Sitar Samrat Nikhil Banerjee: Raga Darbari Kanada: Improved Sound

Darbari Kanada, or simply Raga Darbari, , is a raga in the Kanada family, which is thought to have originated in Carnatic music and brought into Hindustani classical music by Miyan Tansen, the legendary 16th-century composer in emperor Akbar’s court. This tradition is reflected in the name itself; Darbar is the Persian derived word in Hindi meaning “court.“ As the most familiar raga in the Kanada family, it may sometimes also be called Shuddha Kanada or pure Kanada. It belongs to the Asavari thaat. Legend credits Tansen with giving the ancient Kanada a new interpretation which we today associate with Darbari. It is a monumental raga, unmatched in Hindustani ragaspace for its gravitas, difficult in its swara-lagav, and profound for its emotional impact on the innocent and the illuminati alike. Darbari is the premier Kanada, the flagship of the ranganga; indeed a mention of ‘Kanada’ is by default taken to mean Darbari. Occasionally it also goes by the name Shuddha Kanada. The swara set is supplied by the A