SPOTLIGHT
RAAG-MALA TORONTO’S FALL SEASON CONCERTS KEEP THE TRADITION ALIVE
Indrani Mukherjee.
By MOHAMED KHAKI
At a baithak – an intimate house concert – hosted by Raag-Mala Toronto this spring, I must have looked worried, because Nimesh Savla, a member of our Board, gave me a playful shove and said, “Don’t worry, Mohamed – you can just relax now!”
His words made me realize that the baton had indeed been passed to a revitalized organization, and that I no longer needed to work at the pace I once did. The Raag-Mala team continues to attract dedicated volunteers who share our vision of bringing the best of raag music to audiences across the Greater Toronto Area.
That sense of renewal was reflected in our successful spring season. When I mentioned it last week to Manoshi Chatterjee, another Board member, she vehemently agreed – as we Indians generally do! – and pointed to the range of artistes we had presented: the brilliant vocalist Vidushi Ashwini Bhide; Alam Khan on sarod; Pandit Uday Bhawalkar; Toronto’s own Pankaj Mishra on sarangi; Vinay Desai on santoor; and Vivek Pandya on tabla.
The momentum continued into the fall, although Chatterjee was unable to attend the season’s launch. On September 19, we presented Entering the World of Raga, an online introduction to North Indian classical music developed and presented by vocalist and educator Warren Senders.
“The series was developed in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum,” said Chatterjee, who played a key role in developing the curriculum and recording the series. “It is truly exciting to see this project come to fruition and become available online through the Museum’s platform.”
The presentation combined instruction with performance. Accompanied by Toronto artistes Hardeep Chana on harmonium and Kiran Morarji on tabla, Senders sang a lovely bada khayal in raag Jog-Kauns, exploring three different gharana styles: a vilambit composition in the Jaipur-Atrauli style, a drut composition in the Agra style, and a tarana in the Gwalior style. He followed these with a chhota khayal in Maru Behag and an utterly charming Dongri Pahadi folk melody, concluding with the iconic Jamuna Ke Teer in raag Bhairavi.
Building on this strong beginning to our fall programming, Raag-Mala will participate in Nuit Blanche at the Aga Khan Museum, the annual all-night celebration of contemporary art. Our presentation, Serenity to Playfulness in Raga Music, will feature a recital by the well-known Kolkata-based vocalist Indrani Mukherjee, accompanied by Apurba Mukherjee on tabla and Anirban Chakrabarty on harmonium.
Vidushi Mita Nag.
The fall season will conclude with another collaboration with the Aga Khan Museum: a sitar-sarod jugalbandi by Vidushi Mita Nag, Pandit Partho Sarathy with tabla maestro Pandit Subhen Chatterjee on tabla.
Manoshi also offered a glimpse of what may follow, noting that tabla maestro Pandit Subhen Chatterjee organizes North American tours for excellent musicians. “He last toured with Mita ji and shehnai nawaz Janab Hassan Haider Khan in 2023,” she said. “We hope to present Subhen ji again next year with the shehnai nawaz.”
The upcoming performance brings together three distinguished musicians with deep and varied lineages.
Subhen Chatterjee belongs to the Lucknow gharana and has studied under the tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chowdhury. He has also learnt from masters from other gharanas and incorporated the intricacies and beauty of these gharanas into his playing.
Pandit Partho Sarathy.
A torchbearer of the Vishnupur gharana, sitarist Mita Nag is the daughter and disciple of Padma Shri Pandit Manilal Nag. She gave her debut performance at the age of 10 and has since performed widely in India and abroad.
Partho Sarathy began his musical training under his father, the late Sudhamoy Chowdhury, a disciple of the great sarod maestro Pandit Radhika Mohan Moitra. He subsequently studied for nearly a decade with Ustad Dhyanesh Khan, son and disciple of the legendary sarod player Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Partho ji also received direct guidance from Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, one of India’s most internationally celebrated musicians. His parents-in-law are the renowned vocalists Pandit Prasun and Vidushi Meera Banerjee, two senior disciples of the great Patiala gharana maestro Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
Subhen Chatterjee.
Taken together, these performances and collaborations capture the vitality of Raag-Mala’s 46th season. As I reflect on its smooth running – made possible by the dedication of our volunteers – I feel fortunate to remain part of the team, albeit as one who can now relax a little more. It is truly heartening to see this revitalized organization remain committed to our mission: weaving the thread of North Indian classical music into the Canadian cultural fabric.
• Mohamed Khaki is the Programming Director at Raag-Mala Toronto.
Where and when: Entering the World of Raga: learn.agakhanmuseum.org. October concert tickets: agakhanmuseum.org.