MANDALA ARTS RED LINE JAZZ PROJECT CONTINUES WITH FAREED HAQUE GROUP

Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, a Chicago-based arts organization that creates community-rooted public programs through music, dance, storytelling, and collaborative performance, continues its community-building Red Line Jazz Project, a public arts initiative that is activating public transit and community spaces with free live music and cultural programming.

The Project’s next free performance features jazz guitarist Fareed Haque, who is a Mandala Artist-in-Residence and curator of the Red Line Jazz Project, with the Fareed Haque Group. Joining Haque are Alex Austin on bass, Greg Fundis on drums, Hitesh Master on harmonium and providing Hindustani vocal, and Charles and Erra Sanderson Haque on percussion and woodwinds. The performance takes place Thursday, August 27 at 6 p.m. at Taylor Park, 39 W. 47th St. on the edge of Bronzeville.

Through these curated performances, local jazz musicians and ensembles are presenting short live sets at or near Red Line L stations, creating spontaneous moments of connection for commuters and neighborhood residents. The performances blend jazz improvisation with global musical influences, reflecting Chicago’s rich musical heritage and its diverse communities, including Rogers Park, Chatham, Chinatown, Uptown, Bronzeville, Roseland, and more. Free performances continue through October 1; the project culminates in the Red Line Jazz Festival, a ticketed performance with Haque and other artists Friday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.

Fareed Haque is a modern guitar virtuoso. Steeped in classical and jazz traditions, his unique command of the guitar and different musical styles inspire his musical ventures with tradition and fearless innovation. He has recorded and toured with numerous musicians, including his own groups Garage Mahal, Fareed Haque’s MathGames, and more. He performed as part of Mandala’s Diwali celebration at the Harris Theater in fall 2023. He will appear in the Red Line Jazz Festival, the culminating event of the Red Line Jazz Project, October 16 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance.

The Red Line Jazz Project has been made possible by the generous support of Paul M. Angell Family Foundation and Elevated Chicago and the partnership of Bustling Spaces and the Chicago Transit Authority.

Free performances conclude September 10 and October 1, both at the 95th /Dan Ryan Station, 14 W. 95th St., featuring the Windy City Ramblers.

The Red Line Jazz Project aims to:

Activate public transit spaces with live music and cultural programming
Celebrate Chicago’s jazz legacy and the city’s vibrant community of musicians
Create accessible performance opportunities for artists in everyday public settings
Spark moments of reflection, joy, and connection for commuters and passersby while amplifying community voices through stories about how culture shapes life in Chicago
Transform routine travel into an immersive cultural experience where rhythm, improvisation, and community converge

“The Red Line Jazz Project reflects Mandala’s vision of using the arts to foster belonging, cultural exchange, and meaningful connection in everyday life by bringing live jazz performances into public spaces, transforming routine commutes into shared cultural experiences,” said Founding Artistic Director Pranita Nayar. “The project uses the concept of the mandala—a symbol of unity, rhythm, and interconnectedness—as a guiding metaphor for collaborative musical expression.”

A complete schedule is available at mandalaarts.org/events/red-line-jazz-project-2026/. All programming is subject to change.
Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, founded by Artistic Director Pranita Nayar, has earned major support from the Joyce Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. From classical to contemporary, Mandala connects audiences and students with the vibrancy of the performing arts traditions of South Asia. Mandala offers powerful engagement with specialized artists and educators who represent diverse ethnic, geographical, linguistic, cultural, and gender identities. Mandala South Asian Performing Arts is supported by the Paul Angell Family Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Field Foundation of Illinois, Prince Charitable Trust, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

For more information, visit mandalaarts.org.