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Wednesday, May 20, 2026
TopicHindustani classical music

Topic: Hindustani classical music

Gandharva Mahavidyalaya—how a Lahore-born music school democratised classical arts in Delhi

Gandharva Mahavidyalaya started in Lahore in 1901 on a radical idea: classical music belongs to everyone, not just the gharana elite. Now it brings sadhana and social mobility together in Delhi.

Delhi celebrates the oldest surviving form of Hindustani music—Dhrupad

Dhrupad is defined by its austerity, precision, and intense emotional depth. Wasifuddin Dagar began his performance with the alap—a long, unmetered exploration of a raga.

‘Because music dies without riyaaz’—At 94, classical vocalist Pandit Laxman Krishnarao practises daily

Hindustani classical vocalists Pandit Laxman Krishnarao and Sumitra Guha were honoured for their contribution to music at Sur Jyostna National Music Awards.

Manna Dey rewired the nuts and bolts of classical music by infusing it with Bollywood flavour

Manna Dey built a parallel legacy in Bengali music, collaborating with legends like Salil Chowdhury and Hemant Kumar, and made melodies that are still famous.

How does a singer bring emotion in Thumri? Vidya Rao answers through many voices

Throughout the lecture, 'The Many Routes to Bhav in Thumri', Rao played performances of singers like Naina Devi and Birju Maharaj, urging the audience to find emotion.

When Gangubai Hangal gave up singing & cancelled her HMV contract

In 'A Life in Three Octaves', Deepa Ganesh offers the first-ever biography of Gangubai Hangal as the singer navigated the end of courtesan singing tradition and the advent of modernity.

Indian artists must get ready for a new freedom movement. Ashok Vajpeyi’s rallying cry

Poet Ashok Vajpeyi delivered the lecture ‘Our Arts: Our Society’ in memory of Kapila Vatsyayan, the grand matriarch of cultural studies and a preeminent practitioner of the arts in India.

Concerts to home solos, Ustad Rashid Khan fans flock to his Instagram page to revisit maestro’s magic

The Padma Shri awardee, who passed away this week, was among India’s most Instagram-savvy musicians. Through reels, he'd offer fans glimpses of not just performances, but also his life. 

Pakistani singer Zeb Bangash is making classical music less intimidating–with ‘Healing Khayal’

Zeb Bangash have launched ‘Healing Khayal’— a four-month musical residency where students will train under Khayal maestro Guru Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami.

India’s gaanewalis come alive with songs and storytelling – Begum Akhtar to Shobha Gurtu

Singers of the past were often stereotyped as prostitutes. Avanti Patel and her group are changing that and breaking down the barrier between the audience and the stage.

On Camera

Indians turned Cannes into Cartoon Network. It’s not a fancy-dress show

The current ‘cash and carry’ environment in Cannes is encouraging people who have nothing to contribute to cinema to show up in clownish “couture” to parade their insecurity.

Waiver or no waiver, Russian crude remains centrepiece of India’s oil imports strategy

With Washington issuing a third 30-day waiver for Russian crude cargoes at sea, India signals continuity in import strategy while ramping up purchases from Venezuela and other suppliers.

Army veteran, CM & driving force behind Golden Quadrilateral, BC Khanduri’s era comes to a close

The BJP veteran's passing Tuesday brings to an end a long and storied career that spanned military, politics and governance.

Pakistan is tactically brilliant, strategically disastrous. It’s primed for repeated blunders

Pakistan has ended up losing every war against India but that hasn’t prevented it from claiming victory. We will go over the evidence to anticipate what to expect next.