Raag Charukeshi is a recent Carnatic import into the Hindustani genre. It has primarily been a show-stopper in lengthy, pure Hindustani or Carnatic classical concerts. But this recital might take one by a pleasant surprise with Charukeshi hopping over from the pure classical arena to that of ligh...

‘Tum Ho Jagat Ke Data,’ (O’ Almighty, you are the creator of the universe) is a beautiful thumri that was composed by the late sitar legend, Ustad Vilayat Khan. It is set to Raag Bhairavi in a slow tempo of 7 beats (Rupak taal). Unlike most Bhairavi compositions which have a faster tempo and are ...

Watch this beautiful Miyan Malhar by the esteemed Pandits Rajan & Sajan Mishra from the 2016 Darbar Festival

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,...

Begum Parveen Sultana’s rendition of Raag Maru Bihag is soothing, colourful and a celebration of the possibilities of the raga outside the ordinary. She opens her recital at the Darbar festival 2007 with this piece, introducing the raga with a brief alaap.

The expansion of the raga is done in de...

Enter the world of khayal through the velvety, expressive voice of Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan and his penetrating sense of drama from the Agra gharana school of music. From a family of masters, Khan began his training at just six years old, and this is his debut UK performance. Witness the explorati...

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...

Basant means ‘spring’, the season of hope, rejuvenation and mirth. Apart from being a seasonal raga that conveys these emotions, Basant is also associated with love and romance that inevitably arouses feelings of longing, pain and devotion.

Sameehan Kashalkar’s stunning performance of Raag Bas...

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...

Raag Jaunpuri is said to be a creation of King Hussain Shah of the Sharqi dynasty, the Islamic state that ruled northern India between 1394 and 1479. Their capital was Jaunpur, a city that still exists by the same name in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Hussain Shah had christened t...

As suggested by the name, Ahir Bhairav is a blend of two ragas –Bhairav, a primordial scale and Ahiri that owes its origin to a folk melody belonging to ‘Ahir’ or cowherds' communities residing on the fertile plains of the two Indian rivers – Ganga and Yamuna.    

Arati Ankalikar connects three...

Raag Maluha Maand is a rare repertoire of Begum Parveen Sultana; Although she has performed this tarana in many live concerts before, this piece from the Darbar festival 2007 stands out due to the panache with which she embellishes the composition on the spot. Coupled with that is the quality of ...

Pandit Venkatesh Kumar holds a Doctoral degree in Indian classical music from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, one of the most austere institutions of Indian classical music in India. He has authored a text book that has been made a part of the academic syllabus of colleges running under the aegis of...

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...

Upon the request of Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, who was also part of the Darbar 2007 line-up, Begum Parveen Sultana embarks upon this beautiful tarana in Raag Hamsadhwani. After a captivating alaap establishing the raga in all four octaves, Begum Sultana begins the tarana, embellishing it with all...

Raag Marwa has a somber mood, it is sung during sunset and projects an intense, meditative emotion. One of the greatest Indian classical vocalists of all time, late Ustad Amir Khan, has contributed volumes to the Marwa repository with his emphasized delineation of Dha (6th) in the lower octave. T...

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

In this rendition, Sahasrabuddhe splashes the listeners’ canvas with myriad ragas, all performed back-to-back like a medley. A Raag Mala, which literally translates to “raga garland”, is a non-stop rendition of different ragas, all strung together to create the most mind-bending effect. Sahasrabu...

Veena Sahasrabuddha sings an incredible version of Shudh Sarang, stirring up the sweet and rustic mood of this beautiful early afternoon raga. Building highways through the phrases, she illuminates the teevra madhyam (sharp 4th) with intense evocativeness, establishing the framework of the raga i...

This wonderful excerpt is from our Director’s Cut trove – a repository of some of the most special artists that the Darbar Festival has presented. In this clip, Sahasrabuddhe performs a tarana in Raag Ahir Bhairav with uncompromising clarity and delicacy. This concert being her last one in the UK...

Satyajit Talwalker (tabla) and Milind Kulkarni (harmonium)

Raag Puriya Kalyan combines elements of the late-night raga Puriya in the lower tetra chord with the joyous elements of Kalyan in the upper tetra chord. The glory of Puriya Kalyan’s manifestation lies in the judicious allotment of weightage assigned to both Puriya and Kalyan during its implementa...

Watch the second half of the legendary Parveen Sultana's performance at the 2018 Darbar Festival

Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande sings a beautiful evening raag at London's Southbank in 2018