Album Notes

Imagine a lush musical atmosphere tempered with the traditional spirituality of the ages to get a feel for this CD.

Dr. Chandrakant Sardeshmukh began playing the sitar at the age of four and went on to study sitar with Ravi Shankar and Annapurnadevi Ravi Shankar from 1963 to 1975.
This CD is dedicated to Annapurnadevi Ravi Shankar on her seventy-fifth birthday in 2002. It is also dedicated to her brother, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan on his eightieth birthday in the same year. It was their father, Sri Baba Allauddin Khan who founded the Maihar Gharana (branch or school in traditional Indian music). This is the musical heritage that Chandrakant now represents around the world in his performance, composing and educative activities.

He says that the concerts he gave in Maihar, India and meeting Ustad AlI Akbar Khan in California at the end of 2001 inspired him to dedicate this CD as an expression of his feelings, remembering the days of his childhoodthat inspiration, those golden years.
Mishra Shivaranjani and Marwa are complete interpretations of classical ragas. The joy and depth of emotion is simply extraordinary.

Shivaranjani is a raga that makes great play of the mixing of major and minor thirds. A dazzling repertoire of tan and jhala (movements), somewhat like jazz riffs explores the emotional inflections of pain and happiness with inspiring artistry.

Marwa explores the depth of matters such as journeying to the centre of a forest. Rarely performed, it will yield immense peace for the listener.