UTSAV! Arghyam (The Offering), Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Celebrating Ravi Shankar

Continuing the UTSAV! series of music inspired by and in tribute to Ravi Shankar is this volume by singer Ashwini Bide Deshpande, an acclaimed member of the Jaipur-Atraulli Gharana and someone Maestro Shankar stood in relation to as Guru.

She performs a series of compositions-ragas, all of which were created by Ravi Shankar with the exception of one, which Ms. Deshpande created herself.

She has a marvelous voice, warm and expressive, and extremely dexterous as called for the the later sections of the ragas. She is ably accompanied by excellent practitioners on harmonium and tabla.

As a bonus the last track features Ravi Shankar himself, performing Raga Mishra Gara in a recording made some years ago and previously unreleased.

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande is a marvel. The disk will be pure delight to those who love the North Indian Hindustani classical music style.