I have know Kanhaiyalal Mishra since the early 1970s. He is a good friend and my guru bhai, a fellow student of Hanuman Prasad Mishra. He is featured in my film The Guru-shishya Parampara: Kanhaiyalal Mishra and his Students which can be seen on www.growingintomusic.co.uk. He has somehow managed to build a gurukhul—what is probably the largest of any musicians' houses in Kabir Chaura, Varanasi. His eldest son Dirage is an excellent tabla player, while his younger son Aman was struggling with the beginning stage of learning sarangi when I last heard him around 2010.
We begin with two videos shot in Kanhaiyalalji's home in Kabir Chowra in Hanuary 21994 This event approximated a Banaras jam session. He plays two raga, accompanied by his cousin Mata Prasad Mishra (now a famous dancer) on tabla, another gurubhai of ours on sarangi, and other musicians singing from the doorway including Kanhaiyalalji's brother, the outstanding sitarist Amar Nath Mishra. I play sarangi in the near field, close to the camera. We started with raga Bhatiyar:
Followed by Bhairavi in thumri style:
Now we have two rare videos of sarangi accompanying dhrupad singing at the Dhrupad Mela at Tulse Ghat,Banaras on March 3, 1994. First Kanhaiyalalji accompanies Prem Kumar and Ram Kumar Malik singing rag Lalit:
Then they were joined by the young men's peerless father Vidur Malik, singing rag Sohini:
Next I am pleased to present five 1994 videos of Kanhaiyalalji accompanying the illustrious Rajan and Sajan Mishra, the sons of Hanuman Prasad Mishra, at the prestigious Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh in Banaras on May 3, 1994. This was a rare instance in which the brothers invited sarangi accompaniment, which they usually avoided in concert, perhaps avoiding association with their socio-musical roots. Soon after the programme's start, Hanumanji, the proud father, was escorted onto the stage where he was seated front-right. Rajan and Sajan started with khayal in rag Darbari:
Followed by a Tulsidas bhajan:
Next was rag Jogiya "Karale singaar":
Then another bhajan:
Finally they sang the morning rag Lalit as dawn was emerging:
