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The Mallik Family is the leading representative of the court music tradition of Darbhanga, a former state in the north-eastern corner of India, close to the Nepalese border. They retrace their line to the singers Radhakrishna and Kartaram, who appeared at the court around 1790 and made a name for themselves by averting a drought through the singing of the magical rain Raga Megh. As a result, the Maharaja of Darbhanga granted them the title Mallik - landowner - and conferred to them two villages and the surrounding landed property, where the family lives up to the present day. They served at the court up to the closing down of the state in 1947. After the death of Ram Chatur Mallik, the last actual court singer, in 1991, today Bidur Mallik is the senior musician in the family.

The Malliks are famous all over India for a very rhythmically elaborated interpretation of Dhrupad - a style which is virtually unknown in the West. Except for old Dhrupad and Dhamar compositions - of which they possess an unparalleled stock - they are also known for their exposition of Khyal, Taranas, Ghazals,  Bhajans and songs of the medieval poet Vidyapati in Thumri style.

In Europe, they appeared first in 1983, at a European Dhrupad Festival organized for the Berlin ‘International Institute for Traditional Music’ by world music specialist Peter Pannke, who has lived with the Mallik family in India for many years. In 1992, he invited them again for the Parampara! Festival in Berlin, where they were performing together in the Tutti Shruti Orchestra. The 1993 European tour climaxed in the opening concert of the New Jazz Festival Moers, in 1994 they appeared at the legendary BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in London.

”After hearing this group, I feel that there is nothing else in this world that I need to experience…”

David Toop, Ocean of Sound

“Anessential item for any representative collection of Indian music”

Richard Widdess, Yearbook of Traditional Music

CONTACT:
Peter Pannke · Egerstr.12 · D-14193 Berlin
Phone: +49-30-825 88 13
Fax: +49-30-89 72 85 62