Our Story

In Simple form:

    Tyagaraja, a conscientious singer/songwriter with a strong artistic vision from the Houston/Austin area, who independently produced his own 2 albums and toured all over the U.S. He is setting up for his 2nd tour to India and needs to reach a goal of $3,501.00 to cover expenses from 11-29-11 to 2-7-12, spanning major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and more.  Tyagaraja has teamed up with a group of musicians and teachers from Pune, India that will accompany him as a backing band and will also be touring with his wife Gunjen Mittal, a  classically trained Indian dancer, who brings the performance art aspect to the band. The purpose is to bring a powerfully uplifting show to the East, unlike any other show ever experienced by the Indian masses and to garner support for his future visions of positively shaping humanity.  

More about Tyagaraja:

    Tyagaraja is a dynamic and inspirational artist with a sincere message of love. His live performances are transcendental experiences leaving the participant with complete sensory overload. Tyagaraja has been given his name by his South Indian teacher and uses his travels, philosophy and emotion in each and every song, performance, and interaction with the world.

The Impact

The end goal of everything Tyagaraja engages in is to benefit others. When Tyagaraja opens his mouth to sing, it is the energy in his lyrics and the passion from his voice that has the power to enliven the hearts of anyone listening.  Participants of Tyagaraja's shows have said, "I seriously feeling like I'm a better person for having seen your show!" The impact is real and global. The thriving arts and music scene in India will be warmly welcoming of Tyaga's music and his vision because of the fusion of his western music and understanding of Indian philosophies and culture. Tyagaraja hopes to positively impact the lives of young Indian people just as he touches the lives of those in the US. There's also the vision of filming a short documentary of all the shows, travels and interviews with various artists/musicians in the scene as well as the audience members. The purpose of this documentary is not only to provide an insight into how we as artists can bridge the gap between Eastern and Western musical genres and/or dance genres, but also how we may directly or indirectly shape our own and other people's cultural identities as we share our art with the masses. 

What We Need & What You Get

Let's be real folks! This is what we need and what we are fundraising for:

-Travel expenses while in India

-Payment of professional musicians we will be using as supporting back up band members

-Marketing/Promotions - (flyers, posters, radio, TV) 

-Instrument rentals (It's impossible to travel with loads of music gear and guitars.)

-Rental of performance venues

-Stage and set design

-Projector and screen for live footage

-Festival Entry Fees

-Concert Permits

-Camera equipment (lenses, memory cards and microphone)

-Internet use for uploading videos online and documenting our journey 

-Prepaid cellphones 

-Unforeseen miscellaneous (There's always something we neglect to figure into our budget when in India.)

Here's a brief description for the "What's in it for me," question...

Let's get right down to it:

Each individual or group that donates depending on the amount will receive:

-Free Music by Tyagaraja

-Free poster art signed by renowned artist Joe Zuniga

-Insider links to "Take the Journey With Us!" Tyagaraja's India Tour.  (These links will include updates, podcasts, blogs, documentaries of Tyagaraja's day by day progress on his India Tour 2011-12).

-Free tickets to Tyagaraja's return home show in February 2012.

-Any group or individual that contributes $1000+ will receive a private concert by Tyagaraja in your home or a place of your choosing!

Our tickets are already purchased and this trip is happening, so we are not asking for something we don't need. We are already making every effort we can to make this trip a reality. Your contributions will help it become truly professional and will provide the platform for us to reach far more people than if we didn't have your support. Instead of riding the bike, with your help we are jumping on board the train to fast track success in India!

Other Ways You Can Help

Firstly, you can "Take the journey with us," by actively supporting the cause, donating and sharing this page with anyone and everyone you know.