rasika was founded and incorporated in the State of Oregon in April 1999.  In additional to presenting premier Classical Music and Dance events by celebrated artists of India, RASIKA has chosen to bring the “educating Indian arts & culture” as its chief focus. Rasika expanded its operation and started a chapter in Seattle in 2000 mirroring only the “concert” presentation and lecture demonstration series at Seattle, WA. Seattle chapter was hugely successful, and was much more financially successful than Portland, with Microsoft Foundation also providing funding support. This helped grow the organization from a $45k budget in 1999 to almost double the following year. In 2003, RASIKA undertook sponsoring artists on a national tour. RASIKA presented touring of some of the great classical artists from India which helped grow organization even further with gross approaching $200K. In 2004, with the national touring presentation on Gajamukha, RASIKA’s financial picture peaked to $270k gross income, outpacing all Indo American cultural organizations in the US.  Gajamukha, choreographed and directed by Portland Dancer Dr. Jayanthi Raman was presented in almost 35 cities at premier performing societies and cultural centers with NEFA grant.  This event was presented at Arlene Schnitzer concert hall, PCPA for Portland audiences with critical acclaim. In 2004, RASIKA started presenting certain premier concerts in Dallas, TX. During the 2005-06 season, RASIKA conducted 3 premier tours including the hugely successful national tour of famous artist Mandolin U. Shrinivas. Over the past years, we have been fortunate to receive funding from various sources including RACC, OAC, Oregon Council for Humanities, Washington State Arts Commission, (WA), Cultural Development Authority of King County (WA), Microsoft Foundation, Westaf, NEFA and NEA. In fall 2006, RASIKA principals decided to take a sabbatical and therefore limited the presentations only in Portland and not at other cities or touring major artistic groups. Despite the many challenges faced by most organizations in a small city like Portland, with rising artists cost, theater rental, less funding, increasing travel cost and administrative expenses, Rasika has been able to sustain due to the untiring effort of its volunteers especially devoting time to bring artists on national tours which help to sustain their concerts in Portland. We hope to get continued funding support from the regional and national organizations as well as our members to pursue our dream of presenting culturally diverse performing art events to our audience.

rasika presents concerts by India’s recognized and internationally acclaimed performing artists, as well as younger artists of exceptional talent. rasika promotes local talented artists and teachers through summer camp ‘Gurukulam’ and presenting them along with visiting artists.

•  Promote Classical Indian Music, Dance, and Culture in the state of Oregon.
•  Present high quality Indian concerts by leading artists: music and dance events.
•  Support upcoming talented artists of India arts
•  Encourage local musicians/dancers and performing arts enthusiasts in the community to collaborate on projects with visiting artists/teachers.
•  Facilitate education/outreach of the Indian arts through lectures and demonstrations by leading visiting master artists.
•  Organize music and dance workshops, and summer camps with a focus on introducing the various aspects of Indian culture to all interested children.
•  Teach children of Indian origin the value of their Indian heritage and culture and also educate local children about India, through educational camps.
•  Provide a cultural bridge between India and the US.

rasika has brought some of the biggest talents of India as well as upcoming artists, fusion concerts, lecture demonstrations, workshops, and 'meet with artists', annual children's heritage camp, -  focusing on the cultural and educational goals of the organization. rasika's events showcases the best of Indian talents – both internationally renowned performing artists/teachers as well as younger talented artists and musical prodigies. Music- both instrumental and vocal, dance both solo and ballet productions have been presented by rasika. rasika has also presented some of its premier concerts in Seattle, WA.

rasika strongly supports the cultural education of the children. There has been a growing number of children, born in U.S.A., who have been training in Indian classical music and dance. They perform annually at our talent showcase event held in summer.

Music and dance events in India have never traditionally been formal with exacting standards imposed on the audience. The arts were woven into the fabric of daily life to create a colorful tapestry that included religious occasions, social celebrations and the entire family, from the old to the very young. The innovative goal of rasika is to recreate this ancient aspect of the Indian arts in a way that educates children, supports artists and celebrates the diverse art and traditions of India. The summer heritage camp "Gurukulam" ("house of the teacher") addresses the educational aim of rasika.

Gurukulam: The annual summer heritage camp for children has received wide acclaim and appreciation from the public as well as the press for the educational value, community outreach and involvement of local artists and teachers in the community. In 2000, we had the honor of Padmavibhushan Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna himself, teaching the children of rasika music. Mamata Shankar attended the children’s talent showcase and encouraged the children. Over 95 children have attended the camp, and have enjoyed the classes offered at the camp.

The curriculum includes Yoga, Sanskrit, Basic music, folk dances for boys and girls, history and geography of India, arts and crafts, henna/ mehendi, Rangoli patterns, stencils, Shlokams, Epic tales and folk fables of India, Cricket sport, festivals of India etc. The children were of Indian, American and Indo-American descent and all shared a common interest of learning about India. The Indian children adopted by Americans, found a venue for learning about their Indian customs, culture and heritage and had a wonderful experience.

Run entirely by volunteers, rasika has an 8-member, dedicated and enthusiastic Board of Directors, who draw up the operating plan and budget, coordinate auditorium availability, present the events, acquire and maintain equipment, and administer the ongoing operations including the finances, mailing list and membership roster. The concert committee is entrusted with long-term event planning, to fulfill the cultural and educational objectives and goals of the organization.

The Board of Directors comprises of professionals like software engineers and art connoisseurs as well as artists - professional and upcoming, with a common passion for promoting Indian arts and culture in the US. They have diverse backgrounds and interests. The directors have experience in various fields such as finance, accounting, program coordination, networking with artists and tour organizers, community involvement, teaching etc. Together, they form a compelling team of dedicated volunteers, making rasika a strong and vital part of Oregon's cultural diversity.

The board works on the three aspects of rasika- cultural, and educational goal as well as community involvement.

• Cultural aspect - with presentation of premier classical music and dance concerts,
• Educational goal - by presenting workshops, lecture demonstrations on arts and the children's heritage camp Gurukulam.
• Community involvement - by presenting local artists collaborating with visiting artists, and working with educational and arts organizations in co promoting and presenting concerts.

rasika is a membership organization whose events are sustained by its members, grant awards from state arts council, and donations from local businesses. As a voluntary non-profit organization, rasika is dependent on the financial support of people who share its vision. Members are needed to help turn its visionary goal into a reality. Members in turn, enjoy free admission to most concerts presented by rasika.

Voluntary support and services provided by the board members and some members of the community, help in keeping administrative and other costs down. Such voluntary services include providing local transportation for visiting artists to airport/concert hall, stage equipment, boarding and lodging for the artists, professional graphic arts design for fliers and posters, publicity, audio-video assistance, event management, back stage help etc.

In our continuing efforts to work with other organizations to promote India arts and culture in the US, rasika has collaborated with organizations such as The Oregon Symphony, Natya Dance Academy, Beaverton Arts Commission, Oregon Marathi Mandal, Reed College, Portland State University, Northwest Folklife Festival- WA, SPICMACAY (Oregon State University-Corvallis), and Chamber of Commerce, City of Beaverton in co-presenting, co-sponsoring/co-promoting high caliber artists of India.

rasika is dedicated to consistently presenting Indian classical Carnatic music and dance concerts. The immigrants from the Indian subcontinent in this area, numbering more than 5,000 (estimated) families, bring with them the rich cultural heritage of one of the oldest continuous civilizations.

Indian classical music and dance are among the most advanced and sophisticated art forms in the world. By presenting these arts in a professional manner, rasika enhances the cultural awareness of the region and enriches the multi-cultural environment. rasika has earned a reputation for the professional quality of the programs arranged.

Though rasika draws audiences mainly from Portland metropolitan area, and from Beaverton, Hillsboro, Aloha, Tigard, Gresham etc., it is not unusual for people from as far away as Silverton, Corvallis, Eugene, Tri-Cities, and Seattle to drive to attend rasika programs. rasika has had multi-state impact, with audiences coming from State of Oregon, Washington and occasionally from California.

rasika serves America by bringing yet another cultural treasure from a distant land to enrich its multi-cultural environment; serves the Indian-Americans by providing a cultural bridge to India.