Welcome to Raga Explorer. Whether you’re completely new to Indian music or just need a refresher, we’ve put together this brief overview of all things raga to help you feel at ease when you attend our concerts.
What is raga music?
Raga music belongs to the world’s most evolved holistic and improvised classical vocal and instrumental music. In its simplest form, a raga is a composition of musical swaras (musical notes) with a sequence, form and structure that gives rise to a definitive personality and character, just like a human being or spiritual entity. Every raga has distinctive serial notes for ascent (aroha) and decent (avroha) which determines the structure. The musical note that expresses the greatest character of the raga is called the jiva, or the soul of the raga. In the way that additional component notes relate to one another, creates a wave of emotion. The degree of insistence or importance of a particular note through building of the raga gradually creates layers of emotions and colour and bring the raga to life.
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Multaani
The healing power of Indian classical music
Indian classical music possesses a profound healing power rooted in its spiritual and meditative qualities. Its intricate ragas are more than mere scales; they are emotional landscapes, each with a distinct mood, time of day and therapeutic effect. The tonal vibrations created by specific ragas are believed to influence the body’s energy centers, or chakras, promoting balance and well-being. For centuries, practitioners have used music not just for artistic expression but as a tool for mental clarity, emotional release and spiritual upliftment. The slow, deliberate progression of notes in genres like dhrupad or the lyrical flow of khayal can induce deep states of relaxation and introspection, making it a powerful aid in stress reduction and mindfulness.
Modern scientific studies are beginning to validate what Indian sages and musicians have long known: that sound can impact physiology and mood. Listening to or performing Indian classical music has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and even improve sleep patterns. This is partly due to the music’s reliance on improvisation, which invites active listening and engagement and partly due to its cyclical rhythms and drone-based structures that mirror natural patterns. Unlike Western music’s harmonic focus, Indian classical music emphasizes melody and rhythm in a way that aligns closely with the body’s own internal rhythms, creating a deeply immersive and restorative experience.
Ustad Shahid Parvez | Director’s Cut
Recorded at Darbar Festival 2007, on 15th April, at the Phoenix Theatre, Leicester. Musicians: – Ustad Shahid Parvez (sitar) – Pandit Yogesh Samsi (tabla) – Debipriya Das (tanpura) Music Pieces: – Raag Miyan Ki Todi, Thaat: Todi, Samay: Morning – Raag Bhairavi, Thaat: Bhairavi: Samay: Morning In this compelling rendition of Raag Mian Ki Todi, Ustad Shahid Parvez gives his most remarkable performance in a morning concert at the Darbar Festival 2007. Accompanying on the tabla is Pandit Yogesh Samsi, playing it out majestically to match the mastery of Ustad Parvez’s sitar. He plays a calming alap, masterfully enhancing each phrase with the microtonal nuances of the raga, adding in subtle murkis and varying meends that are typical of his style. In the jor section, he forges virtuosity with the serenity of Mian Ki Todi, dredging up every bit of emotion and foraying into new territories of this morning raga. The jhalla is driven home with a culmination of the finest tantrakari along with a fine melodic expression. The vilambit gat is set to 16-beat Teental where Ustad Parvez diligently and with great repose, elaborates the raga further with intricate laykari. This is followed by a drut gat in 12-beat Ektaal and then another one in drut Teental, bringing Mian Ki Todi to a comprehensive, well-explored conclusion. Pandit Samsi’s aligned and extremely well-coordinated support comes with sparkling laykari. His improvisations, ripostes and solos are completely attuned to Ustad Parvez’s recital, ameliorating the overall presentation. Ustad Parvez concludes his concert with a dhun set to 6-beat Dadra in Raag Bhairavi. In a soporific introduction to the raga, he portrays a devotional emotion laden with pathos. The composition is executed with stunning expositions with Pandit Samsi’s tabla giving a mellowed and sensitive accompaniment to the piece.
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