Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Divine Instrument

Hindustani classical vocalist Tripti Mukherjee started her musical training at age 4. Now a Pandita, or teacher, herself, she specializes in bhajans, intense devotional songs characterized by delicate embellishments and mellow melodies. (At eight to 10 minutes, bhajans form a soothing counterpart to longer, more traditional ragas.) A nationally acclaimed artist in India, she founded the first U.S. institute for classical Indian vocal music in 2000. Besides teaching, Mukherjee still makes performance a priority: Last fall, she sang at the White House for a ceremony celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. Hear her at a concert sponsored by the UVM-affiliated Friends of Indian Music and Dance, accompanied by tabla player Aditya Banerjee and Madhu Vohra on the harmonium.