Basant Utsav (Set of Two Audio CD)

‘All that breathes, or moves, or blossoms,
Is sweeter, my love, in spring’.

So wrote Kalidasa of this most joyful of seasons in his immortal poem the Ritusamhara. Vasant, Lord of the spring dances in the garden of love surrounded by beautiful ladies; and the raga Basant is depicted as golden-hued and clad in yellow garments, his ears ornamented with blossoms.

Yellow the predominant colour of this season of youth, beauty and flowering gardens. Beginning with Basant panchami, when prayers are offered to Goddess Saraswati, known as the Goddess of knowledge, spring celebrations end with Holi, the festival of colours. In the Durghas of the Sufi saints, basanti chaddars and flowers were offered and qawwalis sung.

Above all, this is the season of music, dance and poetry, both classical and folk. Hori, Rasiya and Dhammal, as also the ragas Basant and Bahar are the best known musical expressions of the romantic lyricism of spring.

Basant Utsav features the popular ragas representing this season, rendered by the legends of classical music such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and Ustad Sabri Khan.

Utsav, derived from a Sanskrit word meaning gestival, symbolizes celebration. In this album we celebrate the glory of the spring season (Basant Utsav) through Hindustani classical music.

‘Basant Utsa’ is a 2-volume album, which features the best ever collection of the extremely popular seasonal ragas representing the spring season in Hindustani classical music. The ragas are presented by stalwart instrumentalists celebrating the freshness, joy & romance that the season brings.

Volume 1

1. Raga Hamir Bahar- Ustad Bismillah Khan- 29:45
2. Raga Basant- Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma- 29:00

Volume 2

1. Raga Sindhura- Pandit Ravi Shankar- 17:16
2. Raga Basant- Ustad Sabri Khan- 18:11
3. Raga Mishra Kafi- Pandit Ravi Shankar- 12:13