Akhil Jobanputra

Born and raised in Canada, Akhil Jobanputra started his journey in the Indian classical vocal form of khayal at the age of three with Asha Lohia receiving direction from his BadeGuruji Pandit Jasraj, and additionally continued his preliminary studies with Neeraja Aptikar. He is currently under the tutelage of his Gurus Dr. Pandit Arun Dravid and Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis, and receives additional guidance from Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar. Akhil's music encapsulates elements of self-introspection, personal narratives, metaphysical beliefs, and artistic expression, rooted primarily in the Jaipur and Mewati gharanas. He has performed across Canada, the US, India, and the U.K. with recent performances for 'Chaar Prahar Festival 2020' (Viewcy.com), and for 'Parāśakti: The Flame Within' (Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Canada) - a unique production conceptualized and co-directed by Akhil. As an educator, he teaches students of diverse backgrounds, enriching Vancouver’s South Asian traditional arts and culture ecosystem. His paper “My Identity, My Music” was published by the Simon Fraser University Library as part of the proceedings of the Canadian South Asian Youth Conference. At the age of twelve, Akhil founded the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver (ICMSV) with the goal of bringing communities together and promoting various local events. Since then, he has curated a series of initiatives and events geared at increasing awareness, accessibility, and education around Indian classical music.