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Rajan & Sajan Misra

Pt. Rajan and Sajan Misra are best known for their jugalbandi renderings of Hindustani music in the Khayal tradition. Khayal originated in the courts of the Moghul emperors as an alternative to Dhrupad, offering more flexibility to the artist for improvisation. Khayal texts draw freely from Hindu and Muslim romantic and devotional poetic traditions. Khayal songs are found in multiple languages, sometimes the texts completely garbled. Khayal performances lay more emphasis on the abstract musical values of the song rather than the text or lyrical content. A khayal recital contains more surprises and many artist’s personal touches. Audiences enjoy nuances of ornamentation, complex rythmic improvisations and vocalist’s superb intonation.

Born into the famous Banaras gharana, Misra brothers belong to a family of great maestros. They received their training in vocal music by their father, Pt. Hanuman Misra. Their uncle Pt. Gopal Prasad Misra, one of the most celebrated sarangi players of India had also an important role in their training. Misra brothers are two of the most beloved and highly regarded vocalists from India. They have received numerous awards for musical excellence. They have traveled extensively around the globe and have many excellent recordings to their credit.