The Sounds of Varanasi

The very mention of Varanasi, India's holiest city on the banks of the River Ganges, conjures up the most evocative images and sounds. Not least because it has, through the ages, served as an important centre of North Indian music, evolving its own style of tabla playing and kathak dance, lighter classical song forms such as thumri and dadra and been home to one of India's greatest musical legends, the late Bismillah Khan.

Each year, Varanasi attracts thousands of pilgrims, many hoping to be absolved of sin by taking a dip in the holy river. A less typical visitor is Serbian composer-musicologist Srdjan Beronja, whose field recordings are featured on this album; he has submerged himself in every pulsating sound and whisper, from the steps leading to the riverbank to the ancient temples vibrating with the sounds of prayers. Music that seems to live on the streets and in the alleyways is juxtaposed with some highly polished studio recordings of pure classical music performed by previously unknown artists. It all makes for an eclectic cocktail, including some surprises such as crickets and chirping green parrots and an entire track devoted to ‘Monkeys and Roti’.