Music and Magic combine at Auckland Show

Bring together a magician who has gained a reputation for Presto (!) and a musician known for his mellifluous voice, you have an explosion of awe and rhapsody.

That is what the Panasonic Performing Arts Centre in Botany would be on November 22, 2014 as Harjeet Mehndi and Chandrika (Ricky) Prasad perform their magic- the former with his band and the latter with his wand.

Chandrika Prasad and Nilima Sahai are organising the event to provide valuable entertainment and showcase two personalities reputed in their respective fields.

Chandrika is the first Fiji-born Indian to be trained as a magician in America. He has performed at many centres around the world and is now a New Zealand resident.

As well as being a well-established Ghazal singer and performer of popular songs of Hindi films, Harjeet belongs to a family of singing stars. His elder brothers Daler Mehndi and Mika Singh have created a sensation in the music world, drawing millions of people to their shows all over the world.

Chandrika said that Harjeet began his musical career with the blessings of his parents Ajmer Singh Chandan (father) and the late Balbir Kaur.

“He began learning to play the Tabla when he was just eight years old. He migrated to US in 1986 and launched his career as a professional Tabla and Keyboard player. He has worked hard to mould and train his voice, music and performance and build a strong image throughout the world,” he said.

Harjeet has drawn inspiration from his brothers and other maestros such as Anup Jalota, Mehndi Hassan and Ghulam Ali.

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