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Remembering Pandit Subhankar Banerjee

On Wednesday, August 25, 2021, tabla maestro Pandit Subhankar Banerjee left this world after a grueling, drawn out battle against COVID-19.

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17 Nov 2019

Darbar’s 'VR360' Festival brings Indian classical music into the realm of virtual reality

VR360 Festival | Darbar brings Indian classical music into the realm of virtual reality. We see VR as a way of bringing global listeners closer to the roots of these great art forms - in nature, and...

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9 Sep 2019

Dr. Trichy Sankaran interview: ‘For every rhythm there is a counter-rhythm’

The Mridangam maestro discusses cross-cultural teaching, the rhythms of the ocean, and the future of Carnatic percussion. By George Howlett | Part of Living Traditions: 21 articles for 21st-century Indian classical music

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9 Sep 2019

Pandit Sanju Sahai interview: My ancestors retreated to the jungle with their tabla'

The Benares tabla maestro discusses jazz, turning down the Sugababes, and the links between rhythm and food. By George Howlett | Part of Living Traditions: 21 articles for 21st-century Indian classical music

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9 Sep 2019

The power of threes: Hindustani rhythm's tihai resolutions

Examining why patterns of three have such a distinctive power to tell concise stories in music, art, and literature - and tabla. 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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9 Sep 2019

Twelve Days of Tabla: A primer on the world’s most versatile drum

Tabla masters combine jaw-dropping precision with hugely imaginative improvisation. Here's a primer on the world's most versatile drum. By George Howlett | Part of Living Traditions: 21 articles for 21st-century Indian classical music

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11 May 2019

What is Tala? Beyond just rhythm and providing a beat

Rhythm is the arrangement of time in all music, and is thought to be older and more fundamental than melody. All melody has a time dimension, and so incorporates rhythm irrespective of whether or not it is actually played on a percussion instrument

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11 May 2019

The Tabla: North India’s favourite percussion instrument

The word tabla is thought to have its origins in the Arabic word tabl, which means any kind of drum.

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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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