Music and nature are a recurring theme in ragas of the Hindustani or North Indian system of music. Just as ragas follow a time cycle their swaras reflecting the changing luminosities of day and night so too there are ragas evocative of the seasons two in particular spring and the monsoons both of which strike deep emotive chords within us.
In this album sitar maestro Ravi Shankar renders music of these seasons. Featured first is the grand and glorious Raga Mian-ki-Malhar said to be a creation of the legendary Mian Tansen. The alap jod and jhala are played in the distinctive style of the Senia Beenkar gharana. A typical Kanhra like use of the komal gandhar (E.Flat) along with an unusual glide over the two nishads (B and B Flat) gives the basic outlines to this raga of the rains. Raga Sidhura of the spring of the Kanhra group is important in the repertoire of dhrupad and dhamar singers. Here again the play of the two nishad-s adds great color and perspective while the deep bass tunning of the tabla is somewhat like the Pakhawaj. A pleasing Mishra Kafi ends this album with a brief alp in thumri style followed by gat or compositions.
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