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One scale, same swaras, different moods Raag Bhoop and Raag Deshkar are closely related pentatonic ragas in Hindustani music, sharing the same five swaras “Sa, Re, Ga, Pa, Dha” with both ascent and descent remaining audav. Despite this identical material, they are distinguished by clearly different melodic grammars.  Bhoop belongs to the Kalyan anga, and its identity is shaped by phrase patterns that emphasize Ga and Re, with frequent resting points in the middle register. It

An evening beauty wrapped in a morning melody. Artists are never satisfied with what they have, always striving for something different. There's always a perpetual disquiet to transform the familiar into the unknown. We constantly tinker with our art, seeking novelty, driven by a restless urge to innovate and transcend. This relentless pursuit of change can be creative. Devgiri Bilawal is one such raag, a variant of bilawal. Prof. Deodhar recalls an incident with Baba Allaudd

In the context of Khayal Vocal Music Sur/Swar (notes and their accuracy) and Laya (meter/tempo) are the two foundational pillars of any form of music across the world. While one may believe in laying greater importance to intonations and their accuracy, it is the meter that determines the relation between two successive Swars. In Indian Classical Music (ICM), sometimes even an apparently free flowing, unbound improvisation has an intrinsic meter, without which the phraseology

"I know only one thing – Music! I am little interested in other things. I am just a humble devotee of God and Music."   ( Image 1- Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan ) Before Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan sang a single note, the listener sensed a quiet shift in the atmosphere. It was as if the room leaned forward in anticipation. There was nothing hurried in his presence. Each note arrived with purpose, settled fully, and then moved on only when it had revealed all it could.   His voice

Image 04 - Ustad Faiyaz Khan in a concert 1 Most of what we have of Ustad Faiyaz Khan’s renditions of Raaga  Ramkali comes to us in fragments. The recording quality of most tracks remains poor or, at best, average, and most versions are incomplete. And despite these limitations, what has survived offers a goldmine of musical insight. These tracks allow us to witness different facets of Khan sahab’s genius , each  rendition of Ramkali standing out for a different reason. Here,

Image 03 - Ustad Faiyaz Khan True musicianship is not only about command over the form, but about the ability to transform the very space one sings into. Ustad Faiyaz Khan was a "master of maahol " - a term Pt. Kumar Prasad Mukherjee uses while speaking about his music. 1 This quality perhaps comes through most strikingly in his Darbari. There are multiple  recordings of Khan sahab’s Darbari available today. In fact, some of the longest surviving recordings of his are in this

Image 02 - Ustad Fayaz Khan Raaga Bhoopali  Among the many recordings of Ustad Faiyaz Khan that I have heard, Raaga Bhoopali has come to occupy a special place for me. Perhaps because this recording makes it especially clear how much meaning and depth he could create with very little .  There have been several musicians known for their command over specific aspects - voice quality, breath control, rich content, alaap, laykaari, taankaari, or bhaav amongst several others. A f

Image 01 - Ustad Faiyaz Khan So much has been written and said about Khan sahab’s gayaki , and yet it never feels enough, the music itself continues to fascinate and draw one back.  Each new attempt to engage with his art feels as absorbing as the last.  It leaves one with a sense of awe that never quite settles,  reminding one of how much there is to learn from these recordings. (For a background on Ustad Faiyaz Khan's life and musical lineage , see following profiles: ‘...

( Image 1 - Ustad Allauddin Khan in a concert ) When a Boy Heard Music Calling The year was 1872. In the village of Shibpur, Brahmanbaria, a ten year old boy named Allauddin made a decision that would echo through a century. His father Sabdar Hossain Khan played music at home, and his elder brother Fakir Aftabuddin had taught him the basics. But when a jatra troupe passed through the village, those wandering performers of traditional Bengali street theatre, young Allauddin si

Date of birth: 15 July 1904 Death: 10 February 2001 Gharana: Jaipur-Atrauli  Gurus: Chintobuva Gurav, Hazrat Inayat Khan, Hyder Khan, Ustad Alladiya Khan. Influencers: Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, Basheer Khan Disciples: Kishori Amonkar, Kaushalya Manjeshwar, Suhasini Mulgaonkar, Kamal Tambe, Vamanrao Deshpande, Babanrao Haldankar, Padma Talwalkar. Mogubai Kurdikar, affectionately known as ‘Mai’ by the music fraternity was one of the most remarkable musicians the Indian Classi

भारतीय दर्शन परंपरा तथा भारतीय संगीत परंपरा का निरीक्षण करते ही कुछ समानताएं सहज रूप से दिखाई पड़ती है।  – वेदों का अपौरुषेय होना तथा रागों का भी अपौरुषेय होना, इसमे कोई तो संकेत जरूर है।  – इन दोनों का मौखिक परंपरा से विकास और जतन भी, इनके आपसी सम्बन्ध का सूचक है।   भारतीय दर्शन परम्परा विश्वकी प्राचीनतम परम्पराओ में से एक है।  उस परम तत्व को, जो शब्दों से परे है और जो अनुभूति में निहित है उसे ऋषिओने – द्रष्टाओं – सिद्धो ने अनुभव से समजा और अपने अपने माध्यम से व्यक्त किया। क

Ustad Faiyaz Khan was born At Sikandara, a small town near Agra in 1880. His musical lineage traces back to Haji Sujaan Khan who was a court musician in Akbar’s court. His father, Safdar Hussain died just three months before his birth. Up to age of 25, his maternal grandfather, Ghulam Abbas taught him music. Apart from Ghulam Hussain, he got Talim under different Gurus like Ustad Mehboob Khan (Daraspiya), Natthan Khan and Fida Hussain Khan. Without any doubt, Faiyaz Khan was

( Image 1- Dinubhau performing in one of his concerts at Mehekar) Pandit Dinkarrao Balirampant Elkunchwar , fondly remembered as Dinubhau, was a classical vocalist who devoted his life to music while rooted in the soil of Vidarbha. Born on the day of Vasubaras (first day of the Hindu festival Diwali), that is, on 14 October 1925, in the small village of Parwa, Washim district. He grew up in a family that nurtured a love for the arts. His father, the late Balirampant Elkunchwa

Curated By: Mandar Karanjkar This exhibition showcases some of the rare music pieces by Rehmat Khan Saheb, the legendary vocalist of Gwalior Gharana. Rehmat Khan, also revered as ‘Bhu Gandharva’ was born in 1852 to Ustad Haddu Khan of Gwalior Gharana. Gifted with a beautiful and musical voice, he started accompanying his father from a very young age. After demise of Haddu Khan, Rehmat Khan roamed across north India, performing as a street musician. He finally settled in Bener

Curated by : Mandar Karanjkar The life sketch of Pt. Mohanrao Karve, a well known and respected vocalist from Gwalior Gharana is indeed very interesting. In the life span of 90 years, he played numerous roles – from a child movie artist to a Khayal singer.  Bhalchandra Nilkanth Karve alias Mohanrao Karve was born in Pune on 16th September, 1925. His father, Nilkanth Shreedhar Karve worked with the government while his mother, Kamalabai was a amateur harmonium player. The coup

Image-1  Bai Sundrabai from a flyer ‘Tumhi Mazhe Savkar’ Bai Sundrabai Jadhav,  c. (1885 – 1953) fondly known as " Punekarin ," was one of the most influential figures in Indian music during the 1920s to 1940s. Born in Pune around 1885, she later moved to Mumbai, where she passed away at the age of approximately seventy in 1953. Her presence wasn’t limited to the world of music; Sundrabai also made a striking impression on the silver screen. She acted in iconic films such as

An exploration of early Indian gramophone records, uncovering forgotten voices, vintage melodies, and the sonic imprint of a nation in transition. (Image 1 - Bajakhana) | Michael Kinnear  The Gramophone- Arrival of Sound on Shellac ( Image 2 - Goddess Saraswati with a Gramophone signifying the Arrival of gramophone technology in India) | The Revolver Club- Sept 2, 2021 The phonograph was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison. Furthermore, Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory

A Voice Echoing Through Time Beherebuwa on stage with his accompanists Male stage actors of the Kirloskar Natak Company performing both male and female roles in Marathi Sangeet Natak Early Life and Musical Inclination Ganesh Ramchandra Beherebua was born in 1890 in the village of Kurdhen, located in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. From an early age, he exhibited exceptional musical talent. A natural prodigy, he was adept at playing various musical instruments available

Guardian of Gwalior Gayaki Pandit Antubuwa tuning his tanpuras before his performance Early Life: A Musical Legacy Begins In the year 1881, the village of Kinhai, nestled near Aundh in Maharashtra, bore witness to the birth of a child destined to shape the course of Hindustani classical music—Anant Manohar Joshi, later affectionately known as Antubuwa. Born into a musically gifted family, Antubuwa inherited the rich musical legacy of his father, Pandit Manoharbuwa, a singer k

(Image 1 - Yashwantbua Mirashi 1983 – 05-01-1966) Early Life: In the year 1983, a boy was born into the family of Sadashiv Pandit, Ichalkaranji. He was named Yashwant. The family had mirasdari , which was similar to the revenue collectors of that time. Hence, the little Yashwant Pandit was later known as Mirashibua.  Coincidentally, his Guru Gayanacharya Pt. Balkrishnabua Ichalkaranjikar lived next to his house. Young Yashwant used to make fun of Balkrishnbua’s singing. He us