Rita Sahai illustrates that not only is she a soulful performer, a brilliant and prolific composer and a venerated music teacher, she is also a staunch environmentalist. Through her music, Rita seeks to remind us of our unity. Her music evokes a feeling of our Oneness; and unites us, once again, with life, nature, and with one another. Delicately attuned to her surroundings, Rita listens; when immersed in nature's presence she feels the harmonics and their overtones, and she brings these natural rhythms to life through her music. Rita Sahai and her Vasundhara choir, which consists of 45 uplifting singers and instrumentalists of multiple ages and cultures, bring to life a rich musical journey that is inspired by the moods of water. Rita chooses each raga according to the rasa or “mood” of that raga. She embraces this mood, and guides us on a soaring journey through the process of life, of creation. Utilizing a delicate combination of vibration and sound, Rita ever so masterfully, paints a series of feelings that as human beings we shall encounter in the span of our lifetimes. Such feelings resonate deeply with the soul of our being-ness, sparking within us memories and stories that are laden in the experience of being human. Listeners will be called to embark upon a journey of the soul, a journey that will take them deep within, through, and beyond the experiences of our lives; this is the journey of water. After coming to the United States over three decades ago, Rita Sahai continued her extensive music studies under the world famous sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, who passed away in 2009. Impressed by her talent and passion towards music, “Khansahib,” as she affectionately called her guru, gave her the title Gayan Alankar (Jewel of Music). Sahai, an acclaimed composer, performer and teacher, tours throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and India. She is also in demand at recording studios at home and abroad, where she graciously lends her voice to many diverse musical projects. Her music reveals a theme of emotional depth, healing and harmony. Rita Sahai, though inspired by the romance of the Benares Gharana and the rhythmic complexity of the Seni Alauddin Gharana, strives for additional melodic and emotional depth. Ritaji conducts classes all over the Bay Area and Sacramento, CA. She is a faculty member at UC Davis, in the department of Ethnomusicology, and is director of two choir groups - the UC Davis Hindustani Ensemble and her own Vasundhara Choir. Her students come from varied cultural and musical backgrounds.