Get to Know Arati Shah-Yukich Ahead of 11Fest!
By Dominic Trabosci
The Bethlehem Area Public Library’s annual fundraising concert 11Fest is just around the corner! To prepare music fans for this exciting event, we’ve interviewed another one of the 11 performers, Arati Shah-Yukich, ahead of her performance!
Arati describes her performance as one consisting of various genres including jazz, blues, folk, ancient hymns, and classical Indian. Her music will incorporate her own vocals as well as a smattering of traditional Indian instrumentation. She’ll even be joined on stage by both a fellow singer and a dancer!
The goal of Arati’s performance is to remind audiences of what it means to be human in hopes that we can all one day live as one unified species. The dominant quality of her music is mindfulness and relaxation. What results is a highly unique and meditative listening experience regardless of if you’ve practiced any form of spirituality. At the end of her set, Arati will invite audience members to join her in guided relaxation and mindful breathing.
Arati describes Classic Indian music as a branch of yoga, intending for it to be an enlightening form of sonic meditation. She’s given workshops in the past guiding audiences in meditation set to her own singing. She’s even invited audience members to create their own sounds.
Arati is an outspoken activist in the fight against climate change and social inequality. She’ll even incorporate these messages in her own music. Her extensive educational background and work regarding water pollution has given her the tools to discuss these persistent issues. For an even deeper dive into Arati’s background and education, she invites readers to visit her website.
Arati’s first music performance was when she was twenty years old at a music festival in India. At the festival, she was honored as a young, up and coming performer. Her activism, however, has always been deeply ingrained in her musical pursuits.
In addition to her climate activism, Arati is a big proponent of the arts and the library as a place of community and interconnectedness. She explained that the Bethlehem Area Public Library was a great place to take her kids to read and play. She’s also attended many lectures and events staged by the library. “The library has always been a constant part of my life,” says Arati.