Drops August 07

“Journey” which is part of a broader work called RAGA ETUDES, is the byproduct of my years as a child concert pianist playing the Western repertoire’s version of piano etudes. I used to play numerous versions of etudes (studies) by composers like Liszt and Chopin and then kept thinking, “why aren’t there any piano etudes based on Indian ragas? There’s a void here.”

So it’s been an absolute joy and dream to record and release my upcoming single, JOURNEY, with virtuoso Kanjira master Selvaganesh V. @kanjiraking , who toured all over the world with John McLaughlin’s SHAKTI ensemble.

I used to listen to him constantly as a child: we are both from South India, with Carnatic music heritages and upbringing. Never in a million years did I think I’d do a track and record with him.

My dream is to create numerous such etudes, all based on various ragas, to show the beauty and sonically different palette of the over 500 modal scales from India that are over 7,000 years old, meant to be played at a certain time of day.

Charukesi is my namesake raga, a late afternoon raga that is part major and part minor, unique to India.

It is melancholic and auspicious. I hope this track, which drops Aug 7th, takes you on a journey.