The Berklee Indian Ensemble and India Exchange welcome you to Shuruaat, the first of a new
series of Indian artist residencies at Berklee College of Music. We are honored and privileged to
have renowned Indian musician Clinton Cerejo as our guest artist tonight.

A versatile multi-instrumentalist, a highly sought-after vocalist and vocal arranger in the
booming Indian advertising and film industry, and a gifted and experienced composer, Cerejo
has mastered the art of merging Western theoretical and harmonic concepts with Indian
classical and folk music. He has worked extensively with acclaimed artists, including A. R.
Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, and Kailash Kher. Cerejo’s signature sound is recognized and
appreciated not only in India but in international circles as well.

Tonight, 40 students from around the world have come together to celebrate Clinton Cerejo’s
music and to pay tribute to the rich and colorful traditions of Indian music and culture.

With lush vocal arrangements, the Berklee Indian Ensemble will feature an eclectic blend, from
Carnatic classical (South Indian) and folk music to contemporary Indian music, including Indian
rock and Indo-jazz pieces. We are also proud to premiere three new student compositions,
which takes us another step closer to our vision of presenting concerts consisting entirely of
original student compositions.

Founded in 2011 by Indian Berklee alumna and current faculty member Annette Philip, the
Berklee Indian Ensemble was the first group of its kind at the college. Starting with just 18
members the first semester, the Berklee Indian Ensemble is now one of the largest performing
groups at the college, composed of musicians from 34 countries, and counting.

In addition to providing a dynamic platform for student composers, the Indian Ensemble is
partnering with another Indian Berklee alumus, Clint Valladares, who is the director of
operations and outreach at Berklee City Music National, to launch India Exchange, a platform
for cultural conversation through collaboration, composition, and performance of original,
historic, and timeless Indian music.

Each residency will feature a prominent figure from the Indian music industry, giving students
an opportunity to interact face-to-face with experts, both in class and on stage.

Berklee is also in the process of creating an Indian studies track under the music and society
minor to provide students a holistic approach to understanding the historical, philosophical,
and cultural aspects that have shaped Indian music and art as we know it today. With a host of
classes offered under myriad departments at the college, we will explore the traditions and
evolution of India, an ancient surviving civilization with an extraordinarily rich intellectual
tradition of music, dance, philosophy, and visual art.

We are so delighted to embark on this new journey with tonight’s concert featuring Clinton
Cerejo. The concert is aptly titled Shuruaat, which means “beginning,” and we hope you will
enjoy this evening celebrating music and infinite possibilities.