Rhythm of the Falling Rain

Notes of ragas from the Malhar family will waft through the monsoon air as the rains come knocking.

Notes of ragas from the Malhar family will waft through the monsoon air as the rains come knocking. At Barkha Ritu,the seasons first monsoon festival,ragas that were popular during the artistic renaissance and became an important part of folk music later will come alive in all their glory.

The day-long festival will be held at India Habitat Centre today. Presented by Banyan Tree,this is the sixth edition of the annual festival and will feature Pandit Channulal Mishra,flautist Pandit Ronu Majumdar and percussionist Talvin Singh.

Majumdar will open the recital with a monsoon raga. His recital will be mixed with drums,tabla and bass by Singh,a London-based percussionist. Singh,who has collaborated with Madonna in the past,says,Traditionally,it would have been unimaginable to link a tabla solo with the monsoon raga. But recent times have seen a shift in the expression of the tabla as it has taken on a contemporary attitude, said Singh in an e-mail.

This will be followed by a recital by legendary vocalist Channulal Mishra. It is all about the bhava,when it comes to my Purab ang gayaki and khayals, he says. The festival will travel to Bangalore,Hyderabad,Delhi,Mumbai,Pune and Ahmedabad.

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