Classical music repository

    Episode 1

    1. Introduction (1-2 minutes)

    • Welcome listeners. I'm Ritesh, your host for the next few minutes. I'm a Hindustani classical singer and producer. I've been a musician since the age of 5.
      For a while now, I've been writing about classical music at classicalweekly.org. Music is an experience, and as I've found out, there are people looking for knowledge about classical music and looking to "hear" from others on the matter. I've slowly developed and found my writing rhythm, and I'm consistently seeing a rising number of people visiting the site and subbing for updates. When I asked for feedback: one of my friends Ruchir remarked on my writing and said, "dimaag pak jaata hai mera" (translates to - "my head gets cooked").

      Then it hit me, Why am I trying so hard. Music is best shared as music. Any attempt to explain music will pale in comparison to the performance itself, and we live in the era of the plenty. Plenty of Youtube, Spotify & Soundcloud recordings of mesmerizing performances. There's really no one source for this information, considering it's been stories handed down through generations. I thought together we could revisit some old tales, piece together new stories & narratives about music, and share it on a platform that is more music native than written words on a screen.

      Music interlude

      In this podcast, we'll be exploring the rich m usical traditions of classical music from the sub-continent, and the fascinating stories/histories behind different ragas, compositions, artists, and folklore. This is meant for fans and patrons of classical music, musicians, composers, and more.

      In the first season of the ClassicalWeekly podcast, we'll start with the basics and explore stories about Indian raagas. So much of India's classical music is passed on orally, and there are barriers to making the music and its accompanying message accessible. Its complexities regarding ragas, talas, and techniques can make it difficult to explain and analyze, the lack of a visual component , for e.g. with Western sheet music, and limited mainstream exposure adds to the learning curve for audiences unfamiliar with the tradition. Much of the nuance is also inextricably linked to the language, and it's hard to transliterate prose into other languages.

    1. Episode Topic (5-7 minutes)

    In this first episode, we'll focus on Raag or Ragam Charukeshi. A recent entrant into the Hindustani system of music from the carnatic equivalent. The notes are the same, but that's where the similarity ends. Hindustani singers have taken an already mesmerizing scale and given it a new identity, one that's unique to the trandition with compositions to match. There are several film, classical, and semi-classical songs in this scale. The closest western equivalent is the melodic minor scale.

    To discuss Charukeshi and its intricacies, I invite Anitha Dixit, a Bay Area singer and theatre personality, to a Q&A-style discussion. Anitha is an avid composer, and has composed multiple songs that I was fortunate enough to perform for live audiences locally. One of the songs that caught my attention was set to Raag Charukeshi. This started a discussion which is presented here. My questions dwell on everything from the raag, fun history or stories, songs, and I end with her composition and how she chose to use Charukeshi to convey the right emotion.

    Remember to subscribe to this podcast whereever you get it.

    While the notes are the, the way it is rendered is

    • For the pilot, focus on providing context about Indian classical music as a whole
    • Explain the two main traditions - Hindustani and Carnatic
    • Discuss the concept of ragas and their emotional associations
    • Talk about prominent musical instruments like sitar, sarod, veena
    • You could include a short clip of a raga being performed
    1. Featured Story (10-15 minutes)
    • Delve into the story/history behind one particular legendary raga or classical composition
    • Discuss the origins, the meaning/emotions it conveys, famous renditions of it
    • Bring the story alive with sonic examples and possible dramatized segments
    • For example, the story behind Raga Deepak or Raga Miya Ki Todi
    1. Musical Segment (5-10 minutes)
    • Play an extended clip of the featured raga being performed by a renowned artist
    • You could discuss specific aspects to listen for as the raga unfolds
    1. Closing (2-3 minutes)
    • Summarize the key points covered in the episode
    • Thank listeners and let them know what to expect in upcoming episodes
    • Request feedback and suggestions for future episode topics

    Overall, aim to strike a balance between educating listeners about the fundamentals of Indian classical music while also captivating them with engrossing stories and audio samples. The pilot sets the tone for your podcast's unique approach to the subject matter. Good luck!

    [D] Sawan [F#m] Beeton [G] jaye te pi [A] harwa

    [D] Sawan [F#m] Beeton [G] jaye te pi [A] harwa

    D Man Me Bm ra Ghab

    [G) ra Alye

    [D] Man Me [Bm ra Ghab

    [Gra (Al ye

    [D] Aiso Ga [F#m] ye Par [G]

    des Pi [A] ya tum

    [D] Aiso Ga [F#m] ye Par (G)

    des Pi [Al ya tum

    D) Chain ha Bm me nahi G

    aa A ye

    [D] Chain ha [Bm] me nahi

    [G]

    aa [A] ye

    [G] Mora saiyan [Al mose bole [D) na G Mora saiyan A mose bole D na

    Mai [Bm] laakh [G]

    Jatan kar [A] haaa [D]ri,

    Mai [Bm] laakh [G]

    Jatan kar [A] haaa [D] ri,

    G Mora saiyan A mose bole D na