Maestros to perform monsoon Ragas as a tribute to Pt Bhimsen Joshi

The nationally-acclaimed monsoon music festival Barkha Ritu by Banyan Tree will enter its 15th year with a tribute to music maestro Pt Bhimsen Joshi.

Rahul Deshpande

The festival is based on the unique aspect of Hindustani classical music tradition of specific Ragas for not just times of the day but seasons. There are Ragas created for monsoons. But as these Ragas can only be performed in the season, one doesn't get to hear them in the regular concerts through the year. Hence they are gradually receding from the memory of the audience.

Pt Shiv kumar Sharma

The festival aims to promote these Ragas like Malhar, Megh, Miyan ki Malhar, Des, Soor Malhar, Ramdasi Malhar and so on and through the seven cities the festival would travel to. Mahesh Babu, founder and managing director, Banyan Tree, says "The emotions that monsoons bring with them were traditionally expressed through certain monsoon ragas that were sung only during the monsoons- which is why in India we even pray through classical music to bring in the rains, which are our life sustainers. All I did was brought it together and put it on stage."

This year the Ragas would be performed by Viraj Joshi (vocals) grandson of Pt Bhimsen Joshi, Rahul Deshpande (vocals) and Pt Shivkumar Sharma (Santoor).

The festival will travel to Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Viraj Joshi: As a tribute to Pt Bhimsen Joshi, his grandson would open the evening of Barkha Ritu for Mumbai. He has been performing from the age of six.

Rahul Deshpande: Grandson of legendary maestro Pt Vasantrao Deshpande, Rahul developed his interest in vocal music by studying the music of Pandit Kumar Gandharva. Initially, he sought guidance from Ushatai Chipalkatti and Pandit Kumar Gandharva's son Mukul Shivputra. He would be presenting Miyaan Malhar and Kajri.

Pt Shivkumar Sharma: Pt Shivkumar Sharma, of the famed Shiv-Hari composer duo (Silsila, Chandani, Lamhe) is one of the most acclaimed maestros of our times and has contributed to this tradition not just by making an instrument Santoor, an indispensable part of this heritage but also by creating new listeners across the globe.