Sitar Samrat Nikhil Banerjee: Raga Mishra Kafi: Swapan Choudhury: Tabla

The one who conveys, communicates and thus shares deep beauty of music, with anyone, is very rare. In the realm of the Sitar, such a one is Nikhil Banerjee. In this regard he is widely respected and considered as the Sitar Samarat...Emperor of Sitar. Sitar in the hands of Nikhlji becomes an extension of his Soul and His essence that is conveyed through a Raga.
In this Raga Mishra Khamaj, Nikhil Banerjee has excelled himself and presents a perfect gift that connects with the listener in unimaginable ways. It is a masterpiece that belongs in the Annals of Masterpieces of Music and it occupies a very special place within the heart of the listener.
Nikhil Banerjee has performed Kafi in various forms. Misha Kafi, Zila Kafi. Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande's classification of the Ragas has ten different logical groups, consisting of various closely related ragas; Kafi is one of them.
Raga Kafi has come to us from folk music. To those growing up in India with all its ambient cultural input, ragas such as Kafi, Bhairavi, Pahadi and Piloo scarcely require formal instruction.
S, RgMP, M P D (M)g R
This recurring phrase and the avarohi termination on R are characteristic of Kafi.
A ‘pure’ version of Kafi is seldom heard in performance; almost all instances fall to the “Mishra Kafi” lot.
Lata Song: Bairan neend aa Aaaye is based on this Raga Mishra Kafi.
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