Known as a torch-bearer of a strong lineage, Sadolikar’s Savani Nat comes as a welcome opening to the concert that is typical of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. Specialising in ‘hybrid’ ragas of pentatonic structure, Savani Nat is a branch-out of the family of ‘Nats’. Basic ragas like Bhairav, Kedar,...

Abhisek Lahiri concludes his performance at the Darbar Festival 2011 with the sweet raga, Chayanat. His exposition of the melody is serene as well as a welcome choice after a majestic Shree which precedes this piece.

Lahiri performs a gat (composition) in medium tempo in Rupak taal (7 beats) in ...

Darbari Kanada is an extremely popular raga belonging to the cluster of Kanadas. Its origin is popularly attributed to Miyan Tansen, one of the ‘nine jewels’ of Mogul Emperor Akbar’s court. Its Persian name, referring to ‘darbar’ or royal court, bears the stamp. However, it is believed to be an a...

Panesar plays Raag Puriya, an evening melody belonging to the parent scale Marwa. This is a courageous choice as Puriya is wrapped up in complex layers which make the raga inaccessible even to senior and seasoned artists at times.

Puriya’s revealing phrases reside in the lower and middle octav...

This performance of Raag Kaunsi Kanada is the concluding recital of Shruti Sadolikar’s performance at the Darbar festival 2012. This is a rare raga ‘hybrid’ from the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, presented with an apt combination of intellect and aesthetics by Sadolikar. This gharana specializes in com...

Sameehan Kashalkar opens his performance with Raag Marwa. This concert is a showcase of the guru-shishya parampara at the Darbar Festival 2011, where a few young musicians were presented as an extension of the style and legacy they have inherited as disciples of their guru/father.

Kashalkar has ...

He plays two beautiful compositions, the first one is a dhun in Mishra Piloo set to a serene, madhyalay 7-beat cycle in Rupak taal and the second, a famous drut gat in Raag Piloo spread over a 16-beat cycle.

Khan forays amply into the interiors of this hybrid raga with expansive vistaar and tau...

An impromptu sitting of Debasmita Bhattacharya is accompanied by two of India's finest percussionist, Patri Satish Kumar and Ghatam Udupa. In their first sitting together, Debasmita performs Raag Jog from the Kafi thaat which is usually performed between 9pm and 12 midnight.

Debasmita Bhattacha...

This is the second piece from Purbayan Chatterjee’s performance at the Darbar Festival 2011. He introduces Darbari Kanada with a comprehensive alap, traversing both the lower and upper octaves. The composition is a legendary tarana in ektaal (12 beats) immortalised by the late Ustad Amir Khan of ...

Purbayan Chatterjee plays the much loved, Raag Maru Bihag as the opening melody of his performance at the Darbar Festival 2011. He opens the recital with an alap, jor and jhala and then plays two compositions. He is accompanied by Anubrata Chatterjee on the tabla who gives commendable support, ma...

Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee bends the rules of Indian classical music in his graceful way and with expertise in this performance, only to make it more delicious to an audience asking for more. In this concert from Darbar Festival 2019, Pandit Mukherjee plays Raag Nand. This is the second piece of...

Asanare sings Raisa Kanada and Daguri, two ragas from the Jaipur-Atrauli repertoire with remarkable flair and fluency. She elaborates both ragas with a steady voice exposing their exquisite nuances in detail. She raises her game with command and control delivering taans (rapid notes) in four time...

In this performance, Shruti Sadolikar takes up Raag Bihari, a typical melody from the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana with a folksy temperament. Accompanying her on the tabla is Vishwanath Shirodker. Murad Ali Khan gives a heart-wrenching performance on the sarangi and Tanmay Deochake is his best self, fi...

Filmed on location at Singur, West Bengal, Mita Nag performs Suha Kanada. Nag is the sixth generation of sitarists in her family - a lineage including Manilal Nag (her father) and Gokul Nag (her grandfather). She hails from the Bishnupur gharana, a dhrupad-influenced tradition of Bengal, and is k...

Watch this fantastic performance of Raag Shyam Kalyan from the 2014 Darbar Festival

A scintillating performance by the unique Kaushiki CHakraborty for a one-off concert by Darbar in 2017

Ramakant Gaikwad calls out across the Maharashtra plains as if to an unseen companion, using Bageshree to alternate between optimism and introspection

Ramakant Gaikwad is a promising young khayal singer who fuses the Kirana and Patiala gharanas. He started learning aged 4 at his father’s music s...

Watch this captivating performance of Raag Yaman Kalyan.

This concert from the Darbar Festival 2019 will remain etched in your memory forever – Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee’s rendition of Raag Darbari Kanada is an unforgettable experience. For Pandit Mukherjee, the situation was quite unique and a first time for never in his career had he played a midni...

Pandit Kashalkar performs Darbari Kanada, the majestic raga with a flow and clarity creating a spellbinding effect. There is a rare balance of openness and structural adherence in Kashalkar’s performances. The way he elaborates every phrase is like throwing light or paving the path for a new phra...

Sitar maestro Budhaditya Mukherjee’s spectacular rendition of the rain-bringing Raag Mian Ki Malhar, live from an Indian thunderstorm.

Darbar doesn't usually share what goes on behind the scenes of our shoots, but on this occasion the events that we witnessed were too spectacular to keep to our...

An inspired alaap, jor and jhalla rendering of the heavy weight midnight Raag Darbari Kanada is followed by a composition in dhamaar taal, a 14 beat cycle where Pandit Kumar Bose brings the taal alive through his Benaras gharana open style of playing. The performance is brought alive by the music...

Emotions run high and sometimes power and rage comes to play in the music – an expression of the musician's interpretation of the raag and the ambiance in the concert hall. This is a remarkable rendering of the majestic Raag Darbari by Ustad Irshad Khan, a maestro that is able to switch between p...

Praveen Sheolikar delivers his debut performance in the UK at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2018. Raag Gorakh Kalyan