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 left a packed hall spellbound and speechless and may be said to be one of Darbar’s best presentations. Satyajit Talwalkar (tabla), Murad Ali Khan (sarangi) and Tofail Ahmed (harmonium) provide a chemistry that takes this concert to a different level altogether.

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 the Government of Karnataka. He is the recipient of many a state award including the Padmashri – the highest civilian award of the Government of India conferred upon him for his contribution towards the Kannada Folk repertoire.

Blessed with an exceptional talent and charishma, Satyajit Talwalkar stands true to his training from his father, Pt. Suresh Talwalkar, as he demonstrates the ability to play resounding solos and also transport the vocal nuances of a composition on his Tabla. This characteristic in the Tabla accompaniment of the Talwalkars is a landmark, a signature which you can expect none other than Satyajit to live up to.

Murad Ali Khan is an accomplished sarangi player who learned from his grandfather Siddiqi Ahmed Khan. He had started accompanying some of the greatest artists from a very young age and has a stylistic influence borrowed from Sultan Khan along with a robust sound.

Tofail Ahmed hails from Bangladesh and started taking music lessons from Ustad Kamruzzaman on Tabla and vocal music from Pandit Anil Kumar Shaha in Dhaka, Bangladesh. With complete dedication and perseverance, he was awarded the prestigious ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) Scholarship to study North Indian classical music in Delhi. He is currently settled in the UK.

Musicians:
Pandit Venkatesh Kumar (khayal)
Murad Ali Khan (sarangi)
Satyajit Talwalkar (tabla)
Tofail Ahmed (harmonium)
Raag Patdeep