The Label 　　Connoisseurs often rue that all that is pure and traditional in Indian classical music is 　　ebbing. Paradoxically, it is widely believed that there is a declining audience for such 　　music! LINEAGE, with its musical offerings attempts to resolve this paradox. 　　Thus, LINEAGE represents our commitment to an immortal tradition, which allows an artist to creatively evolve within a paradigm, and yet transcend it. 　　 　　 　　The Guru 　　 　　Ustad Wazir Khan was a direct descendant of Mian Tansen and Acharya Alladdin Khansaheb (or Baba as he was popularly known), his disciple. Besides, Baba’s insatiable appetite for music led him to learn for the 'formative’ fifty years of his life from various gurus: basics of vocal from Nolu Gopal of Calcutta, dhrupad-vocal from Habu Dutt, westem classical from Lobo Prabhu, sarod from Ustad Ahmad Ali Khan and Ustad Wazu Khan, pakhawaj from Nandlal Babu and Shehnai and clarinet from Shri Hazari. In sum, Baba was a repository of music, not only classical or folk but music, universal music. 　　 　　Baba’s gift to the world of Indian classical music remains unparalleled – a lineup of front-ranking instrumentalists in the 20th century. Each a world class musician and each the finest exponent of his/her inrstrument. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (Sarod), Pandit Ravi Shankar (Sitar), Annapurna Devi (Surbahar) Pandit V.G.Jog (Violin), Pandit Pannalal Ghosh (Flute) and Pandit Nlkhil Banerjee (Sitar), to name a few. What's more Baba transformed some chamber or folk instruments into concert worthy ones, thus enhancing their image radically. 　　 　　Ma Annapurna Devi is the daughter of A.charya Allauddin Khansaheb. She had dedicated her life to teaching in the purest tradition of Indian music. A recluse and a non-performing artist over forty years, she is acknowledged as maestro’s maestro. Her disciples include Bahadur Khan, Nikhil Banerjee, Shubho Shankar, Aashish Khan, Dhyanesh Khan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Dakshina Mohan Tagore, Stuti Dey, Prabha Agarwala, Daniel Bradley, Rooshi Kumar Pandya, and among the younger generation, Nityanand Haldipur, Basant Kabra, Amit Bhattacharya, Sudhir Phadke, Sandhya Apte, Amit Roy, Pradeep Barot, 　　Shashwati Ghosh, Milind Sheorey, Suresh Vyas, and others. 　　 　　Ma's style of teaching was traditional. Those who have learnt from her will vouch for the 　　tenacity, perseverance and total surrender required to shape up the way she wants them to. 　　-Only years of riyaz (practice) often just a single raga, will enable a student to graduate to a higher plane 　　of learning. 　　 　　 　　Nityanand Haldipur echoes the sentiments of all her shishyas (students), he affirms, "Ma is a saint- 　　musician. A lifetime is less to learn all that she imbibed from Baba; every hour spent learning 　　from her or merely in her presence is an experience sublime. I am blessed to learn from her” 　　 　　The Gharana (School) 　　 　　The Maihar Gharana has evolved directly from Mian Tansen, the celebrated disciple of the 　　saint-musician Swami Haridas. Through the guru-shishya (teacher-student) parampara the musical tradition of the gharana has been preserved for over five centuries. 　　It was Baba who provided a quantum leap to the music of the gharana. Baba introduced the 　　dhrupad-ang to contemporary Indian instruments thus improving their technical quality and 　　emotional appeal. This change catapulted these instruments to centre stage. 　　The sarod achieved its status as a popular concert instrument in his hands. The flute was 　　introduced to the masses as a classical instrument and immortalised by his disciple, Pandit 　　Pannalal Ghosh. The sitar was endowed with amazing versatility and handed to his disciples 　　Pandit Ravi Shankar and Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, while the violin came to be accepted in the 　　Hindustani classical idiom by his initiative. 　　The term Maihar gharana, thus, simply denotes the creative evolution of the Senia style of 　　music in the hands of Baba, the court musician of the erstwhile Maihar state. 　　 　　The Artists 　　 　　The talented Nityanand Haldipur - ranked among the country's leading flautists and a 　　Disciple of reclusive genius Padmabhushan Smt. Arrnapurna Devi - represents the pure 　　essence of a highly revered musical heritage. 　　 　　Born in Bombay in a deeply spiritual family, Nityanand was fortunate to have the right 　　environment for his latent musical talents to blossom. His first guru who initiated him into 　　the art, technique and aesthetics of flute-playing was his father the Late Shri Niranjan 　　Haldipur - a senior direct disciple of the renowned flute maestro, the Late Pandit Pannalal Ghosh. 　　The warm, soothing sounds of the bamboo flute were an early, pervading influence. For 　　young Nityanand to be attracted to the instrument was only natural. 　　 　　Nityanand's training continued under the Late Pt. Chidanand Nagarkar and Pt. Devendra 　　Murdeshwar – senior most disciple of the Pt. Pannalal Ghosh, under whom Nityanand 　　Perfected his technique. However, it was after 1986, when Padma Bhushan Smt. Annapurna Devi (doyenne of the Senia - Maihar ghrana) accepted him as one of her disciples, that his 　　talent and musicianship truly flowered. It progressively acquired depth, maturity and a new 　　dimension. Nityanand has performed at several music conferences. Music lovers and critics 　　alike, in India and abroad, have acclaimed his imaginative and haunting rendition of ragas. 　　Nityanand is rated as a Top Grade artist by All India Radio. 　　 　　 　　One of the most sought after tabla players of the new generation, Aneesh Pradhan is a 　　disciple of the Late Pt. Nikhil Ghosh, the brother of Late Pt. Pannalal Ghosh. His playing is 　　characterized by clear and graceful stokes, excellent balance between the right and the left 　　hand drums and a superb aesthetic sense. Here, Aneesh compliments Nityanand's playing by 　　an intutive musical understanding and imaginative subtleties- without disturbing the 　　melody. 　　 　　Tanpura: Smarth Bali & Satish Narayan 　　Recorded by: Shantanu Mukherjee 　　Cover design: Gaurang Mallapur 　　 　　The Music 　　 　　Raag Desh 　　I . Vilambit Gat in Ektal ( l2 beats) 29:28 　　2. Drut Gat in Teental (16 beats) 12:15 　　 　　Generally Desh is given a light treatment. However, here the artist’s delineation (vistaar) is contemplative and dignified. Nityanand’s presentation seeks to explore the full potential of the raga. 　　 　　Raag Mishra Pilu 　　3. A Gat in Deepchandi/chachar (10 beats) 22:26 　　 　　Mishra Pilu is one of the most popular ragas of rendering semi-classical music such as Thumri. The raga is generally associated with the feelings of unrequited love, romance, longing and pathos. Nityanand’s lucidity of expression and aesthetic approach provide the listeners with fresh insights into the raga. 　　 　　Chaiti 　　4. Taal Dadra (6 beats) 8:21 　　 　　This beautiful and lyrical musical piece is testimony of Nityanand’s versatility. His rendering of Chaiti has rhythmic elegance, haunting passages and a unique cadence that will stay with the listeners long after the music has stopped.