FRAMEWORKS | Sadubas: Echoes of Diplomacy: India’s Sonic Footprint in the Cold War Era

FRAMEWORKS is a new interdisciplinary music series for 2025 designed to take audiences on an adventurous cultural and artistic journey in the state-of-the-art A-Frame Theater at the Wende Museum’s Glorya Kaufman Community Center. The series merges creative disciplines, from film and dance to poetry and music, and takes inspiration from the collection and exhibitions of the Wende.

Join Sadubas at the Wende Museum on May 3, 2025 at 2 p.m. for Echoes of Diplomacy: India’s Sonic Footprint in the Cold War Era. This immersive audio/visual performance will explore India’s unique position and contributions during the Cold War. India, under the leadership of its first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, pursued a policy of non-alignment, positioning itself as a critical player in the geopolitics of the time that set the stage for India’s current position as a global nuclear superpower. This historical context provides a rich tapestry for a performance that weaves together music, Bollywood cinema, and visual storytelling.

SADUBAS is the collaborative duo of classical tabla artist Robin Sukhadia and electronic producer Ameet Mehta. The two artists grew up together playing Commodore 64 video games, consuming international films of the 70s and 80s, and began experimenting with long form beat and rhythms sequences after relocating to San Francisco and acquiring an MPC 2000 and Technics 1200. Robin and Ameet use each other as mediums summoning a hybrid of South Asian classical rhythms, electronic music, Bollywood psychedelia with cinematic undertones that construct the sounds of SADUBAS: The Sadhus of Bass. They have performed at a wide range of prestigious venues and institutions across Los Angeles and Southern California, including The Academy of Motion Pictures Museum, LACMA, the Hammer Museum, and the Bowers Museum. More info at www.sadubas.com.

Program Schedule

Garden Reception 1 p.m.—3 p.m.

Garden DJ Set by Discotchari 1 p.m.—2 p.m.

A-Frame Theater Concert by Sadubas 2 p.m.—3 p.m.

RSVPs for this free program do not guarantee admission to the A-Frame Theater. Limited seating will be available on a first come, first served basis.

RSVP

An ADA-accessible entrance to the Glorya Kaufman Community Center is available through the gate from the parking lot at 10858 Culver Blvd.

Photo by Mubarak Jafery; Artwork by Hal Al-Kirim