Kamala ensemble is a contemporary classical trio creating a new kind of improvised music. Using extended repetition of melody, rhythm, and interpretations of sounds from nature, the music carries an energy current. Indigenous cultures have used these kinds of methods for generations, to create social cohesion and profound states of trance. The musicians combine these concepts with influences from their traditions of western classical, world percussion, and jazz, bringing these practices into a modern context.

The music is generally unamplified performances with acoustic instruments, providing a direct connection between the audience and musicians. By avoiding electronic amplification we maintain subtle aspects of sound that are integral to this music. 

Each concert is about an hour and a half to two hours of continuous music. We invite the audience to participate with a meditative silence of one to two minutes before and after the performance. The music begins in a soundscape without established rhythm, transitioning into an arrangement containing loose, flexible directions for the musicians to interpret, such as rhythmic patterns or imagery from the natural world. This transitions into open improvisation that generally maintains a continuous rhythm and is the main part of the performance. 

Whether you call it religious experience, getting in the zone, or empowering the right side of the brain, human beings have consistently valued these practices of unbroken repetition. A few examples include whirling dervishes, the electronic music events that emerged from the late 80s, indigenous peoples of the Americas, the San tribe of South Africa and the Yoruba of West Africa. Some of the functions of this music include right of passage into adulthood, spiritual development, communicating with ancestors, or bonding through sharing simple enjoyment. 

The strong current of rhythms provide a solid ground for the concepts and traditions that we’re combining. The music is a bridge between people from many walks of life. It is an access point in our city and suburban dwellings to go back into the music of nature.