Rahul Sharma acquired the fundamentals of Hindustani classical ragas first on a harmonium. It was only after he turned 13 that he was allowed to switch to the 100-stringed santoor (Indian hammered dulcimer). He imbibed the best from his father and built upon it to create his own style. Today, he
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533 Souls Festival celebrates mental well-being in the post-pandemic world through serene, contemplative renditions of ragas and yoga. Filmed and recorded live at England’s premier venue - The Curve Theatre, Leicester - this performance is part of the 533 Souls Festival. Curated exclusively with ...

Rimpa Siva was a child prodigy, an amazing talent who defied gender roles to become a role model of the tabla at a young age. Siva was all of 5 when she listened to her father, Swapan Siva, teaching all the boys who came to their residence to learn this art. He had initially expected his daughter...

This is the opening piece of Dr. Kadri Gopalnath’s concert from the Darbar Festival 2011. Following old traditions, he begins his performance with a salutation to the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha. This Hindu deity is regarded as the harbinger of good fortune and a remover of obstacles. He gi...

Pandit Venkatesh Kumar holds a Doctoral degree in Indian classical music from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, one of the most austere institutions of Indian classical music in India. He has authored a text book that has been made a part of the academic syllabus of colleges running under the aegis of...

Raag Kaushik Dhwani was previously known as Bhinna Shadaj. ‘Bhinna’ means differentiated and ‘Shadaj’ means the first note or Sa. Pandit Shivkumar Sharma performs a lighter piece based on this raga. He bases the main melodic lines on Kaushik Dhwani and introduces an element of surprise in almost ...

A dynamic and beautiful rendition of Raag Jogkauns at the 2019 Darbar Festival by the esteemed Kala Ramnath, with expert accompaniment from Pandit Yogesh Samsi

In this vibrant rendition of a traditional Ram bhajan, Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty creates moments of ecstasies in an exclusive evening of semi-classical presentations from the Darbar Festival 2006. Apart from his expertise in Hindustani and Carnatic classical repertoires, the acclaimed Pandit Chakra...

Sudha Ragunathan's performance from the Darbar Festival 2019

Music Pieces:
Daru Varnam in Raga Vasuntha
Virtam in Raga Varali
Kriti in Raga Kalyani by Saint Thyagaraja
Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Raga Madimavati
Killikani in Raga Senjuruthi
Tillana in Raga Brindanavi by Dr M Balamuralikrishna

Musi...

Raag Bhoopkali is also known as Bhoopeshwari. It is believed to be a creation of Ustad Alladiya Khan of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. However, its emergence almost forty years after his death (1945) makes this information confusing. In the subsequent years of its soaring to popularity in music frat...

Each raga evokes a definite emotion or rasa, but according to Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, this concept is relative. He states that the emotions of a raga are subject to the mood, temperament and personal taste of the musician who is interpreting it. Before he begins his first item Puriya Kalyan, he ...

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma performs Raag Puriya Kalyan in this stunning evening raga with tabla accompaniment by Satyajit Talwakar.

In 2006, the Darbar Festival featured eminent vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty in two sessions. The first recital was a pure Hindustani classical presentation. However, the multi-talented Pandit Chakraborty comes with vast and authoritative experience in various semi-classical forms, naturally st...

We pay our respected to Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji's who graced the Darbar Festival stage with his music three times. Pandit Ji's first appearance at Darbar Festival in 2010 at the Kings Place, was uniquely special when he gave a special in-conversation session with Dharambir Singh Dhadyalla MBE ...

Ken Zuckerman's performance at the Darbar Festival 2021

Music Peices:
Raag Kaushi Kanara
Raag Chandranandan
Raag Gorakh Kalyan
Raag Sindih Bhairavi

Musicians:
Ken Zuckerman (sarod)
Surdarshan Chana (tabla)

Pandit Kushal Das's performance of raag Jaunpuri from the Darbar Festival 2021