Raag Todi | Madhuvanti Pal | Rudra Veena

RAGA TODI | A MORNING RAGA, A HOUSEHOLD IN DISARRAY & THE COURT OF PAWS An Exceedingly Unorthodox Royal Assembly, Presided Over by Her Most Musical felineness and Four Feline Dignitaries. There are mornings when music demands silence, contemplation and an almost ecclesiastical solemnity. And then there are mornings when one’s entire household decides that the occasion presents an unparalleled opportunity for insurrection. This particular rendition of Raga Todi was accompanied, rather unexpectedly, by four distinguished members of the feline aristocracy: my two beloved sons, Mr. Eternal Darkness and Mr. Eternal Radiance, alongside their Seraphic Lordships, Mr. Antherian Fluffybutts and Mr. Occultrion Fluffybutts. The latter two, being young gentlemen of considerable exuberance and questionable allegiance to the principles of civilised conduct, had evidently resolved that the proceedings required a healthy dose of chaos. Their chosen pastime was rugby, although the precise rules of this newly invented sporting discipline remain unknown to the sporting authorities. Meanwhile, His Lordship Mr. Eternal Radiance entertained the rather treasonous ambition of either ascending the Rudra Veena or, should circumstances permit, bringing the entire instrument to its untimely demise. The Veena survived. My composure, regrettably, did not. And yet, amidst the tumults, the conspiracies, the occasional feline invasion and sundry acts of domestic treason, Todi was todieing. There is, however, a rather tender history behind this particular musical undertaking. I had not returned to Raga Todi since recording The Holy Mother, approximately four years ago. It is a raga that occupies a rather intimate chamber of my heart, possessing an austere, almost ineffable melancholy, an extraordinary inwardness and that peculiar morning gravitas which makes it feel less like a musical composition and more like an invocation. To revisit it after so considerable an absence was, in its own quiet way, a homecoming. Todi is a morning raga, and with the festival of Diwali approaching, it seemed an especially auspicious moment to summon its contemplative splendour once more. This recording was also made possible through the generosity and kindness of one particularly irascible gentleman: Mr. Arijit Chatterjee, whose support ensured that my sons and grandsons could attend this most illustrious musical assembly. From the illustrious House of Fluffybutts and the sovereign Court of Paws, we extend our most profound gratitude to this most benevolent, albeit perpetually grumpy, gentleman. May his benevolence be rewarded with eternal prosperity, inexhaustible patience and, above all, a respectable degree of feline cooperation. And thus, dear listeners, we present Raga Todi: a morning of introspection, an afternoon’s worth of feline misdemeanours, and a musical proceeding conducted under circumstances that would scarcely have been tolerated by the Royal Philharmonic Society. The raga was solemn. The household was not. With affection, mischief and a most distinguished quantity of purring, Madhuvanti Pal ⸻ ABOUT THE MUSIC Raga: Todi Instrument: Rudra Veena Tradition: Bishnupur Gharana Artist: Madhuvanti Pal A return to a beloved morning raga, four years after its previous recording for The Holy Mother. ⸻ THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD Her Musical felineness : Madhuvanti Pal The Royal Sons: Mr. Eternal Darkness Mr. Eternal Radiance Their Seraphic Lordships: Mr. Antherian Fluffybutts Mr. Occultrion Fluffybutts Mr. Aurelian Fluffybutts The Queen of all queens, mother of the Fluffybutts Her Etarnal queen-ness Miss Freya Fluffybutts The Most Benevolent Patron of Feline Attendance: Mr. Arijit Chatterjee ⸻ If you have enjoyed this rather unconventional musical assembly, do consider subscribing to the channel and accompanying us on further musical excursions. May the resonance of the Rudra Veena find its way into your hearts, and may your own households remain considerably less turbulent than ours. #RagaTodi #RudraVeena #MadhuvantiPal #IndianClassicalMusic #HindustaniClassicalMusic #BishnupurGharana #MorningRaga #Diwali #TheHolyMother #FelineAristocracy Website: https://www.madhuvanti.com/ Instagram:   / madhuvanti_rudraveena   Facebook:   / rudraveena.madhuvanti