Indian Classical Music

[AnotherSpin]

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia's concert at the Osho Commune. Many Indian musicians quite often take part in events held at the famous ashrams of great gurus. Attended some of them. Spirituality (can't find a better word) and music in India still go hand in hand.

[Traverso]

"The Flow Of Time"


Shivkumar Sharma, who has died aged 84 (2022), was one of the great innovators of Indian music, a virtuoso instrumentalist and composer who was known both for his Bollywood film music and for his classical work, and who succeeded in introducing a new instrument, the santoor, to Indian classical music.
He single-handedly elevated a 100-string instrument little known outside Kashmir into a prominent component of Hindustani classical music.

The santoor, a trapezoidal wooden instrument whose strings stretch over 25 wooden bridges, is played with slim wooden mallets. On the santoor, in contrast with the sitar, sarod or sarangi — the string instruments traditionally used in Hindustani classical music — it is difficult to sustain notes and perform the meends, or glides from one note to another, which are essential to the Hindustani musical tradition.






    Raga Marwa   
        Alap   
        Jor   
        Jhala   
Raga Hameer   
        Gat In Teentaal   
Raga Kamod   
        Gat In Jhaptaal   
Raga Kedar   
        Gat In Ektaal   
Raga Kaushik Dhwani   
        Alap   
        Gat In Matta Tal   
        Gat In Teentaal

 



 

[Traverso]

Shahid Parvez

His musical prowess lies in the vocalistic phrasing and quality of his raga improvisations, known as "Gayaki Ang," which translates to "Singing branch/limb." This style was resurrected and popularized by his uncle, the legendary sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan. Shahid Parvez has continued this tradition and is celebrated for his expressive sitar performances1.

Shahid Parvez Khan is widely recognized as one of the greatest sitar players of the world.  The recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the  Government of India's Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Academy Award,  Shahid Parvez Khan regularly tours across India, Europe, North America,  Asia and Australia, enthralling audiences everywhere. 

Shahid Parvez's music is both novel and evolving.  His unique tone and astute artistic sense have become his hallmark as a respected performer and composer.  The power of his music emanates from the highly charged sound he conjures on stage.  He emphasizes the unique capabilities of this sitar itself while  drawing upon numerous musical influences easily recognizable to a  knowing ear.  He has achieved success in not only preserving tradition, but  also pushing its boundaries to even greater heights of aesthetic beauty.

Shahid Parvez Khan represents the seventh generation of the sitar's first family, the Etawah Gharana.  A very young Shahid Parvez was initiated into the rich  traditions of the Gharana by his father and guru, Ustad Aziz Khan - the  famous musician and son of legendary sitar and surbahar virtuoso Ustad  Waheed Khan.  His family has produced the most revered and influential figures  in Hindustani Classical Music including Ustad Sahabdad Khan, Ustad Imdad  Khan, Ustad Enayet Khan, and Ustad Vilayat Khan. 

 

[Traverso]

Ravi Shankar the Master

CD 1



     

       

 




 

[Traverso]

A lovely recording !

[Traverso]

Ragas to Riches

Vilayat Khan and his son Hidayat Khan

[Traverso]

Classical Music of North India

Sitar and Tabla I

Sri Manilal Nag Sitar
Pandit Mahaprush Misra Tabla

[Traverso]

Sri Manilal Nag


From an interview:


A life time of work, yes! My idea is: as a musician, I will not follow the money, but money will follow me! Am I right or wrong? Now many musicians think, "I need money, money, too much money!" I don't want to name any names but here at this time many great musicians are snatching the students, like robbery, like dakkoos [dacoits: thieves]. I hate this, but students don't realize this. "Guru-ji, guru-ji, guru-ji, guru-ji, guru-ji!" But I'm not that type of man.


I don't know, people are not getting the time-especially in Calcutta, maybe throughout India-to practice, no patience. They love the music but have no patience, and they don't practice hard enough. For that reason they can't play nicely. Always stay with the guru-in ancient times was 'guru shishya parampara' [teacher-disciple lineage] and the students had to stay at the residence of the guru, and at all times had to listen to the guru. After the guru's practice the student had to practice like this. Nowadays it's not possible-the guru has no house so how can he accommodate his students like the rajas or maharajas? Allauddin Khan-Maihar State! So many students all over India came to Maihar and stayed with their guru, in this room, in that room, in this room, in that room and Allauddin Khan, "Is he practicing? Yes, OK. Is she practicing? Oh, yes. Ah, you are sleeping, get up! Practice!" My father was like this: very early in the morning, "Manilal, get up, get up! Take your sitar!" I remember. Without a guardian, if you are left alone, "Later, later. I will practice later." Strict administration by guru or guardian.

[Traverso]

Amjad Ali Khan

[Karl Henning]

I learnt only recently (since my stroke) that my friend Phil Scarff studied Indian music:

[Traverso]

I learnt only recently (since my stroke) that my friend Phil Scarff studied Indian music:

It is understandable that if you love Indian Classical music you want to play it yourself....

[aukhawk]

That was very enjoyable.  The straight soprano sax does have some resemblance in sound to the Indian shenhai, an 'eastern' vibe so well exploited by John Coltrane when he struck modal gold with My Favourite Things in the early '60s.  The sound here is unlike Coltrane though, who was more direct and ascerbic.  The wavering tone here is very reminiscent of the British sax man Don Rendell, who, influenced by Coltrane and Miles, also recorded several 'eastern' numbers with his quintet in the '60s.

I have records of Bismillah Khan playing the shenhai, an oboe-like instrument which is clearly quite difficult to play at length, so he has a couple of supporting players also on shenhai who periodically take over with simple expositions of the Raga while the star player pauses to rest his chops before taking his explorations to new heights.

[T. D.]

A small local venue regularly presents Indian classical concerts, usually duos or solos.
I saw these 2 performers last night and purchased a CD from the "merch table". The concert was over 3 hours long, including a solo Indian classical dance performance by Mallick's wife.