Offering to the Sun

Presented by Baluji Music Foundation

An immersive journey through the heat and beauty of the summer in India.

Experience through music the atmosphere of India’s scorching summer as expressed through the powerful medium of Indian classical music. Raag Darbari—the king of ragas created by the legendary court musician Tansen to soothe Emperor Akbar during the oppressive heat—evokes a profound sense of surrender. This is the season when people cool themselves by drinking aam panna from raw mango with mint leaves and roohafza from roses, and traditionally hung fragrant curtains sprayed with water to evaporate in the burning air.

Indian life is infused with customs and cycles that have shaped generations over millennia. Summer festivals, foods and rituals remain central to daily life, flavoured by sounds, smells, songs, dances, legends and poetry that capture the intensity of the season.

Baluji Shrivastav OBE is one of the world’s leading sitar players and composers, having performed with artists including Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, Massive Attack, and Shakira. Baluji Shrivastav OBE Growing up in rural India, he experienced first-hand the rhythm of the seasons. The intense power of nature and her influence on music is encapsulated through the knowledge and imagination of this great multi-instrumentalist composer. It is a reflection of a life dedicated to the rich and boundless beauty of Indian music.