With Shuruaat, the Berklee Indian Ensemble Begins a New Chapter Berklees in-house Indo-jazz superstars celebrate their first decade and step into the future with their debut album.
By
John Mirisola
July 21, 2022
The Berklee Indian Ensemble
Image by Mike Ritter
Depending on how you look at it, the road to the Berklee Indian Ensembles first album, Shuruaat (Hindi for beginning), was either impossible, or it was inevitable.
Shuruaat album cover
Design by Nikhil Kaul
On the one hand, there were countless hurdles. Take, for instance, the business challenges of a small academic institute working out an international music publishing deal with Sony Music India, or developing fair revenue-sharing contracts with some hundred collaborators. Then theres the sheer unprecedented trajectory of this homegrown college ensemble evolving organically over 10 years into a YouTube phenomenon, now ready to enter yet another new stage as a professional 11-piece collective.
But on the other hand, theres the music itself, with all its inevitable charisma. Watching any one of those performances that have attracted so many millions of viewers, seeing how skillfully the ensemble flows through styles, collaborators, languages, and moods, balancing immense talent with serious fun, its no great mystery how the group, led by Berklee India Exchange Artistic Director Annette Philip B.M. '09, found the conviction to persevere through those seemingly impossible challenges and arrive at this new beginning.
The main thing that has always pushed us are two questions: what if? and why not? Philip explains. We were constantly told by industry professionals, especially who work in India: This is going to be an uphill task. When we got to the 10-year anniversary [of the ensemble], however, I just felt like, you know what, just because it might be hard is not a good enough reason to not do this, or not even not try.
From a Blank Canvas to a YouTube Phenomenon Those two questions-what if? and why not?-have been with the group from the beginning, when Philip was given a blank canvas to create a new ensemble or academic offering at Berklee. She knew the answer immediately: There were these little pockets of Indian music that were being explored more on a theory side or a composition side, but no performing collective that was exploring Indian music in all of its varied forms. So she founded the Berklee Indian Ensemble as a vocal group in 2011, and over its first few years, the ensemble blossomed into a full band that students returned to term after term.
Part of the groups appeal has always been its inclusive spirit. Its a porous collective, Philip says, a space where no matter what your cultural or musical background is, you are able to bring your perspective and your voice into the music, and thats got to flavor the overall sound.... Right from the beginning, the goal was: yes, it is Indian music, but it is a global Indian sound that we are going to create together.
That was a sound that audiences around the globe-and across the internet-responded to. The groups second-ever YouTube video, 2014s interpretation of A. R. Rahmans Jiya Jale, went viral overnight, and within a week had racked up more than a million views. As of today, the song is approaching 53 million views, and is the most popular video on Berklees YouTube channel. And as the millions of views on subsequent videos have proven, that early success was far from a fluke.
Watch the Berklee Indian Ensembles viral hit Jiya Jale:
A New Beginning Ten years on, much has changed for the ensemble. In 2021, the group, which had organically developed a core lineup of 11 musicians-some of whom had been playing with the ensemble since its inception-transitioned from an academic offering to Berklees first professional touring outfit. The ensemble will now focus on raising the schools global profile through its own performances, workshops, and outreach. Meanwhile, students will have access to the ensembles spiritual successor, the South Asian Ensemble, which they can participate in without needing to square the demands of a full-time touring band with the rigors of a Berklee education.
Shuruaat, which collects 10 of the groups most memorable YouTube performances into a cohesive musical journey, is a monument to what the ensemble managed to accomplish through its first decade. Featuring four original compositions alongside covers and collaborations with legends including tabla master Zakir Hussain '19H, singers Shankar Mahadevan and Vijay Prakash, and Bollywood icon Shreya Ghoshal, it really is a full spectrum of what the ensemble has created as a team, as a family, over the last 10, 11 years, says Philip. It includes 98 musicians from 39 countries. And this 98 is only a glimpse-a small glimpse-into the almost 500 people whove been part of the ensemble over the years.
We want our students and our alumni to know that they have rights, and they have to be treated correctly, no matter who their collaborator is.
- Annette Philip, Artistic Director, Berklee India Exchange
The album also marks a milestone in ethical music business practices. We have set up Berklees first-and probably one of the worlds first-equitable, just revenue sharing systems, Philip explains. Weve talked to many music supervisors, music rights activists, etc..., to find a really fair way for everyone who is part of the album-not just the performers, but also the producers, arrangers, and any engineers who are not already paid as a work-for-hire-to share in the albums continued success through a prorated revenue share. For life. Its a radical model that Philip says she hopes sets a precedent for the rest of the music industry. We want our students and our alumni to know that they have rights, and they have to be treated correctly, no matter who their collaborator is.
Ultimately, these thoughtf
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
12/11/2026
RTL Deutschland will bring the NHL to free-to-air TV in Germany starting Nov. 30...
12/11/2026
Clear-Com supported On Air 2026, a 24-hour student-led broadcast connecting 45 u...
12/11/2026
uniqFEED has opened a Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Madrid, Spain. It is already operational, delivering virtual advertising for LaLiga matches. The ROC is ...
12/11/2026
Disney, ESPN and the NBA will present Dunk the Halls, the third real-time animated NBA game using Sony's Beyond Sports data visualization technology, on Chr...
12/11/2026
Van Wagner has launched Van Wagner RELAY, a digital platform for official athlet...
12/11/2026
Deal brings together two of the industry's most established graphics brands and significantly expands Vizrt's footprint in U.S. sports and regional broa...
12/11/2026
Euro TV Production GmbH of Austria has upgraded its outside broadcast vehicle with Lawo technology. The mc 36 Classic console in service since 2019 was replaced...
12/11/2026
Tagboard has launched Spark Resize, an AI-assisted tool now in beta that takes an existing graphic and produces a new version for a different aspect ratio or sc...
With Shuruaat, the Berklee Indian Ensemble Begins a New Chapter Berklees in-house Indo-jazz superstars celebrate their first decade and step into the future with their debut album.
