In 2006, Darbar presented Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty in an exclusive evening in his semi-classical avatar. The semi-classical or lighter segment is a by-product of folk music and an off-shoot of pure classical music that consists of a deluge of forms in which Pandit Chakraborty holds a position of r...

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...

Raag Bhoopkali is also known as Bhoopeshwari. It is believed to be a creation of Ustad Alladiya Khan of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. However, its emergence almost forty years after his death (1945) makes this information confusing. In the subsequent years of its soaring to popularity in music frat...

Pandit Kushal Das's performance of raag Jaunpuri from the Darbar Festival 2021

Ramkali is an early morning raga, often associated with Sikh devotional cultures. Many Sikh saints have set 'shabads' (spiritual verses) to the tune of this raga.

In the sprawling premises of the Bawali Rajbari, the 265-year-old heritage mansion-palace situated 35 kilometres outside of Kolkat...

Begum Parveen Sultana gives an outstanding performance of this morning raga, Gurjari Todi, at the Darbar Festival 2007. After a last-minute visa-related issue of the scheduled artists leading to a cancellation of their concerts, she generously agreed to fill the morning slot at the Phoenix theatr...

Parvez begins with a serene alap of this morning raga, delineating its contours with expressive embellishments over his murkis and meends of varying weights. From the calming effect of the alap, he traverses towards a stunning jod, combining the technical virtuosity of tantrakari with profound an...

Harjinderpal Matharu's intuitive tuning and re-tuning of his santoor on stage is reflective of the years of training he has had under the legendary Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Matharu is a quiet in nature but a very well-spoken musician brimming with infectious confidence on stage. His chiseled proj...

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...

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...

Parvez’s portrayal of Bhairavi is deeply profound; In this piece from the Darbar Festival 2007, he concludes his recital with this composition set to a rhythmic cycle of 6 beats (Dadra). Pandit Yogesh Samsi gives a mellowed accompaniment on the tabla, suited against the devotional mood and pathos...

Jayateerth Mevundi is one of the Kirana gharana’s leading vocalists. Born in Hubli, he received instruction from Arjunsa Nakod for over a decade, and later trained with Shripati Padigar, a disciple of Bhimsen Joshi

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...

A special performance against the Bay of Bengal beach, Shashank perfoms Raag Ahir Bhairav. Born to a biochemist father in the extraordinarily musical village of Rudrapatna, Shashank Subramanyam started learning early in life. He mastered all 72 Melakarta scales by the age of two-and-a-half, promp...

Kaushiki sings the evocative Raag Jaunpuri in the Kolkata botanic gardens at sunrise for an exclusive Darbar on location shoot. Despite being bitten by mosquitos her focus remained unwavered as she meanders through the alaap to the bandish. During the recording a crowd of regular walkers and runn...

In the true cadence of the Etawah gharana, Khan plays a resounding Aliya Bilawal in which he lends an impressive depth of his own, exploring the sweetness of the raga as much as he exposes the underlying dignity of Bilawal. Khan has a non-chalant, sure-shot way of delivering the central phrases o...

Virdee is the son of Bhai Gurmit Singh Ji Virdee in who’s memory, his brother Sandeep Virdee OBE is the founder of the Darbar Festival. Virdee brings in a breath of fresh air with his choice of Ahiri, a Carnatic raga, which he plays in pure Hindustani style. He plays a heartfelt alap, skilfully e...

Kaviraj Dhadyalla is a rising star of the santoor in the UK. He has learnt from Ustad Harjinderpal Singh, senior disciple of international maestro, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, alongside the guidance of his pioneering father, Ustad Dharambir Singh MBE. After learning vocal music throughout his child...

Ahir Bhairav is a blend of two ragas – Bhairav, an ancient 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.

Ahir Bhairav is coloured with the pensive, early morning flavo...

The late Sahasrabuddhe was a serious exponent of the Gwalior gharana sings Ahir Bhairav, Shudh Sarang, Raag Mala, Nirguni Bhajan and India’s national song the ‘Vande Mataram’, leaving many in tears at the end of her morning concert.

Sahasrabuddhe begins Ahir Bhairav with a slow composition set...

UK-based duo open the 2008 Darbar Festival with the morning and evocative Raag Jaunpuri. The youthful musicians display a maturity on stage which is far beyond their age. Jasani first learned tabla in the Benares gharana style before switching to sarod under Dhrupad master Pandit Krishnamurti Sr...