The Raga-Ness of Ragas

This book is a systematic and contemporary exploration of the uniquely Indian phenomenon of raga, which forms the foundation of the musical culture of India. Maestros speak with total conviction of a raga as having a personality. A raga must therefore be viewed not only as the governing authority of musical performance, but also as an archetype pregnant with cultural meaning. The exploration of raga-ness, therefore, can begin with the grammatical coordinates of ragas, but cannot stop there.

Deepak Raja (born 1948) is amongst the most respected writers on Hindustani music today. He works as Repertoire Analyst for India Archive Music Ltd (IAM), New York. In 1999, he co-edited the Indian Musicological Society's publication Perspectives on Dhrupad.