Raga CDs of the Months (11/07): A Legend on the Sitar…

IMC OnAir presents in November with it’s monthly show “Raga CDs of the Month” a new topic: “A Legend on the Sitar” (Eine Legende auf der Sitar) … a portrait show about the largest talent for Indian Classical Music in the 20^th century of India on the world-wide most well-known Indian instrument, the Sitar:

Pandit Nikhil Banerjee

This outstanding music master till today is for the multiplicity of lovers of Indian Classical Music, within the musician circles of India and far beyond a legend for the instrumentalinterpretation of Indian Raga-s.

Nikhil Banerjee (14th October 1931 – 27th January 1986) was born in Kolkatta and originates from a Braman family. In his play Banerjee succeeded with a brilliant finger and notice technique and a maximum of security for difficult Coloratures to bring the complex Raga scales to the ears of the listeners lightly and by transparency. – Nikhil Banerjee was oriented on the traditional form of the North Indian Classical period, the Hindustani music.

Nikhil Banerjee*: “Music is the best form of art. – Music has two different sides. One has to entertain music. The other side is: Through music find out the supreme truth or find out the supreme soal…”

date of broadcasting: 6th Nov 2007 – 09:00 p.m. (METZ)
(broadcasting plan | Streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | PodCast)

The Indian Ragas are classified according to the Thaat system of the India’s music scientist V.N. Bhakthande and are played at certain day and night times.

The Sitar legend Pandit Nikhil Banerjee leads us through the 24 hour time cycle by different Raga scales: the morning raga Nat Bhairav of the Bhairav Thaat and further sound documents, e.g. Raga Deshi, Chandra Kauns, Bhatiyar and Raga Pilu in the Thumri style, which is an example of the Indian Light Classical music.

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*) …Interview for the Irish Times in June 1985 during a concert tour in Europe at the Carysfort College, Blackrock.