Krishna Bhatt (Sitar) and Nitin Mitta (tabla) Ragas Live Festival 2014 – Podcast 105

Krishna Bhatt (Sitar) and Nitin Mitta (tabla) performed from 8-9 pm for the 24 hour, Ragas Live Festival 2014.   Krishna Bhatt’s performances of Hindustani ragas have won the admiration of audiences in India, Asia, Europe and North America. His innovative style of music combines a rich blend of Gayaki (vocal) and Tantrakari (instrumental) techniques and musical compositions. His music is noted for its virtuosity, originality and depth of feeling that is conveyed to the listeners. Krishna Bhatt was born into a family of musicians, poets and Sanskrit scholars who for five generations upheld their tradition in Rajasthan. His forefathers migrated from the south of India to Rajasthan (northwest), a princely state then, to seek employments in the "Gunijankhana" (department of learned scholars) of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Krishna was introduced to the musical traditions of Senia school by his father, who was a distinguished sitarist of his time, the late Pt. Shashi Mohan Bhatt. In recognition of his pioneering research into the folk origins of North Indian classical music, the Rajasthan Tourism Ministry sponsored several gala concerts featuring Krishna Bhatt with Manganiyar folk musicians in Rajasthan and Gujarat. In addition, Krishna has discovered previously unrecognized Rajasthani ragas and established their structures. He is now in the process of recording these ragas, and is also preparing an ethnomusicological study of the regional singing style called Maand.