Indian Classical

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I just heard something on NPR about an all-night Classical Indian concert coming up in St. John the Divine in NYC.

Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 14:16 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm especially a fan of Dr. L. Subramaniam. The trad Carnatic records are the way to go, so I'd avoid his fusion stuff, generally.

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:31 (eighteen years ago) link

you can't go wrong with ali akbar khan ©

m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:52 (eighteen years ago) link

one year passes...
Can anyone recommend Indian classical vocal recordings in which the alap section goes on and on? (How long can it get? Can it take up half a recording, or would that violate the music's conventions?)

Austin, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, a Karnatak violinist mentioned by Sundar in the past, is pretty interesting although I have nothing interesting to say about him.

Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 1 July 2006 00:29 (seventeen years ago) link

Dhrupad is the old traditional form. I'm afraid I don't have any particular recommendations for recordings, but it's probably easy to find CDs of dhrupad performances.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 1 July 2006 00:42 (seventeen years ago) link

OK, yeah, the Dagar Brothers are a fairly big name, I think.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 1 July 2006 00:45 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't think I'm looking for dhrupad though.

Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 1 July 2006 00:48 (seventeen years ago) link

What are you looking for? I believe dhrupad is essentially the term for vocal raga performance, differing from other genres that don't follow the raga performance structure, such as ghazal.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 1 July 2006 02:13 (seventeen years ago) link

From wikipedia article:

The song itself, which is known as the dhrupad, is preceded in performance by a wholly improvised section, the alap, without accompaniment of the drum. The alap in dhrupad is sung without words, using instead a set of syllables in a recurrent, set pattern: a re ne na, té te re ne na, ri re re ne na, te ne toom ne (this last group is used in cadences to reach the tonic or the end of a long phrase). The syllables are like various colours on the palette of the painter and are popularly thought to be derived from a sacred mantra.
Today, alap comprises the greater part of most dhrupad performance. It can easily last an hour, with a slow tempo and gradual, controlled development of melody (raga). It is broadly subdivided into alap (unmetered), jor (with steady rhythm) and jhalla (speeding up) or nomtom. In this last part, the syllables are sung at a very rapid pace, sometimes incorporating very special-sounding ornamentation techniques (gamaka), and the nomtom has become one of the most popular parts of dhrupad concerts.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 1 July 2006 02:21 (seventeen years ago) link

That's useful to know. Maybe dhrupad is what I'm looking for then. I just haven't found the recorded dhrupad I've heard all that appealing, and I've liked the alap section in other Hindustani classical vocal music. Anyway, I don't think all vocal performance that follows the raga structure is called dhrupad, although I could be wrong.

Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 1 July 2006 10:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Rockist, I didn't think you were a fan of Indian music. I remember telling you to explore the Indian stores in West Philly with their vast selections of tapes and CDs and you had no interest. which is a shame, cuz the stuff they sell is cheap and you can always find interesting stuff.

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 1 July 2006 11:40 (seventeen years ago) link

scott, I basically am not a fan, but I am still curious about some of it and find things I like here and there. So far, I seem to like some Karnatak music. It's something I'm taking very slowly though. I think I might be able to grow into it, but it's not something I can push myself into.

Also, trying to talk about what I like and don't like about it just brings out my insanely finicky side. If you have ever found my comments about what I like and don't like about jazz irritating, I think you'd find my comments on what I like and don't like in Indian music even more irritating. It's a lot like jazz in that there's something I find appealing about the whole improvised dynamic and the virtuosity, but at the same time there's usually something that pushes me away (rhythms, timbres, whatever).

A little OT on an Indian classical music thread, but I did just buy the new Sunny Jain Collective CD, Avaaz, and I mostly really like it (which is probably another reason I'm asking questions about Indian music again).

Also, I rarely travel north of Spring Garden, west of 20th Street, or south of Pine Street! Anyway, I don't think taking a random Indian grocery store approach to this would work, because of my fussiness, but then again, I guess I could go with a list in hand. I'm just afraid I would come home with a bunch of great recordings that the store owner would push on me, and that I would end up not liking.

Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 1 July 2006 12:06 (seventeen years ago) link

I really like the loud thavil percussion accompaniment on this Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan (violin) album Sundar introduced me to. I like the violin too, overall, but the percussion is maybe the more immediate draw for me.

Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 1 July 2006 12:34 (seventeen years ago) link

Some Karnatak purists apparently say that Kunnakudi does not play music at all, however (just read a comment like that on a blog anyway). At any rate, he is controversial, but that's mostly neither here nor there for me. I like him, but I also know nothing about this music, admitedly.

Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 1 July 2006 13:00 (seventeen years ago) link

Whoa, electric mandolin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0Ctnz1ZZ5o&search=carnatic

Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 1 July 2006 14:00 (seventeen years ago) link

"I don't think all vocal performance that follows the raga structure is called dhrupad"

Yeah sorry, you're right. Dhrupad is like the ancient form (though still practiced by some, I guess). There is also the khayal genre.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 1 July 2006 15:42 (seventeen years ago) link

>other genres that don't follow the raga performance structure, such as ghazal<

The whole extended raga performance structure, I should have said.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 1 July 2006 15:56 (seventeen years ago) link

two months pass...
Now playing - The Wonderwall SDTK: George Harrison led Indian musicians in 1968 to do this SDTK.

Very approachable for those wanting an intro to Indian music but don't have the patience/context to sit through lengthy Ragas just yet.

and PappaWheelie, author of Have You Ever Been Poxy Fuled? (PappaWheelie 2), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 20:19 (seventeen years ago) link

one year passes...

I am interested in this singer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOj-U01T0JU

http://cdbaby.com/cd/nkvirdee

Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 18:43 (sixteen years ago) link

that sounds nice

Can anyone recommend Indian classical vocal recordings in which the alap section goes on and on? (How long can it get?

-- Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, July 1, 2006 12:29 AM (1 year ago) Bookmark Link

Ajoy Chakrabarty (sometimes romanicized as Chakraborty) sometimes stretches the alap out for upwards of 20 minutes, and keeps it mellow even once the tempo settles in

http://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/ajoy.htm

I've only got those mp3's and Rama Khamaj

Milton Parker, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 19:48 (sixteen years ago) link

Ajoy Chakrabarty

Ah, I had a CD by his daughter, I think. I couldn't get into it, so I donated it to the library. I will probably regret it eventually, but I won't really regret it since in the mean time lots of other people are getting to hear it.

Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 19:58 (sixteen years ago) link

Yeah, http://cdbaby.com/cd/chakrabarty

Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 20:04 (sixteen years ago) link

the intro of Ajoy's 'Thumri Kajri' sends me lidded every time

Milton Parker, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 21:28 (sixteen years ago) link

eleven months pass...
three years pass...

"When it comes to recordings of the non Western classical traditions, I think David. B. Jones has to ranked at the very top. He is the one who did the Connoisseur Society (their technical "guru" was Bela Bartok's son Peter!) recordings of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, the greatest living Indian musician. Jones also did some of the Nonesuch recordings as well (the really good ones) employing the same Sony tube mikes he used to record Dr. Khan. Check out the Ramnad Krishnan title on Nonesuch.

There are also many, many Indian EMI recordings that are truly superlative. Mostly it was the vinyl that was dismal (even this, they got it right at times!), but the recordings themselves, mostly were good and sometimes outstanding. Simple mike techniques and tube electronics did the trick. I have a Malika Arjun Mansoor recording that is at the top of the list. So is the M.S. Subbulakshmi boxed set of LPs recorded "live" at a UN gala for UThant. In spite of the most embarrassing and hideously ugly song in English (!) by Indial politician Rajaji, these LPs capture the queen in all her glory. Then, there are the many Yugal Bandi recordings. The first one is of course the original Bismillah Khan/Vilayat Khan pairing. This great recording was produced by Suviraj Grubb, the only Indian to ever produce Western classical recordings. He replaced Walter Legge at EMI as the principal producer and worked with all the greats, from Barenboim, Zukerman, Perlman and Du Pre to Barbirolli, Richter, Fischer-Dieskau and Klemperer. I must also mention the V.G. Jog and Bismillah pairing which is also great. The recording of Lalgudi Jayaraman and N. Ramani titled "Violin, Venu, Veena" also tops the list. Some good recordings were also released on the Swedish label Amigo (two of Nikil Banerjee and one each of Amjad Ali Khan and Ram
Narayan) while Sonet put out the most beautiful yugal bandi recording with Shivkumar and Hariprasad.

The German label Loft, among other titles, released an excellent double LP of the junior Dagar Brothers, and the French label Still, which along with a surbahar recording of Imrat Khan, has released the only recordings (two LP boxed sets) worth having, of the Karnatic legend T.R. Mahalingam. The other two recordings of Mali, on Indian EMI, are truly horrid. Taking of French labels, two outstanding recordings of Zia Mohinudinn Dager (Rudra vina) on Alvares and Auvidis respectively. The later also released a good recording of the junior Dagar Brothers. Another label called ESP put out ten or so recordings, of which there is a Hari Prasad that is wonderful, as is the one of Fariduddin Dagar (vocalist brother of Zia). Their recording of the Bauls, though of a lesser crew than the Purnadas (the very same man on the cover of Dylan's "John Wesly Harding" album) outfit on Nonesuch, Electra and Buddah, sonically is the best. Barclay (a jazz label started by the beautiful Nicole Barclay) too, released two recordings of Nagaswara Rao (vina), the same artist on Nonesuch, as did French CBS, a recording of Emani Shankar Shastry. Another French woman started Shandar that released a great recording of Pandit Pran Nath, as well as Terry Reily's "Persian Surgery Dervishes". Arion released a very good recording of D.K. Pattamal, while Vogue has an outstanding recording of Parapancham Sita Ram (Karnatic flute) with Guruvayur Dorai on mirdangam.

Chante du Monde has a very fine collection of Flamenco with great masters such as Pepe de la Metrona, with equally great sound. Andre Charlin made not just great speakers (electrostatic/dynamic hybrids) and amps (tube and solid state) but also truly great recordings, though most of them were of Western Classical music. He did however do a Koto (like Cook) recording for Kenwood (yes, the ones who made one of the greatest turntables, the LO7D). I have a feeling that Charlin was responsible (or at least partly) for the ORTF technique. Having mentioned France, I certainly must mention the great Indologist Alain Danielou, who edited the wonderful UNESCO collection of recordings. Though the sound on many of these is rather poor, having been done by some "ethnomusicologist" with a cassette recorder and mikes with wind screens, two recordings do stand out. They are the LP of the Dagar Brothers (Sr) and a Karnatic compilation with vocal tracks by Semanguddi Srinivasa Iyar. Though these recordings are in mono, the sound and performance are out of this world!
Danielou introduced the Dager Brothers to the West in the early 60s. I have heard that Nadia Boulanger, the great Parisian music teacher, after hearing the Dagar Brothers remarked "This is real music! We have been wasting our time!".

Last but not least, there is the French Ocora catalog, a treasure to ransom a king, with many, many outstanding recordings of the most exotic music. Check out the Munir Bashir (Oud) recording or the Emani Shankar Shastry (vina) recording with Madras Kannan on mirdangam! I also have a Portuguese EMI recording of Amilia Rodriguez that is outstanding.

From the UK, Tangent had a steady out put including a collection of music from Ethiopia, as well the "Music from the World of Islam" boxed set. But, Tangent never had truly great sound. Speaking of UK, I must mention the Hannibal recording of Nazakat and Salamat Ali, which is good. Another forgotten hero is Ron Marlo of Chess. Listen to the Muddy Waters "Folk Singer" LP and the "live" Ahmed Jamal LP titled "Alhambra". Emory Cook is another great who has also been forgotten. Way back in the 50s, he was releasing recordings of the Tarahumara Indian (the very ones Antonin Artaud "visited") peyote chants, as well as Hindu temple music from the Caribbean!!! Richard Bock of World Pacific also released great recordings; one in particular is the "live" recording of Vina Vidwan S. Balachander with N. Ramani. So is the recording of Brij Bhushan Kabra.

Jones, Malo, Cook, Bock, Danielou and Grubb, these are the men that I respect and hold in high esteem. They wrote the ground rules and charted the way and made it possible for the likes of me. The rest, including myself, are like the blind men with the elephant in a dark room! Groping in the dark, stumbling into mike stands, tripping over cables, spilling hot tea onto the tapes... and splitting hairs over the purity of the copper (or silver!) in the mike cables or the brand of tubes used!

The little I know, I learnt from listening to the recordings listed above and following carefully the works of the masters mentioned, who were my inspiration. To them I offer my gratitude.

Kavi Alexander... "

Lil' Kim Philby (Call the Cops), Sunday, 4 March 2012 20:53 (twelve years ago) link

[08Mar11 21:14:29][Geeratsha] tomyum is a Thai soup, and Canterbury is a region where I live now
[08Mar11 21:15:03][tomyum] yes, i love that soup!
[08Mar11 21:15:15][Geeratsha] everybody does
[08Mar11 21:15:38][tomyum] haha, i guess you're right!
[08Mar11 21:15:44][Geeratsha] i lived 12 years in Thailand, and had Thai food every day
[08Mar11 21:16:02][tomyum] you're very fortunate, then!
[08Mar11 21:16:15][Geeratsha] yes i know
[08Mar11 21:16:37][tomyum] i am trying to teach myself about indian music
[08Mar11 21:17:07][Geeratsha] less fortunate in Canterbury, the main city is Christchurch, which has big big earthquakes 4th September + 22 February
[08Mar11 21:17:16][tomyum] that's awful
[08Mar11 21:18:17][Geeratsha] yes, just got the plumber to repair two broken water pipes, so I have running water again!
[08Mar11 21:18:38][tomyum] oh, thank goodness. that is good to hear
[08Mar11 21:18:52][tomyum] now you can make some tomyum soup
[08Mar11 21:18:54][Geeratsha] i count myself among the lucky ones
[08Mar11 21:19:16][Geeratsha] haha, i really cannot cook Thai: I had a cook living at home !
[08Mar11 21:19:22][tomyum] ah
[08Mar11 21:21:01][Geeratsha] she wanted to come to New Zealand with me... but shee did not speak a word of English, and in NZ we cannot afford to maintain our own cooks...
[08Mar11 21:21:14][tomyum] oh, too bad
[08Mar11 21:23:33][Geeratsha] there was a little group of Indian music fans in Bangkok, gathering monthly
[08Mar11 21:23:48][tomyum] oh, nice
[08Mar11 21:23:51][Geeratsha] i did go every month
[08Mar11 21:24:09][Geeratsha] sometimes visitors musicians came through and performed for us
[08Mar11 21:24:17][tomyum] oh, that's great
[08Mar11 21:24:32][Geeratsha] indeed, intimate gathering, everybody sitting on the floor
[08Mar11 21:24:44][tomyum] nice
[08Mar11 21:24:56][Geeratsha] Pandid Maniram was one [the brother of Pandit Jasraj]
[08Mar11 21:25:13][Geeratsha] *Pandit, not pandid
[08Mar11 21:25:33][tomyum] i'm afraid i dont recognize their names, but i will research them
[08Mar11 21:25:55][Geeratsha] and Swami Vallabhdas
[08Mar11 21:26:16][Geeratsha] i am sharing some files by them
[08Mar11 21:26:26][tomyum] oh, ok
[08Mar11 21:27:03][Geeratsha] Ravi Shankar passed through and I met him twice [at cocktail parties in his honour]
[08Mar11 21:27:18][tomyum] wow
[08Mar11 21:27:20][Geeratsha] he is fluent in french, because he grew up in Paris
[08Mar11 21:27:58][tomyum] oh
[08Mar11 21:28:26][Geeratsha] so we chatted in French, and some wowmen were giving me a bad look, jealous i suppose ;-)
[08Mar11 21:28:42][tomyum] haha
[08Mar11 21:29:20][tomyum] too much charm
[08Mar11 21:29:36][Geeratsha] yes, he had a "bad reputation" then ;-)
[08Mar11 21:29:44][tomyum] haha
[08Mar11 21:30:30][Geeratsha] he was indeed charming, but his tabla player was my favourite: Alla Rakha
[08Mar11 21:30:40][tomyum] ok
[08Mar11 21:31:27][Geeratsha] where are you located ?
[08Mar11 21:31:49][tomyum] i live in the u.s.
[08Mar11 21:32:29][Geeratsha] plenty of Indian musicians give recitals in US
[08Mar11 21:32:59][tomyum] yes, i am going to keep my eyes open in the future to take advantage of that
[08Mar11 21:33:31][Geeratsha] try to go to small gathering rather than big concerts
[08Mar11 21:33:38][tomyum] yes?
[08Mar11 21:33:46][tomyum] why do you recommend that especially?
[08Mar11 21:33:49][Geeratsha] yes, more intimate, less commercial
[08Mar11 21:33:53][tomyum] i see
[08Mar11 21:33:57][tomyum] that makes sense
[08Mar11 21:34:19][Geeratsha] in India, house conceerts [bhaitak] are common
[08Mar11 21:34:26][tomyum] how wonderful
[08Mar11 21:34:31][Geeratsha] they gather just to practice
[08Mar11 21:34:47][tomyum] that sounds so great
[08Mar11 21:34:53][Geeratsha] and family and friends and children join in
[08Mar11 21:35:01][tomyum] beautiful
[08Mar11 21:35:17][Geeratsha] kids always perform first, then the adults get on with their recital
[08Mar11 21:35:24][tomyum] i see
[08Mar11 21:35:33][Geeratsha] that is how children get used to the atmosphere
[08Mar11 21:35:41][Geeratsha] and they are never shy
[08Mar11 21:35:52][tomyum] ah
[08Mar11 21:39:47][Geeratsha] search: Swami Vallabhdas - live, bangkok may 1961
[08Mar11 21:40:01][Geeratsha] there are some jpgs photos in the folder
[08Mar11 21:41:07][tomyum] ok.
[08Mar11 21:41:21][tomyum] oh my goodness, you have so much wonderful stuff there that you are sharing
[08Mar11 21:41:22][Geeratsha] i recorded thee tracks myself, with a little portable sony recorder
[08Mar11 21:41:31][tomyum] ah
[08Mar11 21:42:52][Geeratsha] aha but i have been collecting for a dozen years at least
[08Mar11 21:42:52][Geeratsha] the Swami used to travel and stop in Bangkok and give daily recitals
[08Mar11 21:43:00][Geeratsha] he was collecting money for building his music school
[08Mar11 21:43:07][tomyum] oh
[08Mar11 21:43:26][Geeratsha] he had his own tabla and harmonium players travelling with him
[08Mar11 21:43:53][Geeratsha] the harmonium player was a blind man who also sang
[08Mar11 21:45:30][Geeratsha] then they could not get a visa for the blindman in Thailand, so they stopped coming :-(
[08Mar11 21:45:30][Geeratsha] ut while they were there theye performed every evening and the whole group + friends joined in
[08Mar11 21:45:30][Geeratsha] the atmosphere was fantastic: we all got high!
[08Mar11 21:45:54][tomyum] wow, that all sounds amazing
[08Mar11 21:46:16][Geeratsha] yes i am grateful that i could be part of that
[08Mar11 21:46:40][Geeratsha] i have never been in India, even though I know many Indians
[08Mar11 21:47:14][tomyum] oh. why i have you never been there?
[08Mar11 21:48:07][Geeratsha] well, my work was in Bangkok, and then i emigrated to New Zealand
[08Mar11 21:48:29][tomyum] where are you from originally?
[08Mar11 21:48:43][Geeratsha] born in Lausanne, french speaking part of Switzerland
[08Mar11 21:48:51][tomyum] ah
[08Mar11 21:49:13][Geeratsha] my husband was from Egypt and studying architecture in Lausanne
[08Mar11 21:49:28][Geeratsha] when he got his final diploma he wanted to go to India, or Japan
[08Mar11 21:49:33][tomyum] ok
[08Mar11 21:50:22][Geeratsha] so I sent his CV round but the replies weree no thanks, enough of good architercts, can come to India to make soaps in an ashram...
[08Mar11 21:50:33][tomyum] haha
[08Mar11 21:50:39][Geeratsha] same story about Japan. So we ended up halfway between India and Japan: BANGKOK
[08Mar11 21:50:48][tomyum] interesting
[08Mar11 21:51:22][Geeratsha] so he designed and built the Swiss Embassy compound in Bangkok, which took several years
[08Mar11 21:51:30][tomyum] wow
[08Mar11 21:52:29][Geeratsha] then he went back to Europe [with his Thai secretary] and i remained in Bangkok [with my Thai boyfriend, a ballet dancer!]
[08Mar11 21:52:52][tomyum] ahaha. sounds like you've lived quite an interesting life thusfar
[08Mar11 21:53:03][Geeratsha] right
[08Mar11 21:53:16][Geeratsha] i never imagined that i would have such a life
[08Mar11 21:53:50][Geeratsha] i also must say that i was there at the right time
[08Mar11 21:53:59][Geeratsha] life was fabulous then
[08Mar11 21:54:04][tomyum] in bangkok?
[08Mar11 21:54:08][Geeratsha] yes
[08Mar11 21:54:18][tomyum] when was this?
[08Mar11 21:54:25][Geeratsha] just during and after the Vietnam War
[08Mar11 21:54:32][Geeratsha] in the 60s
[08Mar11 21:54:34][tomyum] oh.
[08Mar11 21:55:04][tomyum] i can imagine how that would have been a fantastic time
[08Mar11 21:55:12][Geeratsha] the American soldiers were all ...[oops aftershock here] coming for their rests to Bangkok
[08Mar11 21:55:36][tomyum] yikes, hold on there
[08Mar11 21:55:38][tomyum] oh i see
[08Mar11 21:58:34][Geeratsha] why don't you get abother file/folder
[08Mar11 21:58:42][Geeratsha] you have a long way to catch up ;-)
[08Mar11 21:58:45][tomyum] haha
[08Mar11 21:59:20][tomyum] i really should but i am having trouble even thinking straight at the moment...feeling a little ill
[08Mar11 22:00:19][Geeratsha] oh, take a rest then, plenty of time although i come in soulseek on and off
[08Mar11 22:01:01][tomyum] ok, i will keep that in mind. lovely chatting with you, and thank you for sharing all the wonderful music. take fabulous care of yourself!
[08Mar11 22:01:23][Geeratsha] ok, see you around ;-)

dell (del), Monday, 5 March 2012 19:39 (twelve years ago) link

huh

curmudgeon, Monday, 5 March 2012 19:44 (twelve years ago) link

two months pass...
four months pass...

this record is really something else

http://importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec346

Inconceivable (to the entire world) (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Monday, 24 September 2012 02:38 (eleven years ago) link

"Also recommended....MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE"

Bob Six, Monday, 24 September 2012 07:24 (eleven years ago) link

Feeling it straight away! - thanks.

xyzzzz__, Monday, 24 September 2012 21:24 (eleven years ago) link

eleven months pass...

Got the record - his voice is all silk.

xyzzzz__, Sunday, 25 August 2013 08:27 (ten years ago) link

I've found the Dagar Bros recordings to be intensely gratifying, however CDs are difficult to find and usually pricey. Orissi Dance music is a good general category, but i am unaware of any specific group or established names to recommend. V.M. Bhatt is another name i seek out, try the "Burbon and Rosewater" album he did Jerry Douglas (Dobro) if you need an easier entry point. L. Subramaniam plays some wicked violin. And don't let his entry into pop culture scare you off, Ravi knew the raga forms inside and out.

bodacious ignoramus, Monday, 26 August 2013 02:40 (ten years ago) link

two years pass...

Is there a book anyone can recommend about the history (as far as we know it) of indian classical music, or at least a sort of beginner's guide that discusses the key players of the past century or so, defines specific terms and instruments, etc?

Wimmels, Thursday, 11 August 2016 02:09 (seven years ago) link

xp to 2013 - i sprung for an out of copyright 4 disc set of 6 ravi lps it was pennies and i was blown away - i'd somehow always assumed that ravi shankar was the vanilla option, the lazy shorthand, the only brand people remember, but the phrasing, vibrato, the build - all grand. prefer the playing to imrat khan or vijayat khan, but that's just my preference.
what hits the spot like nowt else for me right now, tho' is ZIA MOHIUDDIN DAGAR on the rudra vina.
yowzer! transports

massaman gai, Thursday, 11 August 2016 05:49 (seven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esuia43tJUI

easily one of the heaviest things i've ever heard - pandit pran nath performing raga malkauns

KitevsPill, Thursday, 11 August 2016 15:22 (seven years ago) link

Better library collections (i.e. "city") usually have a respectable range of relevant titles -- that's where i found the basis of my Indian stax. It was nearly 20 years ago, but the CDs could be checked out for free and you could keep them 2-3 weeks -- used to get 20-30 titles at a time and steep myself in them, so having titles with extensive liner notes was always appreciated.

bodacious ignoramus, Thursday, 11 August 2016 22:42 (seven years ago) link

seven months pass...

I'm listening to this a lot the last couple of days: https://mandolinprakash.bandcamp.com/album/gayaki-mandolin

Even when just streaming, his tone and the recording sound really good imo.

My Body's Made of Crushed Little Evening Stars (Sund4r), Tuesday, 28 March 2017 13:41 (seven years ago) link

Lossless is sounding amazing. Playing is beautiful too, of course.

My Body's Made of Crushed Little Evening Stars (Sund4r), Tuesday, 28 March 2017 14:00 (seven years ago) link

This is beautiful. What an incredible tone.

That said, not paying $13 for a download.

Would buy this on vinyl or even CD in an instant though

Wimmels, Tuesday, 28 March 2017 15:35 (seven years ago) link

It's a little steep, I agree, but, eh, lossless files sound as good as CDs with less physical clutter.

My Body's Made of Crushed Little Evening Stars (Sund4r), Tuesday, 28 March 2017 18:26 (seven years ago) link

two months pass...

Kahsmiri singer Shameem Azad. Great singer and the orchestration is really fascinating as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo6VwSnbj_M

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 18 June 2017 02:06 (six years ago) link

Not absolutely sure it belongs on this thread. The song might be folk music but the technique seems to be classical to me.

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 18 June 2017 02:13 (six years ago) link

(Also I remember little about the politics of Kashmir but I'm thinking this probably shouldn't have gone here.)

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 18 June 2017 02:27 (six years ago) link

Is there a book anyone can recommend about the history (as far as we know it) of indian classical music, or at least a sort of beginner's guide that discusses the key players of the past century or so, defines specific terms and instruments, etc?

― Wimmels, Thursday, August 11, 2016 2:09 AM (ten months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Late reply, but I read The Music of India by Reginald & Jamila Massey. Not sure how it compares to other books on this topic, but I found it informative. It gives a brief history of the nation of India in addition to a more in depth discussion and description of Indian classical music. There are many pages at the end devoted to just about every instrument imaginable as well as an overview of prominent musicians (note: it was published in the 70's, so that part's a little out of date).

Ex Slacker, Sunday, 18 June 2017 18:12 (six years ago) link

I've just noticed the excellent Nooran Sisters are playing at Wembley Arena in September.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQuWH0xbypo

Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Sunday, 18 June 2017 21:31 (six years ago) link

one year passes...

This is a v good twitter account for this:

https://twitter.com/sentaanrudra

xyzzzz__, Thursday, 7 February 2019 17:09 (five years ago) link

nine months pass...

not any more there isn't

lost IDM classics (lukas), Tuesday, 19 November 2019 23:14 (four years ago) link

:-(

xyzzzz__, Wednesday, 20 November 2019 12:04 (four years ago) link

eleven months pass...

Sharanjeet Singh Mand livestream concert tonight in about 3h:
https://www.facebook.com/events/543450103187078/

I guess I'd be lonesome (Sund4r), Sunday, 8 November 2020 21:30 (three years ago) link

one year passes...

rest in peace shivkumar sharma, one of my favorite musicians of all time https://t.co/5GpNDwUnX0

— greg davis (@gregdavismusic) May 10, 2022

xyzzzz__, Wednesday, 11 May 2022 20:51 (one year ago) link

seven months pass...

An ok list.

https://zikzak.substack.com/p/an-introduction-to-hindustani-classical

xyzzzz__, Thursday, 22 December 2022 10:41 (one year ago) link

Why is Shahid Parvez Khan always overlooked?

zacata, Thursday, 22 December 2022 12:22 (one year ago) link

It's an OK list, but it doesn't make any mention of percussion as far as I can see? For me that's such an important aspect - for example in the Ali Akbar Khan link, the percussion is as important for me as the sarod playing.

Luna Schlosser, Thursday, 22 December 2022 13:01 (one year ago) link

Percussion just isn't there in many records. Nikhil Banerjee -- which I've been listening to -- is just solo sitar, so I don't know if that's important.

xyzzzz__, Saturday, 24 December 2022 20:19 (one year ago) link

Why is Shahid Parvez Khan always overlooked?

― zacata, Thursday, 22 December 2022 bookmarkflaglink

What would you recommend?

xyzzzz__, Saturday, 24 December 2022 20:19 (one year ago) link

Xpost

There’s a long and rich history (and theory and practice) of percussion in Indian classical music.

Luna Schlosser, Sunday, 25 December 2022 20:10 (one year ago) link

What would you recommend?

― xyzzzz__, Saturday, December 24, 2022 2:19 PM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

I mean he’s an absolute master so I feel like the recommendation is really whatever raags you enjoy that he has recordings of, which at this point is probably most of the main ones and some rarer ones as well…I particularly like his versions of Madhuvanti and Bhupali.

I’d check out Kushal Das’ surbahar recording of Marwa while you’re at it.

zacata, Monday, 26 December 2022 11:33 (one year ago) link

Also just rereading through some of the above but Nikhil Banerjee was definitely accompanied by tabla players, and in fact, I can’t think of any ICM musicians who play fully solo (you can’t really play the gat without it)

zacata, Monday, 26 December 2022 12:07 (one year ago) link

tabla is the best

corrs unplugged, Monday, 26 December 2022 17:13 (one year ago) link

Yes the other side of Banerjee has tabla, but first side is solo.

I am downplaying it a bit since I've never heard solo tabla records..

xyzzzz__, Monday, 26 December 2022 20:57 (one year ago) link

There have been plenty of notable percussionists. Check out Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain for example.

Luna Schlosser, Monday, 26 December 2022 21:14 (one year ago) link

one month passes...

Listening to vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty now

curmudgeon, Saturday, 11 February 2023 23:06 (one year ago) link

I really like this YouTube channel of Indian Classical live videos:

https://youtube.com/@darbarfestival

not too strange just bad audio (brimstead), Sunday, 12 February 2023 17:10 (one year ago) link

two weeks pass...

Nice channel and now they have an app too.

curmudgeon, Tuesday, 28 February 2023 18:52 (one year ago) link

Kaushiki Chakraborty Washington Dc area gig sold out quickly. She sent me voice memo answers via What’s App for an article I was writing.

curmudgeon, Tuesday, 28 February 2023 18:54 (one year ago) link

nine months pass...

how cool is jaltarang?

been checking out this record recently since it's on spotify

https://i.imgur.com/HA3Mdlq.png

esp the track "Nagumomu - Aberi - Adi - Thyagaraja"
https://open.spotify.com/track/21QuIzIytSKIgTSb78C1kd?si=34296ab2a6a74ef5

love this wiki image:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Milind_Tulankar_with_Jaltarang.jpg

corrs unplugged, Wednesday, 13 December 2023 13:40 (four months ago) link


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