Kala Ramnath and Ganesh Iyer: A rare collaborative project between two great violinists exploring the richness of raga and tala lying at the heart of both the Hindustani music of the North Indian sub-continent and the Carnatic music of the South with fantastic percussive accompaniment.

With the richness of raga and tala lying at the heart of both the Hindustani music of the North Indian sub-continent and the Carnatic music of the South, it is surprising that collaborative projects involving musicians from these two distinct, but related styles have been largely an area of unexplored territory to date.

North Indian musician Kala Ramnath and South Indian Ganesh Iyer are at the forefront of a new generation of talented instrumentalists looking to broaden their musical horizons by happily exploring the treasures of each other's traditions.

As Violinists, they play one of the few instruments widely used in both the North and South parts of India, but as this recording demonstrates, there is a rare lyricism and an emotional depth in their music that transcends musical borders.

Kala Ramnath has gained worldwide acclaim for her ability to make the violin 'sing'. Her breathtaking performances have served to boost the status of violin to new levels in Indian music. Up until recent times, the violin was more commonly a feature of South Indian Music recitals, mostly employed as an accompaniment to vocalists. Through Kala's efforts, solo violin has now become a welcome feature of all the major North Indian music festivals, including the thirteen-day Saptak Festival in Ahmedabad, where she has become a regular favourite. Over the span of her career, Kala has successfully developed a distinctive playing style of her own, embracing the essence of vocal music (gayaki) by capturing all the depth and emotion of the human voice.