Priti Paintal facts for kids

Priti Paintal (born 1960) is a British composer, performer, music producer, and promoter. She lives and works in England. She is known for blending different musical styles.

Priti Paintal's Life and Music

Early Life and Training

Priti Paintal was born in 1960 in New Delhi, India. Her father, Autar Singh Paintal, was a famous Indian scientist. Priti learned both Indian and Western music from a young age. She studied instruments like the sitar and tabla as a child. She also learned piano and composition in India. Later, she earned a master's degree in ethnomusicology. This is the study of music from different cultures. After that, she moved to England. There, she studied composition at York University. She also studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Her teacher was Anthony Gilbert.

Creating New Sounds

In 1988, Priti Paintal started a music group called ShivaNova. Her goal was to mix different musical traditions. She wanted to create a new "global sound." ShivaNova works with many artists. These include storytellers, jugglers, dancers, and orchestras. The group also holds workshops in schools and communities. They help people learn about music.

A dance music group called SugarNova came from ShivaNova. Their first song, "Over and Over," was very popular. It reached the top 20 on the Music Week Club charts.

Her Unique Compositions

Priti's music brings together different types of performers. She combines traditional, classical, and jazz musicians. Her unique style mixes Indian roots with modern ideas. Besides her group pieces, she wrote a short opera called "Survival Song." This opera was for the Royal Opera House. It was even nominated for an Olivier Award.

This led to a full-length opera called "Biko." This opera was performed in London and Birmingham. It was a big moment for the Royal Opera House. It was their first opera commissioned from an Asian composer and a woman composer. "Biko" tells the story of Stephen Biko. He was an important leader in the fight against Apartheid. Apartheid was a system of unfair racial separation in South Africa.

Priti has also written music for many other groups. These include the Philharmonia Orchestra. They performed her piece "Secret Chants." This is also the title of ShivaNova’s latest CD. She has also written for the City of London Sinfonia and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. Her work is kept in the British Music Collection Archive. This is at Heritage Quay University of Huddersfield.

Priti has written articles for The Guardian newspaper. She has also been featured in The Independent and The Daily Telegraph. She has appeared on radio shows like Songlines, BBC 3, and Woman's Hour. She has also served on important arts boards. These include the Arts Council Music panel and the board of South-East Arts.

Priti Paintal's Works

Here are some of Priti Paintal's selected works:

• Grandharva Music I
• Polygamy
• Urban Mantras
• Flying to the Sun
• Moonlighting
• Seventh Heaven (CDs)
• Secret Chants (orchestral work and CD)
• Survival Song, chamber opera
• Biko (full-length opera)
• Gulliver in Lilliput, children's opera
• Bananas, multimedia show
• Global Feast, multi-artform