Raag Bhimpalasi; Thaat: Kafi; Samay: Afternoon

Musicians:
- Debasmita Bhattacharya (Sarod)
- Gurdain Rayatt (Tabla)

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

After a scintillating performance at the Music of India Leicester, we are excited to host Debasmita Bhattacharya for the Lunch time concert series at St Martin-in-the-Fields. This time accompanied by the rhythmic prowess of Gurdain Rayatt, this concert promises the audience to embark on an introspective journey of notes that ring true—not just to the ear, but to the spirit.

Debasmita Bhattacharya is one of India’s finest young sarod players, representing the rich musical tradition of her native Kolkata. Her style blends the expansive mindset of modern musicians with an old-school patience. She began learning with her sarodi father Debashish Bhattacharya, then entered the tutelage of the late maestro Buddhadev Das Gupta. She made an acclaimed UK debut in 2017, and continues to demonstrate that gender should be no barrier to instrumental mastery. “[The sarod] is considered as a male dominated instrument…I accepted the challenge and every morning I try to prove myself by improving my playing...music has no boundaries...it is only for the human.”

Subscribe to the Darbar Player to access the full, uncut performance.

Recorded at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, on 22nd September 2023.