Let's journey back in time to Darbar Festival 2023 when we were graced by the exceptional talent of Sarwar Hussain Khan.

Khan was born into an illustrious sarangi family. The son of Ustad Anwar Hussain and grandson of stalwart, Ustad Abdul Latif Khan Sahab, Khan has developed a style which gives...

Arshad Khan is an accomplished musician known for his mastery of the esraj, a traditional Indian string instrument. The esraj is a bowed instrument with sympathetic strings, creating a unique and melodious sound. Arshad Khan comes from a musical lineage, as he is the son of Ustad Allauddin Khan, ...

Arshad Khan is an accomplished musician known for his mastery of the esraj, a traditional Indian string instrument. The esraj is a bowed instrument with sympathetic strings, creating a unique and melodious sound. Arshad Khan comes from a musical lineage, as he is the son of Ustad Allauddin Khan, ...

In collaboration with St Martin-in-the-Fields, Darbar brought of Indian classical arts to the heart of London, The St Martins church was built in 1726 next to Trafalgar Square. This lunchtime concert offered the audience a captivating immersion into the sublime music of sarod by Debasmita Bhattac...

Debasmita Bhattacharya on sarod, Debasmita performs Raag Bhimpalasi from the Kafi thaat. This is a very unique and special performance.

Debasmita Bhattacharya is one of India’s finest young sarod players, representing the rich musical tradition of her native Kolkata. Her style blends the exp...

Dharwad is regarded as the Mecca of north Indian classical vocalists. The father of the Kirana gharana, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1947), settled here and nurtured many musical luminaries and created a deep connection between north Indian and Carnatic music. Hailing from the same region, Pandit...

Dharwad is regarded as the Mecca of north Indian classical vocalists. The father of the Kirana gharana, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1947), settled here and nurtured many musical luminaries and created a deep connection between north Indian and Carnatic music. Hailing from the same region, Pandit...

Dharwad is regarded as the Mecca of north Indian classical vocalists. The father of the Kirana gharana, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1947), settled here and nurtured many musical luminaries and created a deep connection between north Indian and Carnatic music. Hailing from the same region, Pandit...

As an acclaimed artist foraging in uncharted territory and making headway in her espousal of the khayal tradition, hers is a voice that rings loud and true. Her many contributions to music have helped reclaim the narrative and ensure that music—and music education—thrive in the Indian musical con...

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2016, on 18th September at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London.

Musicians:
- Shubha Mudgal (khayal)
- Aneesh Pradhan (tabla)
- Sudhir Nayak (harmonium)
- Priya Sharma & Seetal Dhadyalla (tanpuras)

In this video from 2016, Shubha Mudgal performs a bandis...

Raag Shudh Sarang is a derivative of the ‘Sarang’ family of ragas that reside in the cluster of afternoon ragas in the Hindustani system. Sarang itself was born out of the rustic folk melodies of India and hence, any sarang-raga is inevitably influenced by the unpretentious simplicity of folk.

I...

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...

Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick and his son Prashant Mallick are a gifted father and son duo. Their commitment to dhrupad comes as a force visible in their stunning performances. They sing a traditional bandish from the Darbhanga gharana in Raag Bhimpalasi in this recital set to Dhamar taal.

After a...

Ken Zuckerman gives an immaculate rendition of Raag Bhimpalasi in this concert from Darbar Festival 2007. He begins with a serene alap, introducing the raga in a profoundly devotional emotion and a mood of longing. He integrates the microtonal nuances of Bhimpalasi in the phrases, discovering int...

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2007, at the Phoenix Theatre in Leicester.

Musicians:
- Begum Parveen Sultana (Patiala gharana)
- Partha Sarathi Mukherjee (tabla)
- Chiranjib Chakraborty (harmonium)
- Nina Burmi (tanpura)
- Ranjana Ghatak (tanpura)
- Debipriya Das (support)

Raag Ambika Sarang, Thaa...

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...

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...

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2010, on 4th April, at King's Place, London.

Musicians:
- Pandit Venkatesh Kumar (khayal)
- Murad Ali Khan (sarangi)
- Satyajit Talwalkar (tabla)
- Tofail Ahmed (harmonium)
- Gunwant Kaur (tanpura)
- Roopa Panesar (tanpura)

Raag Durga; Thaat: Bilawal; Samay: Night

...

Mythically, Krishna, the cowherd boy, played Raag Bhimpalasi on his flute to give a return call to all his grazing cows and cowherd friends. As such this raga, exuding peace and assurance, has a universal appeal.

In this concert, Niladri Kumar unspools Bhimpalasi in a patient alap, relishing ea...

Alam Khan’s portrayal of Raag Bhimpalasi takes an unassuming quality with the serene tonality of his sarod and the confident cadence of his introductory phrases.

He explores the lower octave with sustained notes, delineating a haunting and sweet portrait of the melody. Gradually, he approaches ...

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...

Das bridges the different styles of the Senia Maihar and Etawah gharanas providing a unique hybrid style. His rendering the popular afternoon Raag Bhimpalasi reflects his intense use of phrases interwoven to the strict raga framework which comes to a steady climax through speed and dexterity of t...

Pandit Venkatesh Kumar gives a majestic and outstanding performance of Raag Patdeep in this clip, extracted from his first UK and international debut performance at Darbar Festival in London. His gayaki blends motley of schools ranging from Gwalior to Kirana and Patiala. This is a concert that le...

Kulkarni’s methodical exposition of Bhimpalasi is exceptional and haunting. He layers the alap, jod and jhala with intricate bends and finesse, concluding with Tilang which is packed with sweet microtonal nuances of the raga. In a short and sweet conversation, he also explains how the bamboo flut...