{"id":119558,"date":"2025-11-18T13:50:57","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T18:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=119558"},"modified":"2025-11-20T15:46:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T20:46:50","slug":"interview-gabriel-dharmoo-talks-bijuriya-buddies-bad-times-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/11\/18\/interview-gabriel-dharmoo-talks-bijuriya-buddies-bad-times-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Gabriel Dharmoo Talks About Bijuriya At Buddies In Bad Times Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_119560\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-119560\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-119560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-11-18T134538.086.jpg\" alt=\"Gabriel Dharmoo as Bijuriya (Photo: Chris Randle, design by Fran Chudnoff)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-11-18T134538.086.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-11-18T134538.086-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-11-18T134538.086-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-11-18T134538.086-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-119560\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gabriel Dharmoo as Bijuriya (Photo: Chris Randle, design by Fran Chudnoff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Gabriel Dharmoo is a performer, composer, and experimental vocalist. He\u2019s bringing his show Bijuriya, revolving around drag artistry, South Asian culture, and identity, to Buddies in Bad Times with performances November 26 to 29.<\/p>\n<p>Gabriel and Bijuriya are two facets of the same individual, and the performances delves into the dualities and hybrid layers that they share. As he explains in a statement,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy drag refers to classical\/traditional musics of South Asian origins, Bollywood music, and experimental sound practices that seek to push the boundaries of music. I want my drag to reference my intersecting musical identities without compromise, and to be generous, honest, and subversive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>LV spoke to Dharmoo about the show.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NS3lfRTq1PI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>Gabriel Dharmoo<\/h2>\n<p>Dharmoo is a Montr\u00e9al-based artist whose practice spans multiple disciplines, including musical composition, drag artistry, vocal performance, and research, among other things. He explores mixed identities, brownness, queerness, and satire, often with a playful edge.<\/p>\n<p>His musical compositions have been performed across North America, Europe, Australia, Singapore, and in South Africa. His works has been recognized by multiple awards, including the Canada Council for the Arts Jules L\u00e9ger Prize for his chamber work Wanmansho (2017) and the Conseil qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois de la musique Opus Award for his opera \u00c0 chaque ventre son monstre (2018). His most recent album of chamber music, Vestiges d\u2019une fable (2024), was recorded in collaboration with the National Arts Centre Orchestra.<\/p>\n<h3>Gabriel Dharmoo: The Interview<\/h3>\n<p>In the show, he uses song, speech, and lip-syncing to a variety of musical genres from original pop songs to Bollywood soundtracks. He plays cello, steel pan, and harmonium, and is also responsible for sound design for the show.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m mostly a musician. I started with cello as a kid,\u201d Dharmoo says.<\/p>\n<p>Studies in composition and analysis followed at the Conservatoire de musique de Montr\u00e9al, a Bachelor\u2019s degree from Universit\u00e9 Laval, and a PhD in research-creation from the Individualized Program of Concordia University.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;ve been involved in the music scene for some time,\u201d he adds. \u201cI think that if there&#8217;s a chapter of life that&#8217;s kind\u2019ve training in music and musical education, I&#8217;ve been immersed in the Western musical world,\u201d he continues.<\/p>\n<p>Parallel to studies in that world, however, he was also involved with bands and experimental music.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;ve always been on both sides of that fence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His experiments with vocalism stem from the intersections of those worlds. \u201cThe experimental, more underground, vocal improvisation is something that&#8217;s been developed and nurtured over a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Either side would take precedence over time. He focused on contemporary composition for years, and tried to fit into the world of Western classical music. \u201cAfter finishing school, I&#8217;ve rekindled that interest and practices that are more grungy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He became more and more involved in underground subcultures that took him farther away from the music he\u2019d studied. \u201cThey aren&#8217;t necessarily linked to Western classical,\u201d he explains. \u201cI still kind\u2019ve have feet in both.\u201d His 2024 album Vestiges d\u2019une fable, for example, is orchestral music. \u201cBut I&#8217;m putting more heart and effort and growing more in an interdisciplinary practice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Voice and music will always be part of his artistic life.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_119561\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-119561\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-119561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-Copy-of-NEWS-3.jpg\" alt=\"L&amp;R: Gabriel Dharmoo (Photo: Curtis Perry); Centre: Gabriel Dharmoo as Bijuriya (Photo: Jonathan Goulet, design by Fran Chudnoff)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-Copy-of-NEWS-3.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-Copy-of-NEWS-3-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-Copy-of-NEWS-3-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-Copy-of-NEWS-3-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-119561\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">L&amp;R: Gabriel Dharmoo (Photo: Curtis Perry); Centre: Gabriel Dharmoo as Bijuriya (Photo: Jonathan Goulet, design by Fran Chudnoff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Bijuriya<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;ll just preface this [&#8230;] there&#8217;s something about this piece, it has different entry points.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>People familiar with his work may think of it as outside his usual performances. \u201cThey might think that it&#8217;s very different, but it&#8217;s very connected to my duality as a drag artist and a composer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He says his audience these days often discovers that he\u2019s a composer by coming to see his shows. And, while he notes that audience members tend to come from a broad swath of backgrounds, he wants more musicians to be among their numbers. \u201cIt&#8217;s been three years; I feel like not enough musicians have felt like they should come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Along with the music, of course, comes a story, and while his material revolves around his identity as a brown queer man, there\u2019s more to it than that. \u201cIt&#8217;s touching on a lot of things that could be relatable. It&#8217;s a huge expansion on that, and it&#8217;s a departure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There are funny moments, but it\u2019s not entirely optimistic. \u201cIt\u2019s other things.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Sound Design<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cSound design is a big part of the show,\u201d he says. \u201cMy sound design is stuff that I&#8217;ve done with my musician brain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A few of the numbers in Bijuriya are chamber or orchestral works. He&#8217;s using archival recordings that he\u2019s remixed for the show. Interspersed with the music, at times, is recorded dialogue between him as Gabriel and as his drag Bijuriya persona.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith hindsight, I know that those references weren&#8217;t necessarily legible to South Asian ears,\u201d he says. \u201cSo, what I&#8217;ve done is taken these recordings but, sometimes if there was an element of Indian influence [&#8230;] I&#8217;m reinfusing new life into these works.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Reusing his works is a luxury he didn\u2019t often experience in the world of classical composition. \u201cOne of my biggest frustrations as a composer is just how we&#8217;re fooled to believe that it&#8217;s for posterity,\u201d he says. \u201cThe effort is disproportionate for the reality of one performance,\u201d he explains \u2014 often the fate of so many contemporary works. \u201cNobody cares,\u201d he adds. \u201cThere&#8217;s a part of it that&#8217;s disillusionment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Along with his orchestral music, he\u2019s added other elements. \u201cBollywood music and carnatic music is sometimes part of the sound design, also mainstream pop \u2014 but in sophisticated arrangements.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_119562\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-119562\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-119562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Bijuriya-1600x690-image-by-Jonathan-Goulet-design-by-Fran-Chudnoff.jpg\" alt=\"Gabriel Dharmoo as Bijuriya (Photo: Jonathan Goulet, design by Fran Chudnoff)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"518\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Bijuriya-1600x690-image-by-Jonathan-Goulet-design-by-Fran-Chudnoff.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Bijuriya-1600x690-image-by-Jonathan-Goulet-design-by-Fran-Chudnoff-300x130.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Bijuriya-1600x690-image-by-Jonathan-Goulet-design-by-Fran-Chudnoff-1024x442.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Bijuriya-1600x690-image-by-Jonathan-Goulet-design-by-Fran-Chudnoff-768x332.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-119562\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gabriel Dharmoo as Bijuriya (Photo: Jonathan Goulet, design by Fran Chudnoff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The Show<\/h3>\n<p>Bijuriya unfolds in a series of episodes. \u201cThere&#8217;s different parts to the show. Some of them are the performance of the pop songs, the drag songs, the original songs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those segments are presented as fairly straightforward song performance, with a similar energy. \u201cThere are parts that are more character based. And then there&#8217;s what I would call broadly performance, exploratory performance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At times, he explores the idea of lip syncing, but not in a typical way. \u201cI call them porous lip syncs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vidita Kanniks<\/strong> contributes the vocals for those segments of the show. \u201cShe comes to represent my drag performer\u2019s ideal voice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an authentic classical Indian interpretation, with its characteristic ornamentation. \u201cThe songs that I&#8217;ve chosen are either Bollywood songs or classic carnatic songs that I&#8217;ve learned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gabriel says he often feels imposter syndrome, and via lip syncing, reclaims his voice. \u201cSometimes her voice is erased from the time line, and my voice takes over,\u201d he explains. \u201cThere&#8217;s this play around voices and bodies. One of the themes that&#8217;s explored is around that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Drag artistry plays into that theme.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe often think of drag as a way to change our image and change our body to create an illusion of gender,\u201d Dharmoo says. \u201cBut there&#8217;s vocal drag too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He explores the idea of transformation through voice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that&#8217;s something that happens when people lip sync, but it&#8217;s not been theorized that way,\u201d he says. \u201cSomething that&#8217;s interesting about lip syncing is that it&#8217;s associated with drag performance, but in Bollywood there is also the playback singer.\u201d The playback singer records the song, which is then lip synced by the actor in the film.<\/p>\n<p>Dharmoo also teaches vocal performance. \u201cI give lots of vocal exploration workshops,\u201d he says. \u201cEveryone has a voice. If you&#8217;re breathing, you&#8217;re living. Any way you look at it from the angle of ability and disability, if you have an airway, you have a voice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His workshops aren\u2019t about teaching the right or correct way to sing. It\u2019s more about exploration. \u201cIt can really unlock stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He points out that many people who don\u2019t have a particularly appealing way of singing often still have something to say, and connect to their audience via meaning. \u201cIt&#8217;s not always the highly trained voice that people [react to].\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Drag Artistry<\/h3>\n<p>Drag is an endlessly creative field. \u201cI feel like I can get away with a lot,\u201d Gabriel says. \u201cSomething I&#8217;ve always liked as an artist is to have both playfulness and intelligence and thoughtfulness, and a critical stance. To have those coexist is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He notes that all of those elements rarely come together in the world of classical composition. \u201cAs a trained composer, the playful part was often disavowed,\u201d Dharmoo says. \u201cI am playful as a person.\u201d That quality doesn\u2019t always come across strictly with music. \u201cThat&#8217;s why I started doing more work as a composer performer, and the more interdisciplinary work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In drag, he can do anything \u2014 such as meowing his way through Bach arias (a highlight of a previous performance).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt feels like something the teenager me would say, hey you&#8217;re doing great,\u201d he laughs. \u201cI wouldn&#8217;t do it as Gabriel out of drag. It feels like having a character that can be yourself, but also an extension of yourself. It&#8217;s also bravery. If Gab was doing that meowing thing, he&#8217;d be accused of being disrespectful,\u201d he points out. Add makeup and costuming, and it\u2019s a different vibe. \u201cPeople can enjoy it for what it is. It can be just stupid, and that&#8217;s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Drag allows him to expand his artistic practice, and be brave in ways he wouldn\u2019t have attempted before. \u201cEven one character can be very different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More than gender exploration, the basis of many drag performances, his is more theatrical \u2014 more of an alter ego. \u201cIt just becomes a character that allows me to explore, to make it queer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s part of his post-school evolution. \u201cI started drag I was in my late 30s. I feel like the drag is an expansion of [it], as well as a critique.\u201d It allows him to add social justice and other ideas to his music performance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think a lot of people are in that boat,\u201d he says. It\u2019s about making his performance part of today\u2019s world. \u201cGrappling with it artistically.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Shows<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>He\u2019s performing the show in Peterborough tonight (November 18) at Energy Performance prior to the Toronto dates; info <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/publicenergy.ca\/performance\/bijuriya-gabriel-dharmoo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>He\u2019ll be at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre November 26 to 29; details and tickets <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/buddiesinbadtimes.com\/show\/bijuriya\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a;\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? 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Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gabriel Dharmoo is a performer, composer, and experimental vocalist, and he\u2019s bringing his show Bijuriya to Buddies in Bad Times with performances November 26 to 29.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":119560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,41306,42432,42105,4780,62,63],"tags":[29665,6310],"yst_prominent_words":[13982,6616],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-11-18T134538.086.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-v6m","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119558"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119558"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119621,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119558\/revisions\/119621"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119558"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=119558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}