INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC MEETS BEETHOVEN
Tabla player Vineet Vyas reveals his “fingers of fire” on Bravo!
FINGERS OF FIRE
World Television Premiere – March 10 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT   

From the dusty, sweltering heat of New Delhi, to the crisp, snow-bound highways of Toronto, filmmaker Rama Rau follows renowned Indo-Canadian tabla player Vineet Vyas from Canada to India as he journeys to international fame.  Fingers of Fire, which has its world television premiere on Bravo! March 10 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT, features compelling interviews, on-the-fly footage and riveting performances, ultimately showcasing the sheer magic of the music. 

Raised in Truro, Nova Scotia, but now based in Toronto and New Delhi, Vineet Vyas is one of Canada’s rising musical talents.  Says Vineet, “Just as much as I am Indian, I am Canadian, and I think I am very lucky to be in that interesting position where, being a musician, I have two worlds to draw from.” 

Vineet’s passion and perfection of the tabla – an Indian drum similar to the African bongo that is considered the “drum of the gods” – began at age five with his introduction to Hindustani classical music.  A disciple of the legendary tabla maestro Pandit Kishan Maharaj since age 16, Vineet has performed alongside India's eminent classical artists and is a much sought after performer in India, Europe and North America.  In 2005 he released a CD, Taalworks, a dynamic recording featuring North Indian tabla solo compositions with intriguing melodic textures, including Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and Saint Saëns’ Flight of the Swan.

Fingers of Fire examines Vineet’s turbulent and intense relationship with his guru, the clash between the spirituality of his music and his inner need for validation, and the balance of his life and career as he seeks artistic perfection and recognition in his two home countries. 

“Looking for perfection in an imperfect world, this film follows one man’s journey into music and a search for home in a country where he may never find it,” says director/producer Rama Rau, who’s Fingers of Fire was made possible after she won the Open Door Pitch prize at the 2005 Innoversity Creative Summit. 

CHUM has proudly sponsored the annual Innoversity Creative Summit – Canada’s premier event focusing on cultural diversity in Canadian media – since its inception.  “The development of Fingers of Fire is a fine example of CHUM’s commitment to diversity in its programming,” says Charlotte Engel, Production Executive, CHUM Television.  “Bravo!, in particular, makes it a priority to reflect the cultural arts of the diverse communities that make up Canada”

Fingers of Fire, produced by S & S Productions and TriNetra Productions in association with Bravo!, screened at the New York South Asian International Film Festival and was also part of the official selection at FILMI, the South Asian Film Festival in Toronto.

Bravo!, a division of CHUM Television, is a rest stop in the television universe where viewers make a regular appointment with the arts (www.bravo.ca).  A proud supporter of the Canadian independent production community, Bravo! funds approximately 100 hours of independently produced documentaries and performing arts specials a year.  Bravo! has been a major contributor to such productions as Godiva’s, Detective Murdoch Mysteries and Gemini award-winning Camp Hollywood.

CHUM Television is a division of CHUM Limited (www.chumlimited.com), one of Canada's leading media companies and content providers, which owns and operates radio stations, local television stations, specialty channels and Internet properties.