Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Javid Afsari Rad, Bendik Hofseth & ROHINI SAHAJPAL - Prayers (2026) [Hi-Res]

Prayers is a cross-cultural musical project commissioned by Global Oslo Music (Norway) and first performed as a world premiere in Oslo in 2023. The album version, released in 2026 on Global Sonics, documents the creative encounter of four masters from distinct traditions: the legendary Indian flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (bansuri), Iranian virtuoso Javid Afsari Rad (Persian santur), Norwegian jazz saxophonist Bendik Hofseth, and sitarist Rohini Sahajpal — a Norwegian of Indian heritage and long-time student of Chaurasia.
At the heart of the project lies the idea of spiritual unity through improvisational dialogue. The album's musical language is shaped at the intersection of Hindustani raga tradition (specifically the modal framework of raga Puria), the Persian radif as a canonical system of melodic models, and contemporary European jazz. The acoustic space is characterized by textural delicacy and the organic interweaving of Eastern and Western modal systems, while the work as a whole carries an overtly meditative and devotional character — reflected both in its title and in a tracklist that moves from raga to two movements simply entitled Prayers.
The project grew organically from years of existing connections: Hofseth and Chaurasia had performed together in «Music Without Boundaries» concerts; Sahajpal had long been a regular presence in her guru's ensemble. Prayers captures one of those rare moments of genuine cross-cultural co-creation in recorded form.

Tracklist:
1. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Javid Afsari Rad, Bendik Hofseth & ROHINI SAHAJPAL - Puria part 1 and part 2
2. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Javid Afsari Rad, Bendik Hofseth & ROHINI SAHAJPAL - Oasis
3. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Javid Afsari Rad, Bendik Hofseth & ROHINI SAHAJPAL - Prayers I
4. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Javid Afsari Rad, Bendik Hofseth & ROHINI SAHAJPAL - Prayers II