Pandit Rajendra Prasanna

Hindustani Bansuri Shennai

Pandit Rajendra Prasanna

3 minute read

Pandit Rajendra Prasanna is a leading exponent of both the bansuri and the shehnai, two wind instruments with contrasting textures. He hails from a distinguished lineage of Benares musicians – a young Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia was a student of the family, and Rajendra first learnt from his father Raghunath and uncles Bholanath and Vishnu. He also studied under Ustads Hafeez Ahmed Khan and Sarfaraz Hussain Khan, and took vocal lessons from Pandit Mahadev Mishra.

His career since has featured accompaniment slots with Pandit Ravi Shankar, a long association with the National School of Drama, and carefully selected film work. Proudly uncompromising with his approach to classical music, he tours the world as one of the finest purveyors of the modern Benares gharana.

Pandit Rajendra Prasanna performed at the Darbar Festival in 2012 on two occasions. First, he showcased his virtuosity alongside tabla maestro Sanju Sahai, and later performed with the talented Shubh Maharaj. His performances at the festival were celebrated for their profound depth and mastery of the bansuri, contributing to the rich diversity of Indian classical music presented at Darbar.

“Rather than make a career in Bollywood he was more keen to enrich the authentic folk music” [his son Rishab]

Darbar believes in the power of Indian classical music to stir, thrill, and inspire. Explore our YouTube channel or subscribe to the Darbar Player to watch extended festival performances, talks, and documentaries in pristine HD and UHD quality.

Explore all our live and on-demand music courses guided by world-class maestros. From beginners taking their first steps to advanced students refining their craft, our globally accessible platform empowers you to learn, grow, and connect deeply with the tradition of Indian classical music

Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick | Director

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2007, on 13th April, at the Phoenix Theatre Leicester. Musicians: - Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick (dhrupad) - Prashant Mallick (dhrupad) - Ravi Shankar Upadhyay (pakhawaj) - Debipriya Das & Gunwant Kaur (Tanpuras) Music Pieces: - Raag Shudh Sarang, Thaat: Kalyan, Samay: Late Morning; Alap Jod Jhalla and Dhamar - Raag Bhimpalasi, Thaat: Kafi, Samay: Afternoon; Bandish in Dhamar taal - Raag Bhimpalasi, Thaat: Kafi, Samay: Afternoon; Bandish in Sool taal Demonstrating a striking balance between melody and rhythm, Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick and his son Prashant Mallick present ragas Shudh Sarang and Bhimpalasi from the dhrupad tradition of the Darbhanga gharana. The gharana is based on the Gauhar vani syllable, representing pure melody and spontaneous laykari. Pandit Mallick and his son begin their recital with Raag Shudh Sarang, performing an expansive alap in the ‘been-ang’ (instrumental style), exposing the key phrases of the raga. In the lower octave, Ni is sufficiently projected as the ‘nyasa swara’ (resting note) from where, they dip further to Sa of the lower-most tetra-chord, demonstrating a magnificent grasp over vocal range. With smooth meends, they join the lower, middle and upper octaves, portraying a detailed and wide range of possibilities in the Shudh Sarang terrain. Pandit Mallick and his son touch the extreme upper octave during the jod, creating dramatic and robust gamaks in Shudh Sarang. The most spectacular part is the jhalla that consists of intricate, super-fast syllables performed with sparkling clarity. Ravi Shankar Upadhyay plays an engaging 12-beat cycle, perfectly blending with the lyrics of the composition and producing commendable improvisations. Proceeding to the next piece, Pandit Mallick and his son present an evocative composition in Raag Bhimpalasi set to a 14-beat cycle of Dhamar taal. Plunging deeper into this early evening melody, they deploy an array of breathtaking laykari using bol-banav, weaving the lyrics of the composition in an exciting variety of patterns. Preserving the best for the last, the duo performs another composition in the same raga. This traditional, age-old song from the Darbhanga gharana is set to Sool taal, a 10-beat cycle. The Sanskrit lyrics paint a vivid picture of Lord Shiva’s appearance and his fierce powers that are capable of destroying the universe in order to pave the path for a new world which is devoid of sufferings. In this performance, the Mallicks reveal the uplifting quality of their repertoire which is replete with dynamic use of swaras, stylised projection of syllables and stunning laykari.