Friday–Saturday, November 6–7, 2026
United Church of Rogers Park • 1545 W Morse Ave
A Free Neighborhood Festival of Global Music in Rogers Park
Presented by Ochin Pakhi
Plus free pop-up events all summer and fall!
Upcoming events!
Banyan Roots Celebration with Ochin Pakhi
A performance by Ochin Pakhi in celebration of the release of the final episode of Banyan Roots, a p…
August 28 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm at Jarvis Square PotteryMusic of the Mystics of Bengal – Workshop
Hosted by Ochin Pakhi. Come learn about Bengali music and the music of the Baul-Fakir wandering myst…
August 29 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm at Indian Boundary ParkCommunity Song Circle
Hosted by Tzippora Rhodes. Come learn songs and delight in joyful harmonies. Event will take place e…
September 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm at Indian Boundary ParkInternational Jam Session – Bring Your Instrument
An open jam session hosted by Sam Hyson. Come enjoy many styles of music from around the world! Brin…
October 17 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Indian Boundary ParkConcert – Indradeep Ghosh – Hindustani Violin
Indradeep Ghosh – known as the “Prince of Violin” – is a premier Indian Classical violinist …
October 18 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at United Church of Rogers ParkGaanMela Festival !!! Day 1 – Friday
Free Admission! 5 bands! 2 stages! GaanMela is a two-day festival of global music in Rogers Park, or…
November 6 @ 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm at United Church of Rogers ParkGaanMela Festival !!! Day 2 – Saturday
Free Admission! 10 bands! 2 stages! GaanMela is a two-day festival of global music in Rogers Park, o…
November 7 @ 2:30 pm – 11:00 pm at United Church of Rogers Park
November 6-7 Festival Lineup & Schedule
Abdoulaye Conde
Music from Guinea performed on kora
ArpaCafé
Llanera music from Colombia and Venezuela
Colin Mascarenhas with Tanveer Singh Sapra
Odissi dance from eastern India with Hindustani vocals
Crossing Borders Music: Haitian Music for Change
Music of Haitian composers performed by string trio
Dani Chë
Ukrainian songs, button accordion, and performance art
Environmental Encroachment
Super serious bunny-eared brass band (audience costumes encouraged!)
Friends of the Gamelan: Javanese Ensemble
A melodious orchestra of bronze instruments from Central Java
La Tosca
Classic Italian songs and swing music
Lehra Lehra
Folk and Sufi music from Sindh, Pakistan
Mariachi Flor de Primavera
Rancheras, boleros, and sones from Mexico
Mary Hazboun
Classic Arabic songs with traditional ensemble
Ochin Pakhi
Bengali folksongs from India and Bangladesh
Tuvergen Band
Throat singing and Mongolian folk-fusion
Qais Worroryar
Music from Afghanistan performed on rubab
Previous GaanMela events:
Adam Gottlieb & OneLove with The Mossy Stones
July 25 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at Jarvis Square AlfrescoMax Bessesen Trio at Blue Jay Cafe
June 7 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm at Blue Jay Cafe
This project is partially supported by a Neighborhood Access Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
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View all of Ochin Pakhi’s scheduled events:
How you can help!
GaanMela is a free community event series. We need to rely on volunteers to help the events run smoothly. If you are willing to volunteer, please email ochin.pakhi.band@gmail.com and let us know!
If you’d like to support Ochin Pakhi’s work organizing GaanMela and other free community events, donations are warmly welcomed. To make a quick donation (not tax-deductible), please send it through Venmo (@Lucia-Thomas).
Put “OP events” in the description, and we’ll make sure your donation is earmarked for Ochin Pakhi’s Community Events Fund. If prompted to enter the last 4 digits of a phone number, enter 7162.
Prefer to make a tax-deductible donation? Ochin Pakhi is fiscally sponsored by Mandala Arts, a 501(C)(3) nonprofit. Please email us at ochin.pakhi.band@gmail.com and we’ll send you instructions for making a tax-deductible contribution through Mandala Arts.