Marwa with Aakash Mittal and the Awaz Trio

In December 2019 I sang at the Brooklyn Raga Massive with saxophonist and composer Aakash Mittal, drummer Alex Ritz, guitarist Todd Neufeld, and vocalist Shurmi Dhar, performing original pieces composed by Aakash for his Awaz Trio. In this solo clip I sing improvised Hindustani classical music based on ragas (scales) in the Marwa thaat (parent scale) to a composition called Nocturne II. In Indian Classical Music, a raga (literally meaning “coloring”) can be described as a scale or melodic mode but transcends those definitions. It has been described more vividly as a melodic framework for improvisation, consisting of melodic structures with musical motifs, considered in the Indian tradition to have the ability to "color the mind" and affect the emotions of the audience. In Hindustani (North Indian Classical) music, ragas are organized into parent scales, or “thaats”. The ragas within the Marwa thaat, described in Western musical terms, generally consist of a flattened second and sharp fourth, with the fifth omitted completely. Common ragas in this thaat include its namesake raga Marwa, raga Puriya, and raga Sohini.