Ravi Shankar Raga Bairagi Todi

Raga Bairagi Todi ( 26.52 ) Alap & Jor Gat in Tala Sadey Gyarah ( 11 1/2 ) Ravi Shankar - Sitar Kumar Bose - Tablas From " Spirit of India " 1988 Raga Bairagi Todi ( Morning Raga ) was a creation of R.S. in the late 60´s. Pentatonic raga, it has the elements of the Ragas Bairagi or Bairagi Bairav ( also a creation of R.S. ) and the traditional Ragas Bilashkani Todi and Bhupal Todi. The Gat is in an unusual rhythmic cicle of 11 1/2 beats - the divisions are 4 + 4 + 2 + 1 1/2. --------------- " When I start to perform a raga, the first thing I do is to shut out the world around me and try to go down deep within myself. When, with control and concentration, I have cut myself off from the outside world, I step on to the threshold of the raga with feelings of humility, reverence and awe. To me a raga is like a living person and to establish that intimate oneness between music and musician, one must proceed slowly. And when that oneness is achieved, it is the most exhilarating and ecstatic moment... In these miraculous moments, when I am so much aware of the great powers surging within me and all around me, sympathetic and sensitive listeners feel the same vibtations. It is a strange mixture of all the intense emotions, pathos, joy, peace, spirituality, eroticism, all flowing together. It is like feeling God. All these emotions may vary according to the style and approach of playing and to the nature and principal mood of the raga. I´m eternally gratefull to my beloved Guru Baba Allauddin Khan for blessing me with Senia Beenkar Gharana´s rich style of music ! " Ravi Shankar