Charu Suri’s new album Shayan reimagines Indian ragas as music for rest

In Indian classical music, ragas heavily emphasise on nature and moods. Morning ragas are designed to awaken the spirit, afternoon ragas to energise, and evening ragas to soothe and settle the mind as the day comes to an end. It is within this ancient tradition that pianist and composer Charu Suri has rooted her latest album, Shayan, created for sleep and serenity.

Shayan consists of evening ragas, traditionally played after sunset, designed to ease the mind

Charu has long been celebrated as a pioneer of raga jazz, a genre-bend ing style that fused improvisation with the melodic depth of Indian ragas. But this time, she felt the pull of a different path. “With Shayan, I wanted it to be very healing without dissonance, creat ing beautiful harmony that brings people calm and peace, especially as they sleep,” she shares.

After her father’s passing, her mother struggled with insomnia and turned to pharmaceuticals. While touring non-stop for two years, Charu herself was pushed into chronic fatigue. “That’s when I realised how important sleep is. doctors and scientists say anything less than six hours increases your mortality by 20 per cent. as you get older, you realise — it’s non-negotiable,” she says.

These experiences shaped Shayan, which takes its name from the Sanskrit word for rest. Charu began composing with evening ragas, traditionally played after sunset, designed to ease the mind. The raga Kalyani, a personal favourite, is central to the title track, while Bhagyashree — first explored in her earlier project Rags and Ragas — returns in a new light.

Desh, learned from her guru, brings the freshness of the monsoon. Mohanam is drawn from her South Indian upbringing, and Durga, a new raga; then there is Jog, the only truly melancholic piece on the record, written for the German cellist Tess Remy-Schumacher. “The dark, beautiful tones of the cello lent themselves to that mood; not every evening is joyous — sometimes you want to express sadness. That’s how Jog was born,” she adds.

The album unites a remarkable lineup of collaborators: Premik Russell-Tubbs of the Mahavishnu Orchestra lends flute, while Max ZT brings santur-like dulcimer textures. Ravichandra Kulur adds percussion, and Haruna Fukuzawa connects ragas with Japan’s pentatonic scales. Danish singer Anita Lerche, harpist Peter Sterling, violinist Philip Vaiman, flautist Ron Korb, and guitarist Jim “Kimo” West join in.

The greatest challenge, she admits, was not complexity but restraint. “It’s so simple that it’s difficult,” she laughs. “Mozart is hard to play because it’s so simple. That was the challenge here — to keep it pure and simple.” Shayan is a reminder of the untapped potential of raga-based wellness music. “People tell me all the time: ‘I’d love to use this with yoga,’ or ‘I’ve never felt so relaxed and energised.’ With over 500 ragas known to us, the potential is unlimited. I think I’m just scratching the surface,” Charu concludes.

Shayan is streaming on all music platforms.

Email: anshula.u@newindianexpress.com

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