Ragamala
Ragamala, which translates to “garland of ragas,” comes to Big Ears Festival as an immersive eight-hour presentation of South Asian classical music, offering a rare opportunity to experience Indian classical ragas as they are traditionally intended—performed at specific times of day rather than within standard concert formats.
Conceived as a “festival within a festival,” Ragamala draws from both of India’s great classical traditions: Hindustani music of the North and Carnatic music of the South, each with its own distinctive styles, forms, and instrumentation. The extended format allows artists to explore rarely performed ragas and subtle improvisations seldom heard in conventional evening concerts.
Featuring revered masters alongside exceptional younger artists, Ragamala invites listeners—devoted and new alike—into a deep, time-based immersion in one of the world’s oldest living musical traditions, presented with patience, care, and reverence.
