Masters of Indian Midnight Ragas, 

Double bill: India’s iconic sitar to the magic of the maestro 

An extraordinary double bill featuring one of India’s finest female sitar players and one of India’s senior most vocalists of Indian classical music right here in London.  

Bhagwat returns to the Darbar Festival after 10 years with her signature sitar sound, bringing both a softness but formidable ability to construct and improvise lyrically to repeated crescendos. She learnt her art from the late Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee of the Imdadkhani Gharana (school of music). She is accompanied by Adhiya who brings his own spiritual and effortless rhythmic magic to his accompaniment.  

India’s foremost vocalist, Kashalkar, returns after 12 years in the closing concert of the Darbar Festival, performing late night ragas. Kashalkar uniquely innovated the ability to switch between the Gwalior, Jaipur and Agra styles of vocals even in the course of a single performance. With his powerful voice he adheres to the aesthetic contours of each individual style, and to the formal demands of the raga being presented. Immerse yourself in the unfolding of the raga through fluent interplay of notes that evoke the deepest of emotions. Samsi accompanies on the table, noted for his musical intuition and masterful improvisational dexterity. Kolhatkar is ever present providing enhancing harmonium accompaniment. This is once in a lifetime concert – don’t miss it.