Malhar : A Celebration of Rainsong - Music Presentation by R. K. Das July 10, 2009

Malhar: A Celebration of Rainsong - Music Presentation by R. K. Das. This is a CHAURAHA presentation. The rains are here. We have waited for them through a long, scorching, seemingly interminable summer. The phenomenon is not a new one. The monsoons have traditionally been greeted in this subcontinent with a spirit of exultation and festivity. In this celebration of traditional monsoon melodies, R. K. Das delves into classical and folk traditions. He explores the many shades and tones, the many genealogical offshoots of Malhar (the Indian raga associated with the rains) from the famous Miyan Malhar to traditional songs like the sawan, jhula and kajri, from sacred Vedic hymns to the memorable Bengali lyrics of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. R. K. Das learnt Bengali folk music and Baul songs from his late father, Hari Das. He subsequently trained under Badol Banerjee of Varanasi and Gwalior exponent, Neela Bhagwat, for several years. He is presently a student of sitar maestro, Arvind Parikh. He has performed widely as a concert artiste in live performances on stage as well as on national television and radio. An active freelance writer, he has contributed to several newspapers and periodicals and has authored two books on the life and art of Sufi poet, Amir Khusrau.

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