Recorded for Darbar Festival 2006, on 5th March at the Phoenix Theatre, Leicester

Musicians:
- Nina Burmi (vocal)
- Ramesh Mishra (sarangi)
- Sanju Sahai (tabla)

Raag Mishra Bhairavi; Thaat: Bhairavi; Samay: 06:00 - 09:00 Morning

Nina Burmi uses her smooth three-octave vocal range to explore the thumri style - a semi-classical genre intimately connected with dance, poetry, and drama.

Learn more about the music:
Thumri is a sensuous ‘light classical’ style, originating in Uttar Pradesh. The word is derived from the Hindi ‘thumakna’, meaning ‘to walk with dancing steps so as to make the ankle-bells tinkle’, and the genre remains closely connected with dance and drama. Ragas are treated more flexibly, and songs are often devotional, romantic, or even erotic in nature. Lyrics have a central role, often being based on folk tales or classical poetry, and commonly depicting the separation of lovers, or myths of Lord Krishna.

Nina Burmi sings in the Kirana gharana style, tackling khayal, thumri, bhajan, and other forms. Currently living in the UK, she trained under the esteemed husband-wife pairing of Dilshad Khan and Parveen Sultana, and combines the latter’s wide vocal range with a more sparsely ornamented approach. In this song she is joined by top accompanists, with lyrics describing the tension and sorrow of a lover who is separated from Lord Krishna.

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