When Priyam Chaturvedi lost her corporate job last year, she found herself reconsidering what she wanted to do next. The answer came from a passion she had pursued alongside her career for much of her life: music.
A vocalist and musician, Chaturvedi had spent years learning music while working full-time in marketing for companies including Landmark Group and Mumzworld. After her role was made redundant, she decided to build a community around Indian music in Dubai.
That idea became Zikr, a cultural platform that began with an intimate concert in her living room.
“I was sitting at home thinking, ‘What should I do, and what should I build with my life?’” Chaturvedi told Khaleej Times. “I thought of first building a community around music.”
She felt there was room in Dubai for smaller gatherings centred on Indian music, where members of the diaspora could meet, perform and connect with their culture.
The first Zikr event welcomed music lovers into Chaturvedi’s home for a carefully curated live performance. With support from her husband and friends, she paid close attention to every element, from the music and food to the fragrance in the room.
“The idea was that anybody who loves and enjoys Indian music could come,” she said. “We put a lot of effort into curating the event and ensuring that it looked and felt premium. It was small and intimate, but very high on experience.”
Bringing memories of home to Dubai
The gatherings were designed to evoke memories of Chaturvedi’s hometown in India. The room was scented with fragrances associated with the city, while guests were served food connected to the region.
Musicians performed live, with playlists shaped by nostalgia and the shared experiences of Indians living away from home.
No detail was considered too small. Women received gajras, garlands traditionally made using fragrant flowers, while men were given rosebuds. Tea was served in traditional earthen cups rather than disposable ones, and guests received small gifts sourced from India.
Attendees were also encouraged to arrive in Indian clothing.
“In Dubai, there are not many opportunities to dress up in Indian ethnic wear outside Diwali and other major festivals,” Chaturvedi said. “This gave people another opportunity to dress up and attend a living room concert at someone’s home.”
The response encouraged her to continue. Guests began asking when the next gathering would take place, while some offered their own homes as possible venues.
Zikr eventually moved beyond the living room, holding its first public show in Al Quoz in November. It later staged another event at The Junction in Alserkal Avenue in January.
Chaturvedi said Zikr has since been nominated in the best events category at The Junction Annual Awards.
The platform also expanded to India in April, holding three shows across Delhi and Mumbai.
A community beyond the events
For Chaturvedi, Zikr’s growth is not measured solely through the number of shows it hosts. Its WhatsApp community, which has between 600 and 700 members, has become a place where musicians and music lovers can meet and collaborate.
Members share recordings of songs they are practising, organise jam sessions and work on music together. Some, she said, have even started learning music after becoming involved with Zikr.
“The community has really come forward,” she said. “Everybody feels like they are part of it. People tell us they feel like they are part of a family.”
While music remains central to Zikr, Chaturvedi is now introducing audiences to other forms of art and culture. The platform recently invited a storyteller from India to perform in Dubai, offering many attendees their first experience of that style of storytelling.
Chaturvedi hopes Zikr can occupy a space between informal gatherings and the large-scale concerts regularly staged across the UAE.
“We do not want to be only an events platform,” she said. “We want to be a cultural brand in Dubai that helps bring people together through art, culture and music.”
The aim, she added, is to preserve the intimacy of its earliest living room gatherings, even as the community continues to grow.
“Whether it is the venue, the food, the music, the décor or simply how the event makes you feel, the idea is to keep it intimate while offering a meaningful experience.”
Source: Khaleej Times