Devotional Music and Dance of India



Origin of Music - Sam Veda
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     This page is dedicated to the late Bramacharini Mirabai of the Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India for her deeply devotional renditions of Bhajans, which personally inspired me greatly, and to the late Amiya Dasgupta and Tanjore Vishwanathan, who were my first Indian Music Teachers when I was an Ensemble Associate at the California Institute of the Arts
     Thanks to Pandit Ravi Shankar, who was the first Chairman of the World Music Department at the California Institute of the Arts when I was a graduate Ensemble Associate in World Music, Srimati Lakshmi Shankar whose life of dedication to devotional singing is an inspiration in itself, and who graciously referred me to Mala Ganguly, who spent so many years lovingly training me in North Indian Vocal Music and who gave me deeper insights into these ancient traditions.

     Pronams and great respect to the late Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, founder of the Ali Akbar College of Music, who dedicated himself purely to the artistic tradition of his father, Ustad Baba Allaudin Khan (who was also Pandit Ravi Shankar's teacher). This musical tradition (Gharana) is rooted in the musical style of saint Miyan Tan Sen of the court of Akbar the Great, Emperor of India. Many thanks to Malaji for introducing me to Khansahib, who dedicated his life to the preservation, education, and performance of the beautiful Senia Maihar tradition. Lastly, gratitude to all of the artists of India whose musical renditions are deeply spiritual. Presented here are a few precious glimpses from the vast heritage and repertoire of music, which for centuries has been rooted in the worship of the Divine.


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GANAPATI AARTI
SUNG BY LATA MANGESKAR


Mahalaya Oratorio


This Mahalaya is posted in honor of my beloved Music Teacher, Mala Ganguly, born on the first day of Durga Puja, and who, just after her birth, was offered to the Murti of Ma Durga that came to bless her parents home in Bengal. Malaji performed the Mahalaya at the Bharat Sewasram in Brea, California on the first day of Durga Puja 9/27/2011.  To read about Ma Durga and the Mahalaya please read the posted information below the videos. For Wikepedia's webpage please click here: Ma Durga on Wikipedia




Pronams to Ma Durga. Pronams to Gurudeva. Pronams to Sri Daya Mataji. Pronams to Mrinalini Mataji. Pronams to Uma Mataji. Pronams to Malaji.



Blessings of the Divine Mother in her various sacred forms to all.
This video portrayal 

is based on the 
Oratorio Invoking the 

Mother Goddess Durga













Script: Bani Kumar

Music: Pankaj Kumar Mullick 
Narration and Chanting of the Slokas: Birendra Krishna Bhadra 

Mahalaya, signifies the termination of Pitri Paksha and the beginning of Devi Paksha, thus ushering in the season of religious festivals. It is said that Devi Durga begins her journey from her husband's abode in Kailash to her paternal home on this day. The glory of Durga is known from the ancient Durga Saptasati or the Chandi. It describes the incarnation of Devi Durga by the unification process of all the power of the gods and her emergence as Mahisasuramardini in the eventual fight with Mahisasura. 

Recitation of these slokas is known as Chandi Path and has been recited and known to combat every kind of enmity and adversity, from ages forgotten. Since the early 1930s, homes in Bengal reverberate with the immortal verses from Chandi Kabya in the recorded voice of late Birendra Krishna Bhadra. This Video Portrayal is an effort to depict the saga of Mahisasuramardini, which is a beautiful audio montage of recitation in the enthralling voice of Sri Birendra Krishna Bhadra, Bengali devotional songs, classical music and a dash of aroustic melodrama. 

1. YA CHANDI-----chorus 
2. SIMHASTHA SASHISEKHARA-----chorus 
3. BAJLO TOMAR ALOR BENU-----Supriti Ghosh 
4. JAGO DURGA DASHAPRAHADHARINEE-----Dwijen Muhkerjee 
5. OGO AMAR AGAMANI ALO-----Sipra Bose 
6. TABA ACHINTYA RUPA-CHARITA-MAHIMA-----Manabendra Mukherjee 
7. AHAM RUDREHIRVASUBHISCHARA-----chorus 
8. AKHILA-BIMANE TAA JAYA-GANE-----Krishna Dasgupta 
9. JAYANTIMANGALA KALI-----Chorus 
10. SUBHARA SANKHA-RABE-----Shyamal Mitra,Ashima battacharee, Arati Mukherjee and Others 
11. JATAJUTA SAMAYUKTAMARDHENDUKRITASHEKHARAM-----Chorus 
12. NAMO CHANDI,NAMO CHANDI-----Bimal Bhushan 
13. MA GO TARA BEENE SANGEETA-----Sumitra Sen 
14. BIMANE BIMANE-----Geetashree Sandhya Mukherjee 
15. JAYA JAYA JAPYAJAYE-----Chorus 
16. HE CHINMOYI-----Tarun Banerjee 
17. AMALA-KIRANE TRIBHUBANA-MANOHARINI-----Pratima Banerjee 
18. JAYANTI MANGALA KALI-----Pankaj kumar Mallick and Others 
19. SANTI DILE BHARI=====Utpala Sen 

Direction: Radha Saha 
Photography and Cinematography: Sunando Mukherjee 
A Film sign effort. 
A Saregama Production


Videos were uploaded to You tube by: hinduglobe







To purchase devotional CDs dedicated to Divine Mother you may wish to click on these LINKS:


JAI MA available from Self-Realization Fellowship 
Haunting Bengali bhajans that capture the soul of Indian music. Performed live at the SRF/YSS Ashram in Ranchi by acclaimed musicians Sri and Srimati S. N. Sen (now known by her monastic name of Brahmacharini Mirabai) and their students during a ceremony dedicated to the Divine as Mother of the Universe. English synopses enclosed.



Bhavatarini Kali, the deity that Sri Ramakrishna worshipped


SONGS TO MY DIVINE MOTHER sung by Mala Ganguly available from Kali Mandir 
Songs to My Divine Mother by Mala Ganguly, a renowned, classically trained, Bengali singer with an exceptionally sweet voice. These are famous Shyama Sangeet (Kali bhajans) sung all over Bengal during Kali worship. Songs include Shokoli Tomari Ichha, Jai Kali, Jai Kali, Amar Chetona, Matui Kali Mekhe, Ami Shokolo Kajer, Ashar Asha and Mojlo Amar.

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Uday Shankar Dance Form


Pandit Ravi Shankar Cherishes Uday Shankar
          
Padma Vibhusan (Baba) Allaudin Khan
Maihar Gharana
Tribute to Baba Allaudin Khan
Maihar Band of  Baba Allaudin Khan

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Sri Swapan Chauduri
"Morning Joy"
Raag Nat Bhairo
(Morning Raga)

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Pandit Ravi Shankar, Sitar,
Raag Bilashkani Todi
(Late Morning)
 

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Raag Marwa - Part 1
(Dusk)

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Raag Marwa - Part 2
(Dusk)

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Asha Bosle, Vocal
Pandit Ramesh Mishra, Sarangi,
Pandit Swapan, Chauduri, Tabla
Khyal in Raag Gour
(Evening Raga: Autumn, Contemplative Mood)

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Raga Kafi - Part 1
(Late Evening Raga - Spring)
 




Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Raga Kafi - Part 2
(Late Evening Raga - Spring)

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Pandit Nikhil Bannerjee, Sitar
Ustad Aashish Khan, Sarod
Mahapurush Mishra, Tabla
Raag Zila Kafi
(Evening Raga)

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Tabla
Raga Manjh Khamaj
(Late Evening Raga)

Dr. Sisirkana Dhar Choudhuri, Violin
Pandit Swapan Chauduri, Tabla
Excerpts - Raag Kirwani
 


Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Pandit Ravi Shankar, Sitar,
Ustad Allah Rakha, Tabla
Raag Sindhi Bhairavi
(Early Morning - Finale at End of Concert)
 

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sarod
Pandit Ravi Shankar, Sitar,
Raag Palas Kafi
 

Pandit Ravi Shankar

 Smt. Lakshmi Shankar Sings to Lord Krishna


Lakshmi Shankar

80th Birthday Concert
Lakshmi Shankar 

"Bhajan de Mira!"

Lakshmi Shankar

"Gopala"






Carnatic Violin

L. Shankar




L. Shankar - Carnatic Violin
Vikku Vinayakram
Zakir Hussain - Tabla
"Eternal Light" - "Tanam Kiravani" 


L. Shankar - Carnatic Violin

Vikku Vinayakram

Zakir Hussain - Tabla



Music of the World, 1995 Abheri Album
"Raga Abheri"


Part 1





Dr. L. Subramaniam

Dr. L. Subramaniam - Carnatic Violin

    Live at the Laxminarayana
    Global Music Festival
    "Brova Barama - Raga Bahudari"
Dr. L. Subraniam and Ambi Subramaniam 

Carnactic Violinists

Dr. L. Subramaniam

"Raga Hamsadhvani"


Bharatnatyam Classical Dance of South India

in the Tradition of T. Balasaraswati






T. Balasaraswati
"Krishna Nee Begane Baro"
T. Balasaraswati - Vocal

T. Vishwanathan - Flute





T. Vishwanathan - Flute
"Krishna Nee Begane Baro"


Laksmi Knight (Daughter)

T. Vishwanatan - Flute and Vocal

Usha Shivakumar - Vocal

Douglas Knight - Mridangam

Aniruddha Knight

Rajini Menon - Narration





Part 2




Part 3







Aniruddha Knight (Grandson)
"Krishna Nee Begane Baro" 



Odissi Classical Dance Form (12th Century)
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra



Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra

Mangala Charan



Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra

Govinda Gita Excerpt






Sanjukta Panigrahi

Sanjukta Panigraphi

Mukhari Pallavi (1/2)




Sanjukta Panigrahi
Mukhari Pallavi (2/2)




Sanjukta Panigrahi
Ardhanareeshwara Stuti (1/3)




Sanjukta Panigrahi
Ardhanareeshwara Stuti (2/3)




Sanjukta Panigrahi
Ardhanareeshwara Stuti (3/3)





Saint Kabir Poems and Bhajans



Lata Mangeshkar Sings Kabir Bhajan
Sant Kabir - "Sun Mere Sajan"

 Bhai Harjinder Singh Ji Sings Kabir Bhajan
Sant Kabeer - "Toon Toon Karta Toon Hua"
"You, You, I have become like You. Nothing of me remains in myself,
When the difference between myself and others is removed,
then wherever I look, I see only You."





Classical Katak 
Pandit Birju Maharaj
Pandit Birju Maharaj
Ustad Sabir, Tabla 
Part 1

Pandit Birju Maharaj
Ustad Sabir, Tabla 
Part 2

Pandit Birju Maharaj
Ustad Sabir, Tabla 
Part 3





Rabindranath Tagore Sangheet
RABINDRASANGHEET - "O AMAR CHADER ALO"
SRIMATI SUCHITRA MITRA, VOCAL
USTAD AMJAD ALI KHAN, SAROD
RABINDRANATH TAGORE

"THE BENEDICTION"
THE CRESCENT MOON
BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY THE AUTHOR

Light Devotional Music
Indian Film Music




"Darshan Do Ghanshyam Nath"
Hemant Kumar, Sudha Mlhotra and Manna Dey
from Narsi Bhagat Film (1957)



KABHI SHAM DHALE
MAHALAKSHMI IYER. VOCALIST

PRAYER TO RAJASTHAN SAINT KHWAJA
A.R. RAHMAN - COMPOSER, VOCALIST
JODHAA AKBAR FILM 2008





PRAYER TO LORD KRISHNA
A. R. RAHMAN - COMPOSER
BELA SHENDE - VOCALIST
JODHAA AKBAR FILM 2008