Lose yourself in this immersive experience with master flautist Pandit Godkhindi. He explores the late evening raga, Jog. He plays a serene alaap brimming with the mystique spirit of the raga and as he moves on to the jod and jhalla, he unfurls the silhouettes of the ‘bluesy’ melody with command and repose. The entire presentation is majestic and tranquil building up to climactic moments that is possible only in a raag of sharply contrasting emotions as Jog. Artistic Director of Darbar, Sandeep Virdee OBE says that the organisation’s endeavour has always been in bringing authentic Indian classical music to listeners and Pandit Godkhindi fits the bill perfectly in this regard as an artist and as a representative of an instrument (flute or ‘bansuri’) which is as ancient and centuries old as the music itself.

Deshpande’s accompaniment is sprightly and in tune with Pandit Godkhindi. His crisp bols and provides appropriate embellishments at the perfect moments to the nuances of the flute. “The most important quality of an accompanist is patient listening, for only then will he be able to relate to the main artist and be part of the same soul,” he says.

Pravin Godkhindi is a versatile flautist, performing Hindustani music on the bansuri. His instrument is essentially just a tube of bamboo with holes bored through it, with no moving parts. The sound is thicker, breathier, and more versatile than the Western flute, blending long sustained tones with percussive slaps and swooping microtonal inflections. Pravin studied under his father Venkatesh Godkhindi, an exponent of the Kirana gharana, as well as Carnatic mridangist Anoor Anantha Krishna Sharma. He incorporates Carnatic rhythm into his playing, and in 2015 became the first to perform Indian classical music on the 8-foot-long contrabass flute.

Supreet Deshpande is a tabla maestro from the Farukhabad gharana. He studied under his father Kiran Deshpande as well as Suresh Talwalkar, and brings a gharana-blending style to his playing, with ideas from Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Benaras, Punjab, and beyond. He is known for expertise with rare and ancient kayda compositions.

Pandit Pravin Godkhindi (flute)
Supreet Deshpande (tabla)
Raag Jog