For a typical Westerner, the culture and music of India is a rather unfamiliar, one might even say a mysterious world of ancient traditions. Our first associations is a multi-faceted and life-affirming spiritual culture, which this part of the world has merely approached through the practice of meditation and a study of Vedic scriptures. There is, however, another important branch of Indian culture that reveals the nation’s heart and soul, and that is Indian classical music.

Our listeners will have an opportunity to experience this spiritual music in person as the next event of the World inside Great Amber series at the Great Amber Concert Hall will invite masters of Indian classical music: recipient of the Indian President Award, sitar virtuoso Purbayan Chatterjee will share the stage with the innovative tabla player Pavan Sidam, expert in South-Indian percussions Ganesh Murali, and skilled flautist Ninad Mulaokar.

This concert program will feature rāgas – meaning ‘color’ or ‘hue’ in Sanskrit. It is a principle of Indian classical music with strict rules, a highly specific structure, modes, and formulas, all while being the purest form of improvisation, as rāgas are never written down in musical notation. Indian gurus, skillful masters of traditional instruments such as the bansuri, the sarod, the sitar, the tabla, the tampur, and many others, pass down knowledge to their sons and dedicated pupils. There are several hundred rāgas; they may be related to the elements (fire, water, earth), seasons, time of day (morning, evening), love, compassion, etc. Rāgas are seen as divine in origin, magical, and also healing. 

The musicians have chosen to share some of them with our listeners. You will hear the evening Yaman rāga, which symbolizes the moon. The Peelu (Pilu) rāga is rich in folk motifs and unveils a combination of emotions – hope, joy, and heartache. The Bageshri rāga is the longing for a loved one to return home, and it is calming to the mind. The artists will also perform the king of morning rāgas, the Bhairavi, which reveals motivation to find faith in the divine even in the darkest of times.

The audience will also get to know the most popular North Indian vocal style, thumri, and the spiritually-driven collective singing style bhajan, which can be practiced in temple, at home, in nature under a tree or on the river bank, or at a historically significant location.

To give a broader insight into Indian classical music before the concert, visitors are invited to attend an educational talk at 5:00 PM on the 1st floor of the concert hall, which will be moderated by Akasš Sergejs Ancupovs, lecturer at the International Institute of Indian Studies in University of Latvia, founder of the Indian classical music school "Sarasvati", musician, sarod player from Senia Bangash Gharana, student of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

Artists: 

Purbayan Chatterjee, sitar

Ninad Mulaokar, flute

Ganesh Murali, pecussions

Pavan Sidam, tabla