Since 2011, Grammy nominated Progressive Hip-Hop artist Christylez Bacon and Indian violinist Nistha Raj have been performing together exploring the spaces between North Indian (Hindustani) classical music, acoustic Hip-Hop, and Go-Go music from Washington, DC.  Bacon, known for his beat-boxing, rhyming and storytelling and Raj, known for mixing Indian Classical Music with modern sounds are the perfect fit. Together they create an entirely new sound and intersection for people of Indian & African-American heritage.

Christylez Bacon frequently performs with artists of diverse backgrounds as part of what he refers to as his “mission towards cultural acceptance and unification through music.”  Bacon invited Raj to collaborate on his “Washington Sound Museum” concert series in 2011 because he felt their genres worked well together. ” I enjoy the fact that this 12th Century Indian Classical music fuses with Hip-Hop and Go-Go so well. Also, I love learning all the technical aspects of the music and translating them into beatbox.” – Christylez Bacon

Raj notes her favorite part of the collaboration being the accessibility to a wider audience.  “As a musician, I get to push the boundaries of how traditional classical music can be presented by finding the intersections and commonalities between seemingly disparate genres. When we perform, I love looking out into the audience and seeing all ages, backgrounds, races, nationalities, etc being appreciative of the music and enjoying in the same space collectively.” – Nistha Raj

Nistha Raj transports to international audiences a rare, evocative and soothing sound of classical North Indian (Hindustani) music on the 5-string acoustic violin. Christylez Bacon brings innovation to an art form already known for melding varied urban musical styles.  He adds a new flavor to the mix by harmonizing musical genres from around the world in a multi-instrumental exploration of beatbox (oral percussion), rap, go-go, classical music and beyond. A versatile musician, Raj pursues new horizons through a melding of tradition with contemporary innovation.