Hindustani Classical Music

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Music Today Series




 
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Ustad Naseer-ud-din Saami
He is the last exponent of Khyal and Qawwali singing using 49 tone (microtonal) Surti (Shruti) scale. I find similarities between his style and Dhrupad. In fact his classical style seems like a hybrid of Khyal and Dhrupad with strains of Qawwali in between. I find his singing spiritually immersive.

39428824-88F6-4DEC-8034-17EF57A3E32B.jpeg

Ustad Saami immigrated from India to Pakistan during partition and resides in Karachi.

The above (and couple of other classical albums) are on Tidal. You can listen to his latest Qawwali album recorded by the famous Ian Brennan here:

ustadsaami.bandcamp.com

God Is Not a Terrorist, by Ustad Saami

6 track album
ustadsaami.bandcamp.com ustadsaami.bandcamp.com
 
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humblebee said:
150 or 500?
Count from babur & 1520.
Click to expand...

We are being uncharitable perhaps. Some of these rulers (eg Akbar) actively supported and promoted Indian music. In fact when we club the Mughals with the British we generally miss the point that the Mughals settled here making it their home unlike the British. Having said that, many British officers and researchers did admirable work on Indian arts, literature, culture and history.
 
sumeetbagade said:
Although quite a lot is discussed about, i thought there was'nt a specific thread dedicated to Hindustani Classical.

Want u all to share the TITLES / ALBUMS, both INSTRUMENTAL and VOCAL, that u enjoyed on vinyls....

Will start my list with my most favourite artist,

SRK a.k.a Shivputra (siddha)Rammayya Komakali a.k.a Pandit Kumar Gandharva.

1. 1963 - Sanjari / Bageshri.

2. 1969 - Saheli todi / Beehad bhairav.

3. 1973 - Shree kalyan, Shree, Kalyan, Puriya dhanashri, Gauri basant, Sohni.

4. 1976 - Chaiti bhoop, Nand, Bahar, Kamodvanti, Sawani, Mishra bihag.

5. 1986 - Todi, Ahir bhairav, Alhaiya bilawal, Des, Shudha sarang, Gaud sarang.

6. Bhajans - Vasundhar and Kumarji.

7. Marathi NATYASANGEET - mala umajlele Bal Gandharva, vol 1 and 2.

Am desperately searching for his KABIR NIRGUNI BHAJANS vinyl.... i have it on a CD....

WATCH THIS EXCEPTIONAL VIDEO AND TELL ME IF IT DOES'NT INVOLVE YOU.

YouTube - Kumar Gandharva: aisan kaisA

anyone wanting to explore this saintly voice and personality, watch SHABNAM VIRMANI'S documentary on KUMAR GANDHARVA.....

Kumar Gandharva sings KABIR.....

" JHINI JHINI CHADARIYA"...

YouTube - Kumar Gandharva - Jhini Chadriya
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I appreciate your effort. Thanks
 
Since the thread has been revised, providing below links to some of the relevant posts I made in the ‘Right now I am listening to‘ thread. They aren’t just listings, I have shared some information and penned my impressions about the albums too. For some reason the description in the links below here are misleading as they mention the first post on the particular page, but clicking in the link takes you to the correct (Classical) post of mine. Just try clicking.

Right now I am listening to ...

Joe Hisaishi's music is very interesting. The Japanese influence is strong. Love Kikujiro and most of his Studio Ghibli projects. Cheers, Raghu
www.hifivision.com www.hifivision.com

Right now I am listening to ...

Joe Hisaishi's music is very interesting. The Japanese influence is strong. Love Kikujiro and most of his Studio Ghibli projects. Cheers, Raghu
www.hifivision.com www.hifivision.com

Right now I am listening to ...

George Harrison - Living In The Material World
www.hifivision.com www.hifivision.com

Right now I am listening to ...

CHHODO SANAM - KUDRAT 1981 - RD BURMAN - KISHORE & ANETTE
www.hifivision.com www.hifivision.com

Right now I am listening to ...

On the auspicious day of MAHANABAMI become nostalgic listening to these songs and ruminate my bygone days.
www.hifivision.com www.hifivision.com

Right now I am listening to ...

On the auspicious day of MAHANABAMI become nostalgic listening to these songs and ruminate my bygone days.
www.hifivision.com www.hifivision.com

Right now I am listening to ...

Ragas and Sagas Jan Garbarek , Fateh Ali Khan ECM records. Great Recording and Great Music.
www.hifivision.com www.hifivision.com
 
“Sangeet-Saadhak and Safe Distancing”

Technology and the Internet is playing an ever-increasing role in how music is learnt, played and heard. Online recitals have become common during this lockdown period. Online classes and YouTube tutorials have been there for a while. And of course we have all been listening to recorded recitals for decades. But despite all those conveniences, there are limitations and downsides to this offline mode of teaching/learning, performing/listening.

3C81BB32-FF1A-4626-8776-3542CF34E189.jpeg

Smt. Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande, one of the foremost classical vocalists from the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana has written this insightful yet interesting article on the above phenomena. As an artist, as a performer and as a teacher she has critically analysed the online mode. And her writing is lovely to read - it can help us better appreciate classical music recitals and the music form itself.

Sample this:

51D1D520-5751-4A18-B366-5B067EBA89CA.jpeg


if you are a classical music listener, or even just a music fan, do read if you can understand Marathi. It was a rare article I read these days that I read once again and made my notes on. Give it a try. Link below.

www.loksatta.com

Latest Marathi News- Breaking News Today | Read Marathi Batmya from Maharashtra, India ब्रेकींग मराठी न्यूज at https://loksatta.com/ | Loksatta

Marathi Batmya- Read here Daily Trending, Viral , Sports, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Health, Business News in Marathi ताज्या मराठी बातम्या at https://loksatta.com/
www.loksatta.com www.loksatta.com
 
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Ustad Ali Akbar Khan - Music for Meditation (Raga Bilaskhani Todi)

I shall continue to post on the Indian classical albums I am currently listening to in an effort to revive this thread (instead of starting a new one which can lead to confusion). I hope it gets some readership and eventually contributions.

F4C2363E-2D88-4FC3-990A-AF1B5AA26676.jpeg

This morning I was listening to this unique album. It’s a rendition of Bilaskhani Todi by Ali Akbar Khan on Sarod. So what’s unique, you ask. Right, the entire 40 mins album is only Aalap - which is essentially solo Sarod playing. It never gets to the Gat (where a composition is played to rhythmic accompaniment such as tabla). So expect to listen to slow placed development of the Raga only in Sarod.

Will that hold my attention, you ask! Oh yes, that and more. It can actually help you focus and meditate upon itself. Thence the title of the record.

Bilaskhani Todi is one of the most pensive and melancholic ragas and understandably so because it was composed by Miya Tansen’s son Bilaskhan in the grief following his father’s demise. It’s a sublime raga that expresses pain and pathos with intricate filigree. The raga is meend-pradhan which means you can expect a lot of glissandos which is smooth sliding between two notes, upwards or downwards. It adds to the emotional quotient of the raga significantly.

And naturally you need a master musician to perform it, newer ones usually would leave it alone, at least for stage performance. This particular rendition by Ustad ji is of the highest order, and one of the reference albums for this raga. The recording by the Connoisseur Society is also sought after for its accentuated analogishness (wonder if tube amps were used for the recording).

You can hear this rare recording here on YouTube:

The best time to listen is late morning before noon. The way this rendition can help you get composed, very few can. Try it and share your experience.
 
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Some time back our moderator Nikhil shared a video on Nina Burmi performing for Darbar music festival. She was singing a thumri in Raag Bhairavi. It was magical and has become one of my reference songs. Any one has an idea where I can find more of her songs. Grateful if you can share some of her work.....

It had rekindled my interest in Hindustani.

Thanks to the OP and others who shared such good info. Appreciate if others can share the links to such great performances.

Cheers
 
sgautam said:
Some time back our moderator Nikhil shared a video on Nina Burmi performing for Darbar music festival. She was singing a thumri in Raag Bhairavi. It was magical and has become one of my reference songs. Any one has an idea where I can find more of her songs. Grateful if you can share some of her work.....

It had rekindled my interest in Hindustani.

Thanks to the OP and others who shared such good info. Appreciate if others can share the links to such great performances.

Cheers
Click to expand...
Search on ‘Nina Virdee’ - it will throw up more results.
 
Yes thanks, I was aware of her name change but still the search results aren't great. May be not many videos are uploaded.
 
I was searching in YouTube only but just 2/3 classical renditions came up and some Gurbanis. I guess she must be popular in UK.

Very surprising to see only few videos for such great voice.
 
SachinChavan said:
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan - Music for Meditation (Raga Bilaskhani Todi)

I shall continue to post on the Indian classical albums I am currently listening to in an effort to revive this thread (instead of starting a new one which can lead to confusion). I hope it gets some readership and eventually contributions.

View attachment 50225

This morning I was listening to this unique album. It’s a rendition of Bilaskhani Todi by Ali Akbar Khan on Sarod. So what’s unique, you ask. Right, the entire 40 mins album is only Aalap - which is essentially solo Sarod playing. It never gets to the Gat (where a composition is played to rhythmic accompaniment such as tabla). So expect to listen to slow placed development of the Raga only in Sarod.

Will that hold my attention, you ask! Oh yes, that and more. It can actually help you focus and meditate upon itself. Thence the title of the record.

Bilaskhani Todi is one of the most pensive and melancholic ragas and understandably so because it was composed by Miya Tansen’s son Bilaskhan in the grief following his father’s demise. It’s a sublime raga that expresses pain and pathos with intricate filigree. The raga is meend-pradhan which means you can expect a lot of glissandos which is smooth sliding between two notes, upwards or downwards. It adds to the emotional quotient of the raga significantly.

And naturally you need a master musician to perform it, newer ones usually would leave it alone, at least for stage performance. This particular rendition by Ustad ji is of the highest order, and one of the reference albums for this raga. The recording by the Connoisseur Society is also sought after for its accentuated analogishness (wonder if tube amps were used for the recording).

You can hear this rare recording here on YouTube:

The best time to listen is late morning before noon. The way this rendition can help you get composed, very few can. Try it and share your experience.
Click to expand...
There is hardly anything better in music than Khan Saheb in top form .Pure genius.
Thanks.
 
sgautam said:
I was searching in YouTube only but just 2/3 classical renditions came up and some Gurbanis. I guess she must be popular in UK.

Very surprising to see only few videos for such great voice.
Click to expand...
To be fair, she is quite young for a classical artist. She sure has a voice that stands out in purity. Hopefully her classical singing will keep evolving and maturing (like her Guru, Begum Parveen Sultana) over the next 20-30 years.
 
759C6E23-C196-427C-BAEC-A54D46A1F971.jpeg

Pandit Pran Nath: A Less-Known Great

The name might not strike a bell. It was unknown to me till yesterday. But when I discovered this musician-teacher and his mesmerisingly meditative music, I quest to listen more. But unfortunately mot many recordings (hardly any in studio, mostly live) are yet publicly available.

Pandit Pran Nath was born in 1918, in Lahore. He ran from his home at the age of 13 to learn under a Kirana gharana teacher. At 19, he was already accomplished. And then he did what? He left everything and went to meditate in a cave for five years. What? Yes! And when he returned, his prowess on the sur was in a different league altogether. They say he used the falling stream water near the cave as a drone to perfect it.

Well, Pandit Pran Nath went on to teach and got discovered by the Who’s Who of world music (Jazz, Rock, Classical) including The Rolling Stones. They all thronged to learn under him and he set up the Kirana School of Music in the US. He continued to experiment with the tanpura to get the exact natural tonality he wanted. And when you listen to his music, that’s what you get hooked on - his pakad on the note - something Kirana musicians are known for and Pran Nath excelled at. As the raga proceeds, you stop listening and start meditating. That’s what he does to you.

Just search in your favourite app or Google for his recordings and try out yourself
 
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