Raga music and the better Raga musicians truly flourish in a Baithak/Jalsa/Mehfil setup. All the greats of yore whom we look up to, for inspiration, came out of that setup. Stories from such Baithakis are still mentioned by our seniors (who had been part of such Baithakis as listeners when they were kids or teenagers). Musicians and scholars used to be in the audience along with the music lovers and their appreciation guided the musicians to outperform themselves.
However in recent times, such Baithaki setups have dried up. Public concerts in auditoriums and corporate events are the ways now. The era of the knowledgeable organizers is almost gone. Musicians have been forced to become organizers and most of the concerts that musicians host are exchange concerts (that could benefit themselves). The times have changed and frankly, musicians cannot be blamed for this. Patronage is a key factor for the survival of tradition. I feel, as a musician it is our duty to give back to the music scene that feeds us. Selflessly at times. This Baithaki Series is one such attempt of mine to revive that tradition. Hopefully this movement will create awareness, enthusiasm and discerning capabilities within the audience.
Check out the Baithaki FB Page -
The Reviews -
Thanks to music scholar and critic Smt. Meena Banerjee and Smt. Shilpi Ravi for the media coverages.
