RAGA NIVATA

October 8, 2022  by Stefano Palleni

CONTEMPORARY RAGA #4: NIVATA

Nivata is the second studio recording in the Contemporary Raga series, after the composition Krayang. In Sanskrit Nivata is a beautiful smooth sounding word, meaning valley.

This purely idyllic melody, set in a simple harmony shifting between two major chords a sixth apart, is the image of Malang valley where I spent the last four years. The frogs croaking, the crickets and cicadas chirrup were the blissful burst plunged in the paddy into the shadows of the volcanos, an endless chant in the starry nights. Thus I included the original sample as a complementary part of the song, along with the guitar and alto saxophone.

I hope it helps to render the dreamy atmosphere of those astounding moments.