Into the Raga is an exquisite collection of ragas (melodic modes) and their many hues. The emotion of each raga on this album is seen and heard through the lovely alapanas (extempore melodic improvisations), majestic thanam (pulsating melodic improvisations), and fire-powered swara prastharas (rhythmic improvisations in defined modes and rhythm meters) all supporting the beautiful poetry of the compositions. From Bangalore to Bloomington, Madras to Minnesota, Nirmala Rajasekar has captivated audiences around the world for three decades. A recent recipient of a Bush Artist Fellowship and the first Indian musician to win the McKnight Fellowship for Performing Artists, she has now followed her previous innova release, Song of the Veena (INN214) with a new scintillating journey to the center of the raga