Raag Kaunsi Kanada | Debasmita Bhattacharya & Gurdain Rayatt | Sarod & Tabla | Music of India

#darbarfestival | Young sarodia Debasmita Bhattacharya plays the sombre Raag Kaunsi Kanada, bringing its kaleidoscopic moods to the enraptured Ravenna Festival crowd.
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Debasmita plays in London on Sun 19 May 2019, performing Hindustani classical music in the intimate setting of the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room. Tickets available here:
http://www.darbar.org/other-concerts/Debasmita-Bhattacharya--Music-of-India/4

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Learn more about the music:

Debasmita Bhattacharya is one of India’s finest young sarod players, representing the rich musical tradition of her native Kolkata. Her style blends the expansive mindset of modern musicians with an old-school patience. She began learning with her sarodi father Debashish Bhattacharya, then entered the tutelage of the late maestro Buddhadev Das Gupta. She made an acclaimed UK debut in 2017, and continues to demonstrate that gender should be no barrier to instrumental mastery. “[The sarod] is considered as a male dominated instrument…I accepted the challenge and every morning I try to prove myself by improving my playing...music has no boundaries...it is only for the human.”

Debasmita on Indian classical’s global audience: “I ended up my tour with Darbar Festival. It was really interesting to observe the Western audience...what really amazed me is that Western audiences respond to Indian music the same way we do. They are very attentive and particular. They value silence and space between notes.” Hear more of her sarod here:
-Raag Bhimpalasi | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfMHiTIm-zc
-Raag Mishra Pahadi | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmQDRWNi2HA
-Raag Bhairavi | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_R0S0ftugw

Kaunsi Kanada’s modern form is often said to blend of two ragas - Malkauns on the way up, and Darbari Kanada on the way down. But the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, with the two sides interacting to create a complex, introspective mood. Sarodi Rahul Bhattacharya describes his reaction to learning it: “This raga is like meeting a sophisticated personality, who is gracious, emotionally open and balanced...you can have a conversation with this raga going over your past experiences as well as what lies ahead...Kaunsi Kanada’s colours span an infinite kaleidoscope”.

The aroha [ascent] and avroh [descent] approximate to nSgmdnS and SndPmgRS respectively. Melodies are often heavily ornamented with meend [glides], gamak [vibrato], and khatka [rapid note flourishes], and tend to resolve with the characteristic phrase gmRS. An older version of the form also incorporates ideas from Raag Bageshri. Listen to a different take on Kaunsi Kanada here:
-Roopa Panesar (sitar) | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKxFNOi70T4

Recorded for Darbar on 22 Jun 2017, at Italy’s Ravenna Festival
-Debasmita Bhattacharya (sarod)
-Gurdain Rayatt (tabla)

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