of the stories, ideas and influences that shape their work.
Date and time:
29 November 2026, Sunday
05:00 PM
Venue:
IME Museum,
JP Nagar 7th phase,
Bengaluru – 560078
Registration:
Click Here
Ticket: Free to attend with RSVP