Album DescriptionThe traditional music of India has strong ties with mythology and religion, achieving unity through similarity, rather than change. It is based on a more purely sensual than intellectual approach. In Ananda, Madame Chakravarty combines her ragas, or melodies, with talas, or rhythms, to produce a variety of musical patterns. Her performance is wonderfully subtle and expressive.Ananda offers the traditional evening raga Pancham-malkauns, a serious and sublime composition, alongside a lively raga based on the folk tunes from the hill areas of India, Raga Mishrapahari. The sitar is undoubtedly the best known Indian string instrument. This long-necked lute developed under medieval Muslim influence. Traditionally, the plucked sitar is accompanied by the tabla, a two-drum set capable of very subtle changes in sound, and the tambura, which is a four-stringed lute.