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Ustad Bahauddin Dagar interview: 'Dhrupad - flourishing branches, dwindling roots?'

The rudra veena maestro discusses Dhrupad's curious modern context following his landmark solo performance at the Purcell Room. By George Howlett | Part of Living Traditions: 21 articles for 21st-century Indian classical music

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9 Sep 2019

How your favourite genres chime with Indian classical music

Discover Indian classical music via styles you like - this article builds sonic bridges to rock, jazz, jungle, hip-hop, house, and more. By George Howlett | Part of Living Traditions: 21 articles for 21st-century Indian classical music

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11 May 2019

An Introduction to Dhrupad: India's oldest classical music

The word Dhrupad is derived from 'dhruva' meaning that which is 'fixed' or 'constant' and 'pada' meaning 'word' or 'set-composition'. It is the oldest form of North Indian classical vocal music, with origins lying in the antiquated chanting style...

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11 May 2019

The Veena: North India's ancient lute, modified many times

The veena, also known as the been in North Indian languages, is a large plucked lute. It is undoubtedly one of India's oldest instruments, dating from around the 1st millennium BC - not only do many references appear in ancient Vedic...

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10 May 2019

The Tanpura: one note wonder

It's like the rush of a marsh on a midsummer night with a million crickets, or the howling wind stirring and the power lines outside a cabin in backwoods Idaho, or the hushed roar of the stream in front of a hermit's cave above Dehradun...

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Wellbeing

The Namaste Mindset

This new year, a new you comes from accepting the old one read more

Musical Musing by Sandeep Virdee, OBE

Indian classical music and wellbeing read more

How classical music impacts your body's energy centres

Classical music can uplift your mind, body and spirit—Indians believe it constitutes the ascent... read more

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New to Indian Music

Guru-Shishya Parampara: Master and disciple, knowledge through surrender

Indian classical music is largely a hereditary tradition, generally taught in a pedagogical fashion... read more

What is Rasa? The 'essence' or 'juice' - a flowing nectar of emotional experience

Rasa (also spelt ras) is the word for 'juice' in many Indian languages. In a musical sense its meaning... read more

Why do Indian musicians tune their instruments in front of the audience?

One famous story of an Indian musician tuning before his audience has now taken a permanent place in... read more

New to indian Classical Music?

The beginner's guide to Indian classical music. Whether you’re completely new to raga music or just need a refresher, we’ve put together this brief overview of all things raga music to help you feel at ease when visiting one of our concerts or watch our videos on our YouTube or our Darbar Concert Hall.

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