Devoting sheer reverence to ragas; Indian classical music maestros Padmabhushan Pandit Rajan and Pandit Sajan Misra’s musical voyage has transcended fleeting trends and stood the test of time. Having performed the world over for the past three decades; their music, which can be traced to a distinguished lineage, is undiluted, traditional and tugs at your soul strings — just the way the sibling duo likes it. As part of Bhairav Se Bhairavi Tak, their world tour, which will see them perform live in the city as well, the renowned musicians let us in on the traditional they are known for.
“The love and appreciation that the crowd here gives us is what we have looked forward to. Bengaluru is a very peaceful city and there’s a distinct sense of warmth in the people here which makes it very comfortable for artistes,” begins Padmabhushan Pandit Rajan. The concert will see the brothers perform across 50 cities in four continents. Their music — best described as enigmatic and soulful, has always retained the authenticity of Indian classical music. It carries the sound of the most ancient city on the earth – Kashi, they say. And their music embraces those ancient sensibilities which are rendered in contemporary settings to reach out to the world. Being staunch believers of retaining the authenticity of Indian music, having imbibed the impeccable spirit of the Banaras gharana. Pandit Sajan states, “We are very honest with our music. We do not believe in making mashed up music or tweaking it. If there needs to be a raag done right and for an hour-and-a-half, so be it.” Bhairav Se Bhairavi Tak is based on the ideology that with every hour of the day, there is a raga that syncs perfectly. The show aims to present the varied spectrum of ragas from morning to evenings. “Between 24 hours, there are 100s of ragas. We are trying to present a bouquet of ragas keeping the time of the day in mind,” explains Pandit Rajan. But, the maestros are supportive of contemporary musicians nevertheless. “I believe the generation today is very talented. The opportunities are immense and youngsters are truly deserving of the platforms,” he adds.
The show is conceptualised by Saloni Gandhi while the accompanists for the show are Pandit Kumar Bose (tabla) and Shri Sumit Mishra (harmonium). This tour is officially supported by the Government of India and ICCR. Hopeful that the message of spreading positivity through Hindustani classical nusic, Pandit Rajan concludes with fingers crossed. “We have had 13 year-olds coming and appreciating our music. We love hearing what kids have to say about our music – educating, informing and spreading our legacy of music to the younger generations – that’s what drives us and keeps us going.”
— The show Bhairav Se Bhairavi Tak is being held at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath on February 11.
