Born in Beirut , Lebanon , Paul Z. Livingstone is an international performing artist on the sitar, fretless guitars and requintos of his own design. He has been rigorously trained for the past 20 years in India and the USA , studying under the late Amiya Dasgupta and subsequently with Rajeev Taranath and the living legend Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Paul has performed around the United States , in Mexico , Spain , Malaysia , and Bali as both a classical Indian sitarist and in various creative world music collaborations. His discography includes the recently completed CD ' Salaam Suite ', featuring many Los Angeles based & international artists including members of Ozomatli, Quetzal and Kan Zaman. His debut CD Arohi featured world percussion, cello, and Venezuelan woodwinds.

A composer and session musician for film Paul has composed for Ozomatli , Alanis Morristte , documentary film soundtracks such as Movements in Madness . He composed and recorded the soundtrack for the award winning film “Turbans.” Paul also composed and recorded an Indian/hip hop musical score for the innovative Warner Brothers animation short Swaroop on Cartoon Network.

Paul has played and recorded with world music, jazz & popular artists such as Ozomatli , Alanis Morrisette, Lian Ensemble , Swapan Chaudhuri, Geetha Bennett, John Bergamo, Glen Velez, Hossien Alizadeh, Jihad Racy, Poovalur Sriji, Kenny Burrell, Chitravina RaviKiran, Pedro Eustache, Wadada Leo Smith, Sandip Burman and Prince Diabate with whom Paul created a new ensemble called Tumbafé composing new world music and playing sitar with master kora player and griot musician from Guinea, West Africa, Prince Diabaté. This unique and innovative Indo/African quartet was received with tremendous enthusiasm 1992 World Festival of Sacred Music. Paul composed Indian music and recorded sitar, sarod and requinto on the upcoming Albert Brooks film 'Looking for Humor in the Muslim World' with composer Michael Giacchino (The Incredibles), released in January 2006.

Paul played on Ozomatli's 2005 Grammy award winning 'Street Signs'. Paul also received an LA Music Week Award certificate of appreciation from the City of Los Angeles from District #1 Councilman Ed Reyes. The award & certificate are "In appreciation of pioneering music in our community and dedicating your life in teaching the rich multicultural heritage of music to our youth, therefore making our city a better place in which to live."

Paul has also studied Persian classical music with Hossein Alizadeh, Javanese Gamelan with Pak Djoko Walujo, Macedonian music with Miroslav Tadic, and jazz with Larry Koonse and Charlie Haden. Other influences in his music include Mexican, Brazilian and Flamenco music. Paul is a Cal Arts alumni BFA & MFA and an adjunct faculty member in the Cal Arts School of Music .

Pandit Homnath Upadhyaya from Nepal has been a royal court musician for the kings of Nepal for many years. He has been playing Tabla for more than 40 years. His gurus include Pandit Ramji Mishra of Benares, Shambhu Mishra of Kathmandu, Nepal, and legendary Tabla player Ahmedjaan Thirakwa. Homnath has taught and performed internationally and has numerous students all over the world. He has played in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, USA, India, Pakistan and Bangla Desh, and has served as an Instructor at the Royal Nepal Academy, Kathmandu. Early in his career he played in the film orchestra of famed music director R. D. Burman. He is the recipient of the Kirateshwar Sangeetshram award as well as the Narayan Sangeet Pratishthan award. In addition he received a prestigious award from the Royal Nepal Academy for research of traditional Nepalese drumming, and the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center Collaborative Projects Grant at University of California - Santa Barbara. Presently he teaches Tabla at the University of California - Santa Barbara. An internationally acclaimed artist Pandit Homnath Upadhyaya has appeared at the Salsburg Festival of music, Austria; Nancy Festival of Music in France; as well as concerts in London, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, India, & across the United States.