THIS IS A RARE AND USED ITEM. IT IS NOT MANUFACTURED ANYMORE. NO RETURNS WILL BE ACCEPTED

Pandit Nikhil Banerjee was born in 1931. At a very early age he began the study of the sitar with his father the late Jitendra Nath Banerjee. More recently he has studied with Allaudin Khan and his son Ali Akbar Khan, India’s greatest sarod player. Nikhil Banerjee is considered to be one of the finest musicians of the generation.

Pandit Kanai Dutt was born in Calcutta and is a pupil of several distinguished teachers, including Jnan Gosh. His first visit to the West was with Pandit Ravi Shankar whom he has accompanied frequently since 1955. Kanai Dutt is one of India’s greatest tabla players and has made several recordings with Nikhil Banerjee

THE MUSIC

SIDE ONE

Band 1. Raga Lalit (Dawn Raga)

1.     Alap in four parts

a.     Kharaj

b.     Laraj

c.     Sthayi

d.     Antara

2.     Jor in three parts

a.     Kharaj

b.     Kharaj-Sthayi-Antara

c.     Jor Tora

3.     Jhala

Lalit is a raga of great beauty and unusual melodic intervals. There is no Pa (fifth) and the Ma (fourth) is dominant consequently the drone accompaniment is Sa and Ma (Tonic and fourth). 

Band 2. Raga Sindhu Bhairavi (Morning Raga)

1.     Aochar

2.     Madhya and Drut Gats in Sitarkhani Taal

This is the most popular raga with North Indian audiences and although a morning raga. It is most often performed at the end of a recital regardless of what time it happens to be. The rasa is one of sad nostalgia and longing.

Pandit Nikhil Banerjee’s performance on this record is particularly interesting due to the fact that the drone consists of Sa and Ma (Tonic and fourth), the usual drone being Sa and Pa (Tonic and fifth). The power of a drone accompaniment is so strong that the melody created above the drone is profoundly affected by it. This particular drone has the effect of weakening Pa and komal Ga (fifth and flattened third) and reintroducing the strength of Ma and Da (fourth and sixth) as can be seen in the gat melody where the most prominent note is Ma.

SIDE TWO

Raga Puriya kalyan (Evening Raga)

1.     Alap in three parts

a.     Kharaj

b.     Sthayi

c.     Antara

2.     Gats in Teental

a.     Madhya

b.     Drut

c.     Atidrut Jhala

Puriya Kalyan is a raga of seven notes with Komal Re (flattened second) and Tivra Ma (sharpened fourth) the remaining notes being natural.

After playing the alap Pandit Nikhil Banerjee leads into the Madhya Gat and is joined by Pandit Kanai Dutt on the tabla. The basic structure of the gat melody is on the lower stave and above it is its first appearance where it is subtly embellished. At approximately halfway through the performance the drut gat is introduced.

Artists: 

Nikhil Banerjee (Sitar), Kanai Dutt (Tabla), Viram Jasani (Tabpura)

Tracks:

Side One:

1.     Raga Lalit

2.     Raga Sindhu Bhairavi

Side Two:

1.     Raga Puriya Kalyan