Folklife Festival 2011

I have been invited to give a a Sitar (solo) recital at the Seattle Folklife Festival again this year. My performance will be at the Central House Theater (at the Seattle Center) on Saturday May 28th at 4.30 pm. I will be playing North Indian Classical Sitar Music. Satyajit Limaye will accompany me on the Tabla. Here is the link to the event:

 http://nwfolklifefestival2011.sched.org/event/95c76612ac7d1ce29e539d9efc869c8e

Raga Hemant

Here are some insights on Raga Hemant by Deepaka Raja's World of Hindustani Music :

http://swaratala.blogspot.com/2007/04/raga-hemant-genesis-and-trajectory.html

A collection of songs based on Raga Hemant by various artists including Pt.Ravi Shankar and Lata Mangeshkar :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ife9Yz5ArH4

And here is my all-time favorite by Pt. Nikhil Banerji

http://www.in.com/music/track/pt-nikhil-banerjee-sitar-songs/raga-hemant-alap-jod-jhala-pt-nikhil-banerjee-526527.html

Rabindra Sangeet Festival in Vancouver

I will be participating in  Rabindra Sangeet Festival in Vancouver on April 30th. The songs are coming up well and  the group is sounding very good. 

Raga Jog by various artists (song, gazal, classical vocal, sitar)

Raga Jog is a popular raga with very interesting ascend and descend. Here are a few different expressions in Raga Jog by different artists :

Ascent : n, S G m P n S'
Descent : S' n P m G m g S

Marathi song by Sudhir Phadake : Tuj Sagun Mhano ki Nirgun Re
http://www.dhingana.com/play/tuz-sagun-mhano-ki-nirgun-re/MzYzNjQ%3D/pop/1

Gazal by Pankaj Udhas : La Pila de Saakiya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWK61iHYc4Y

Raga Jog Tarana by Smt. Veena Sahastrabuddhe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjnBKmboeFY

Raga Jog by Pandit Ravi Shankar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWhsAgC8UqM

Rabindra Sangeet

I just started working on Rabindra Sangeet with a group of wonderful singers and musicians. Here is a link to a Rabindra song sung by Tagore himself (very old recording) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvTim1Kg_F8

Here is my favorite Rabindra song, it is about firefly :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_rCjXYJRIQ&feature=related

Great example of harmonics in sitar

Here is a link to Pandit Balaram Pathak's performance where he produces higher octave melody on lower octave frets using harmonics. Check this out, it is a very short video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liWjsRRdliA