Night Prayer

The brothers Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha are leading names in the art of dhrupad, an ancient pure classical song style in which purity of musical note stands above everything else. The raga in question here is ‘Malkauns’ – an important late night melody which appears deceptively simple with a pentatonic structure, but which requires massive knowledge and expertise on the part of performers for its correct execution. The notes are introduced and explored one by one until listeners and performers alike are completely enveloped by the music. Whilst dhrupad can be performed in any raga, ‘Malkauns’ is considered particularly suited to the genre as its full impact is felt in the lower octaves. It is classified as a serious, heavy-duty raga, one said to be able to summon beings from other worlds.

Gradually, the tempo builds and some intricate improvisation reveals more shades, after which the brothers make a smooth transition to a prayer for Lord Ganesh, composed in a 12-beat cycle and for which they are joined by the pakhavaj (ancient barrel-shaped drum) played powerfully by Akhilesh Gundecha. The final track features another prayer, this time to Lord Shiva and composed in a pacey ten-beat cycle, concluding this beautiful recording.