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Why your favourite musicians wake up at 3 am for Riyaz

There are spiritual reasons to wake up at this so-called ungodly hour. Keep calm and Riyaz on Western folklore has instilled in our minds that 3 am is the witching hour. However, many believe it is a time of heightened spiritual awareness,

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30 Sep 2022

Musical Musing August Challenges of Returning to the New Normal

As we gear up to deliver Darbar Festival 2022 (and are already deep in the planning stage for Darbar Festival 2023), I find myself thinking about the way the pandemic has changed the lens through which we view live music performances.

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30 Sep 2022

The Sound of Art & Science

Behind the scenes with Darbar's sound engineer Christoph Bracher. How does Darbar successfully reimagine and recontextualise Indian classical music for our times, and our geography? Because essentially, the music played in courts (and darbars)

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30 Sep 2022

How to harness the power of yoga with Indian classical music to soothe your spirit

Darbar's resident yoga teacher Kanwal Ahluwalia has transformed her life through yoga; here's how she did it and you can, too.

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5 Aug 2022

5 Sounds that Heal

Emerging research has started to support what Indian classical music has known for centuries & sounds can heal.

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12 Jul 2022

The Last Shehnai Player in Pakistan?

Ustad Abdullah Khan is the last shehnai player to play the composition of Ustad Bismillah Khan in Pakistan. Following him, the nation stands to lose not just a musician, but an identity.

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12 Jul 2022

Rasa and Bhava: An explainer guide

Could Rasa and Bhava be the bedrock of modern-day Psychology? And how does music lead to religious enlightenment?

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12 Jul 2022

Musical Musing by Sandeep Virdee, OBE

Darbar believe in the power of the Indian classical arts to thrill, stir and inspire a global audience. But what does that mean, in praxis?

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30 Jun 2022

In conversation with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Interview with Rahat faith Ali Khan

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24 Jun 2022

Nine nights of joy

The ancient Hindu festival of Navratri celebrates the female form in all its avatars.

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22 Jun 2022

How classical music impacts your body's energy centres

Classical music can uplift your mind, body and spirit—Indians believe it constitutes the ascent to divinity itself.

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17 Jun 2022

Musical Musing by Sandeep Virdee, OBE

Indian classical music and wellbeing

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16 Jun 2022

The Commodification of Ishq

The Arabic word Ishq means love or passion.

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26 May 2022

Remembering Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

In the centuries-old tradition of Indian classical music, few living legends can claim to have single-handedly made history. Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was one of those few.

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Wellbeing

The Namaste Mindset

This new year, a new you comes from accepting the old one read more

Musical Musing by Sandeep Virdee, OBE

Indian classical music and wellbeing read more

How classical music impacts your body's energy centres

Classical music can uplift your mind, body and spirit—Indians believe it constitutes the ascent... read more

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New to Indian Music

Guru-Shishya Parampara: Master and disciple, knowledge through surrender

Indian classical music is largely a hereditary tradition, generally taught in a pedagogical fashion... read more

What is Rasa? The 'essence' or 'juice' - a flowing nectar of emotional experience

Rasa (also spelt ras) is the word for 'juice' in many Indian languages. In a musical sense its meaning... read more

Why do Indian musicians tune their instruments in front of the audience?

One famous story of an Indian musician tuning before his audience has now taken a permanent place in... read more

New to indian Classical Music?

The beginner's guide to Indian classical music. Whether you’re completely new to raga music or just need a refresher, we’ve put together this brief overview of all things raga music to help you feel at ease when visiting one of our concerts or watch our videos on our YouTube or our Darbar Concert Hall.

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