While exploring the streets of Varanasi our second evening we stumbled upon a music curio featuring evening performances. Wandering through alleyways we were invited in by a young man. He mentioned a free concert would begin in about 30 minutes, featuring two local musicians.
We entered the studio and left our shoes by the door. The room smelled of incense. Several other tourists already sat cross legged on the floor. A sitar player tuned his instruments many strings while the tabla player adjusted the tension of his drum heads. We made ourself comfortable and waited for the music to begin.
I’ve never been exposed so completely to this style of music. It was beautiful. It was abstract. Sounds ricocheted off the ceiling. My mind struggled to dissect and comprehend each piece. Not that I have a fine tuned ear, but I was reminded of listening to some of my favorite jazz tunes. Body relaxed. Mind thinking, ears listening, it was invigorating. The rhythms and melodies seemed to jump and bounce from one set to another. Just when a yatra felt comfortable it would morph into something new.
The sitar players name was Tarak Nath Mishra. The tabla players name was Bablu Verma.
The show lasted over an hour. The musicians introduced each piece. Briefly explaining its origins and style. Pieces ranged from classical Indian music to traditional folk songs. It was very free, and very improvisational. The players seemed to feed of one another. Not with body language or cues, but a sixth sense. A feeling coming from the ebb and flow of the music through their ears, from their minds. Magically a sitar riff would be partnered with a pop or slap from the tabla. His strums would lead to wild fancy solos. It was amazing to see how many strings could be simultaneously strummed for rhythm while also picked.
Varanasi is known for music.
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