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Bhimpalasi

from Puja by Mustafa Bhagat

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about

Bhimpalasi • Everyone who saw me must have thought….well I don’t know what they thought. A long hair, carrying a giant, I mean comically giant box, upholstered in bright blue fabric. Like a mini coffin or a shoulder rocket grenade launcher. Or what…could be anything in NYC.

I’d make my way from the 2nd Ave F, weave through the East Village headed to my teacher's ground floor apartment on St. Marks and unpack the sitar - which survived another trip in the big blue box.

My first teacher studied at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael CA in the 1970’s. At our lessons, He would hand me sheets and sheets of pre-written raga music. He transcribed everything Khanshab (Ustad Ali Akbar Khan) taught him verbally. I had never seen raga music written - It was my first time learning any raga music. I had never played at all - outside of some horribly misguided, substance fueled jams with a banjo player in college.

After my first lesson, my teacher asked me if I had listened to any sitar players. I mean for me, at this point in 1998, it was basically Ravi Shankar and George Harrison. Really - that was it. “What about Nikhil Banarjee?” he asked. “Nikhil Banana-who?” No. No, I had not heard of this person. He suggested I pick up some of Nikhilda’s music. It would help to listen to the masters playing the raga I was learning.

After my first lesson, in which he presented this raga Bhimpalasi, I walked over to Other Music and Tower Records looking for this guy called Nikhil Banarajee. And after a bit of digging and a lot of distraction - there it was. A CD called “Afternoon Ragas” with Bhimpalasi and another afternoon Raga - Multani. It was put out by Raga Records - a handsome black and white photo of the artist with comprehensive and detailed liner notes. This CD and the beautiful rendition of Bhimpalasi would change my life. The depth and beauty of the melody, the sheer technical skill and melodic beauty of Nikhilda’s playing truly amazes me to this day.

Bhimpalasi has always had a special place in my heart. It’s got a strong blues feel that is plaintive but somehow welcome - its ok to be with the sadness. It was the first raga that to me - really FELT like the time of day it was meant to be played in. Bhimapalsi embodies the late afternoon - that time of day when the sun hangs heavy, lunch has been eaten, many are napping - the languid unmoored time between morning routine and evening ritual. The power of this raga is truly felt in that deep full orange sun sinking low.

Raga: Bhimapalasi
Tal: Med Vilambit Teental (16 beats)
Time : Late Afternoon.

credits

from Puja, released May 26, 2023

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Mustafa Bhagat New Paltz, New York

Mustafa Bhagat is an Emmy award winning producer, editor and cinematographer. He runs his production company, Flicker Filmworks, with his partner Laura da Ney. When not making films he can be found strumming sweet melodies on his sitar.
He also performs with David Freeman as The Biryani Boys, and as Arranged Marriage NP with Jerry Adler.
Puja is an offering to his guruji, Pandit Manilal Nag. ... more

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