Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Sitar: from nowhere to everywhere in 300 years

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The post-independence era is now acknowledged as the Golden Age of instrumental music in the Hindustani tradition. A large part of the cred...
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Bihagda and Khokar: What's the difference?

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Bihagda is a rare raga of the Bihag family. It is a raga of considerable antiquity, described in several mediaeval texts, and bears a close...
Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Hirabai Barodekar: The voice that could cure a sick man

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H irabai Barodekar (1905-1989) was amongst the most distinguished and popular Hindustani vocalists of the 20th century, and almost certainl...
Saturday, March 5, 2011

Zia Fareeduddin Dagar -- “The university system has done damage to the artistic traditions”

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Ustad Zia Fareeduddin Dagar spoke to Deepak Raja about the Dhrupad Kendra, Bhopal, on October 6, 1998   By 1980, I had virtually settled...
Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Patadeepak: Can it be called a raga?

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P atadeepak is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. On the only recording available, Sharafat Hussain Khan of Agra gharana introduces it as an “...
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Pandit Kumar Gandharva: The ultimate rebel of Hindustani vocalism

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P andit Kumar Gandharva (1924-1992) was easily the most original, and the most controversial Hindustani vocalist of the 20th century. His m...
Sunday, February 20, 2011

Shubhendra Rao -- "The soul remains Indian; but we cross a few boundaries"

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S hubhendra's e-mail of July 1,2004  to Deepak Raja   SHUBHENDRA & SASKIA RAO My father was a disciple of Pandit Ravi...
Friday, February 18, 2011

Bilaskhani Todi: a requiem for Miya Tansen

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The creation of Bilaskhani Todi, is attributed to Bilas Khan, one of the four sons  of Mian  Tansen  (1491-1583), the legendary musician  w...
Monday, February 14, 2011

Raga Nat Kamod : sustained by a single bandish

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Nat Kamod belongs to an important segment of the Jaipur-Atrauli repertoire of compound ragas, in which Nat (sometimes called Shuddha Nat) i...
Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, (1922-2011)

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P andit Bhimsen Joshi, the pre-eminent Hindustani  vocalist breathed his last in the early hours of January 24 after a prolonged illness. ...