The Darbhanga tradition of dhrupad gayaki combines melody, rhythm and poetry to create a powerful style. It follows two schools of dhrupad syllables - the Khandarvani and Gauharvani that synthesize the poetry and melody into an astounding interpretation of dhrupad through intense rhythmic elabora...

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...

#darbarfestival #indianclassicalmusicmusic #mridangam

Patri Satish Kumar is the master of the mridangam. Enjoy this full piece of his concert from the Darbar Festival 2017

Percussion virtuoso Patri Satish Kumar left an indelible mark on the stage of Darbar Festival 2017. With rhythmic prowes...

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...

Pandit Kushal Das, a master of sitar and surbahar, follows in the footsteps of Pandit Nikhil Banerjee's Maihar tradition. Despite growing up in a family of accomplished musicians, he was given the freedom to explore music at his own pace, initially finding solace in playing film songs. But Kushal...

Ken Zuckerma performs Raga Rathipathi at the Darbar Festival 2021.

Musicians:
Tabla - Surdarshan Singh

Ken Zuckerma performs Raga Gorakh Kalyan at the Darbar Festival 2021.

Musicians:
Tabla - Surdarshan Singh

Ken Zuckerma performs Raag Kaushi Kanara at the Darbar Festival 2021.

Musicians:
Tabla - Surdarshan Singh

Ken Zuckerma performs Raag Sindih Bhairavi at the Darbar Festival 2021.

Musicians:
Tabla - Surdarshan Singh

Rahul Sharma acquired the fundamentals of Hindustani classical ragas first on a harmonium. It was only after he turned 13 that he was allowed to switch to the 100-stringed santoor (Indian hammered dulcimer). He imbibed the best from his father and built upon it to create his own style. Today, he
...

Raag Jhinjhoti exudes a folksy charm. It expands best in the lower and middle octaves with happy, vibrant strides. Debasmita Bhattacharya chooses Jhinjhoti for her sarod recital at the Darbar Festival 2017. The forebearers of this stringed lute weighing almost 10 kilograms (22 lbs) is a largely a...

During the earlier part of the 19th century, the sursingar was born in India as a modified version of the seniya rebab. The moisture-laden air of the intense Indian monsoons affected the gut strings and membrane-covered sound-box of the seniya rebab, taking away the crispness of its sound. Therea...

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...

In 2006, Darbar presented Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty in an exclusive evening in his semi-classical avatar – a gamut consisting of numerous forms in which the stalwart holds a position of deep respect for his extensive knowledge, experience and authority on the subject.

In this video, he performs a ...

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...

In this vibrant rendition of a traditional Ram bhajan, Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty creates moments of ecstasies in an exclusive evening of semi-classical presentations from the Darbar Festival 2006. Apart from his expertise in Hindustani and Carnatic classical repertoires, the acclaimed Pandit Chakra...

In 2006, Darbar presented Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty in an exclusive evening in his semi-classical avatar – a gamut consisting of numerous forms in which the stalwart has deep knowledge, experience and authority. In this video, he performs a Krishna bhajan through which, he pays his tribute to Bhai ...

In 2006, the Darbar Festival featured eminent vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty in two sessions. The first recital was a pure Hindustani classical presentation. However, the multi-talented Pandit Chakraborty left his audiences asking for more – the second presentation had to be a showcase of his s...

Kriti in Raga Kalyani by Saint Thyagaraja

Virtam in Raga Varali

Daru Varnam in Raga Vasuntha

The northern-most state of Jammu which is the native region of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, has one of the richest folk cultures in India. Jammu is a colourful platter of music, art, crafts and agriculture that constitute the main livelihood of its people.

Raag Pahadi is based on the folk melodies o...

Raag Kaushik Dhwani was previously known as Bhinna Shadaj. ‘Bhinna’ means differentiated and ‘Shadaj’ means the first note or Sa. Pandit Shivkumar Sharma performs a lighter piece based on this raga. He bases the main melodic lines on Kaushik Dhwani and introduces an element of surprise in almost ...

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...