Hindustani Classical ragas at concert will dedicate to different times of a day

Pandit Jasraj

An annual daylong concert titled 8 Prahar will present an unusual take on Hindustani Classical music, where artistes will perform ragas based on the time of the day. "Ours is the only country to have two diverse and rich traditions of Classical music. While Carnatic Classical music does not follow a time cycle, Hindustani Classical ragas are segregated into eight prahars (unit of time, of three hours each). Therefore, they are to be performed at a specific time. Since all concerts nowadays are held only in the evenings, the next generation of listeners and music lovers may not be exposed to the rich traditional treasure of Hindustani Classical ragas in its entirety," shares Shashi Vyas, founder of Pancham Nishad Creatives who is co-organising the event with Durga Jasraj's Art and Artistes.

Rahul Sharma and Rakesh Chaurasia

"Our ancestors created these divisions in the day based on time depending on the movement of the sun. There is a reason why even today farmers begin work at 4.30 am when the fields are moist and call it a day by 7 pm. It was done in a scientific manner and music is no different. The performance of these ragas at a particular time enhances their aesthetic effects to create a positive and serene impact on the human mind and soul," he adds.

Kaushiki Chakraborty and Begum Parveen Sultana

The first edition of the concert was held in February 2016. "We have made an attempt to present various musical experiences to audiences. The response we got last year has given us a lot of strength to carry on with this mammoth effort," shares Jasraj, who conceived the event.

The concert will feature 16 musicians performing back-to-back, starting from 6 am on January 14 until 2.30 am on the following day (January 15). The performers include an interesting mix of stalwarts and young talent. You can watch veterans like Begum Parveen Sultana, Ajoy Chakraborty, Ulhas Kashalkar, Dr Prabha Atre, Shahid Parvez, Kartick Kumar as well as celebrated gen-next artistes like Rahul Sharma, Kala Ramnath, Pravin Godkhindi, Jayateerth Mevundi, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Rakesh Chaurasia and Shashank Subramanium. There will also be a special Dhrupad session by Uday Bhawalkar and Bahauddin Dagar. "Traditionally, Drupad was performed in temples at 5 pm. We have stuck to that time to keep it authentic," shares Vyas.

Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj will present the finale performance. "When Durga (Jasraj) and Shashi (Vyas) told me about this concert, I felt this was a great idea. Musicians will have to prepare and practise different ragas for this. We have learnt so many ragas, but don't get to practise them often. This will help musicians keep in touch with all the ragas, not just the evening ones," says the maestro. "Very few listeners will sit through all 20 hours. This also ensures that people experience the concert based on the theme and not for particular artistes," Vyas sums up.