Traditional Music of India in Central Coast, 11th August 2018

The traditional music of India has very ancient origins and has been handed down, often aurally, from teacher to student. It has a very close relationship with the natural environment, both internally and externally.

The melodic structures (ragas) have a relevance to the time of day, the season etc, and the rhythmic cycles (talas) exert their own influence. The presence and receptivity of the audience also contributes to the atmosphere of a concert.

Whether you are entirely new to this tradition of music, or a long time listener/student/performer of this, or any music tradition, here is a unique opportunity to come and listen to a raga of the morning – let it shape your day and your weekend…

Our concert will feature Sangeet Mishra playing the sarangi. The sarangi is a stringed instrument who’s origins date back to 5000 BC. “Sarangi” is translated as “one hundred colours”. Sangeet Mishra is from the renowned Sarangi Gharana of Banaras (Varanasi).

His teachers include his maternal grandfather, Pt. Bhagwan Das Mishra, and his father Pt. Santosh Mishra. He has laboured to revive the ancient style of the soul-touching sarangi by acquiring both the tantakri and gayaki style of playing this instrument. This will be his third visit to the Central Coast, and we look forward to hearing a morning raga from him this time around.

Niranjan Deodhar will accompany on tabla. The tabla are a set of small hand drums. The playing technique is complex and involves extensive use of the fingers and palms in various configurations to create a wide variety of different sounds and rhythms, reflected in mnemonic syllables known as bols.

Niranjan was initiated into the world of music at an early age and received his training from Ustad Sher Mohammed Khan of Delhi gharana, himself a student of the legendary Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa.

Niranjan has performed as an accompanist as well as soloist in India, US and Australia, and has recorded for All India Radio and ABC Radio. Over the years he continued his advanced training under Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Fazal Qureshi, Dr. Aban Mistry and most recently Taal Mani Aditya Kalyanpur.