Oriental Traditional Music from LPs & Cassettes: Agra Gharana

Showing posts with label Agra Gharana. Show all posts

Monday, 11 May 2015

Gharanon Ki Gaiki - Vol. 19 - Asad Ali Khan - Agra Gharana

flac

mp3

Ustad Asad Ali Khan was an outstanding disciple of the great Ustad Fayyaz Khan. He was already well-known in India in the 1940s, before he went to Pakistan after partition. There unfortunately - it seems - he never became very well known, judging from the few recordings which exist. I guess these musicians were mainly known for their - often privately organized - concerts (Mehfils).

Raju Asokan, the great collector, has shared recently two wonderful long performances by him on his YouTube channel:

Raga Ramkali

Raga Nat Bihag

Here some memories by a singer, Moni Babu, who learned, among other greats of the Agra Gharana, also from Ustad Asad Ali Khan:

"Ustadji’s (Tassadaq Hussain Khan's) nephew Asad Ali was a wonderful singer. He moved to Karachi after partition. Till then we thought that in Ustad’s absence Asad was the one who would bear the mantle. Once in a programme from Delhi Radio he gave a recital of Sayaji Kanada. It was an unbelievable performance that haunted me for many days. When Asad returned to Agra, I pleaded with him to show me the nuances of the raga. Ustadji was not at home when we started but suddenly returned from somewhere. Asad received the scolding of his life and literally fell at his feet. I was speechless at the developments and vanished from the scene. Later Ustadji called me the same day and taught me till I was able to sing it myself. The fact was , none except him was allowed to teach. I was clearly told not to depend on anybody else and ask him whatever I wanted to know. I had seen similar things to happen to others also.

He affectionately called me Maharaj and treated me like one. On Sundays his own tonga would pick me up and drop me back. Money was never an issue. Whenever and whatever I could afford to give was fine. Agra was witness to the most terrible riots during partition time. Ustadji’s house was at the end of a lane through a red-light area , lined on both sides with beef-shops on the ground floor . No Hindu would even think of going there those days, particularly during the nights. I had never told anything to him but was naturally a bit concerned because it was quite late in the night by the time I returned from Ustadji’s house. One day Ustadji called a man named Abdul and told him “Abdul, he is my son. Nothing should happen to him”. From that day onwards, two persons would escort me every day till I reached the safe Hindu locality. So much for discrimination”.

Read here the complete story:

http://www.alaap-agragharana.com/The__Musical_Journey.html

Some information on the Agra Gharana:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agra_gharana

http://www.the-south-asian.com/april2001/Pakistan%20Music-Classical.htm

Friday, 13 February 2015

Anjanibai Lolekar (born 1928) - LP published in India in 1968

Here the third post of great female voices of the Agra Gharana. Anjanibai Lolekar was born on 8.9.1928. She learnt from Ustad Anwar Hussain Khan (1910-1966), a brother of Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan and Ustad Latafat Hussain Khan. If she is still living, I don't know. Hardly anything can be found about her in the internet.

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Thursday, 5 February 2015

Dipali Nag (1922-2009) - Raga Jaijaiwanti, Raga Jaunpuri & Bhairavi Thumri - LP published in 1972 in India

Here the second great female voice of Agra Gharana.

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On the artist see:

http://www.itcsra.org/sra_news_views/obituary/dipali_nag.html

Friday, 30 January 2015

Lalith Rao - Raga Bihag, Raga Kedar, Thumri - LP published in India in 1985

We will publish here three LPs by great female voices of the Agra Gharana. We start with the only LP by Lalith Rao (born in 1942). More recent recordings are available on several CDs.

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About the Agra Gharana, a particularly masculine style, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agra_gharana
http://sahapedia.org/the-agra-gharana-of-hindustani-music/
http://www.nadsadhna.com/Pages/IndianMusic/Gharanas.asp?About=Agra
https://agragharana.wordpress.com/

About Lalith Rao see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalith_J._Rao

Recently this wonderful box was published in India
(can be ordered from info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com):

Khadim Hussain Khan, Lalith J. Rao a.o. - Agra Gharana – Ek Vatavriksh – The Legacy Continues – An Agra Gharana Heritage Collection, Set of 4 CDs in box, CD 1: Khadim Hussain Khan (Vocal) – Rare Live Concert Recordings: Raga Bhim: Alap & Rupak Tal (1979) (26:58), Raga Bihag: Alap & Dhamar, Vilambit Ektal & Drut Teental (1978) (39:24), Raga Bhairavi: Keherwa (1976) (8:16), CD 2: Lalith J. Rao (Vocal), Purushottam Walawalkar (Harmonium) & Deppak Nerurkar (Tabla) – Volume 1: Raga Shree: Vilambit Teental, Madhyalaya Jhaptal & Drut Teental (1987) (65:32), CD 3: Lalith J. Rao (Vocal), Purushottam Walawalkar (Harmonium) & Deppak Nerurkar (Tabla) – Volume 2: Raga Dhanashri: Vilambit Ektal & Drut Teental (1987) (28:25), Raga Barwa: Alap & Drut Teental (1987) (38:30), CD 4 (MP3): Khadim Hussain Khan (Vocal) – Raga Maluha Kedar (30:33), Raga Darbari Kanhada (10:11), Raga Sajan Sohini (6:13), Lalith J. Rao (Vocal) – Raga Gorakh Kalyan (53:04), Raga Basant – Tarana (19:22), Torch Bearers of the Agra Gharana – Bharathi Prathap (Vocal) – Raga Bageshree Bahar (35:50), Pilu Thumri (11:17), Deepa Karnad (Vocal) – Raga Shuddh Sarang (37:31), Kailash Kulkarni (Vocal) – Raga Malkauns (45:28), Meera Sahasrabudhe (Vocal) – Raga Jog (30:52), Nishant Panicker (Vocal) - Raga Kedar (31:25), Pratima Ganesh (Vocal) - Raga Jaunpuri (35:07), Susheela Mehta (Vocal) - Raga Miyan ki Todi (27:47), Raga Khem Kalyan (11:08), Tara Kini (Vocal) - Raga Bahaduri Todi (36:46), PRAGNYA

Excellent product with wonderful recordings. The prodigiously learned Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan Saheb (1907-1993) was considered to be one of the foremost Agra gayaki singers of his time. Born in Atrauli (in Uttar Pradesh) in 1907, he studied music from his father Altaf Hussain Khan and then went on to receive the rich and varied repertoire of the Agra Gharana from his grand uncle Kallan Khan, both celebrities of their time and court musicians of Jaipur. Young Khadim`s studentship with the latter who was the younger son of Ghagge Khuda Baksh, the gharana`s pioneer was long and arduous: it lasted for 12 hours everyday for over 12 years.

He was far more widely known as an ideal teacher than as a concert performer. Moreover, his proficiency in Layakari was beyond the comprehension of the uninitiated listener. The number of Khadim Hussain’s pupils is legion and includes well-known artistes of the past and present. Ustad Latafat Hussain (his younger brother) and Lalith Rao were among his disciples who made a name in the field.

Lalith Rao (born 1942) is an outstanding singer of the Agra Gharna, one of the very rare singers today who still keep alive the magnificient style of the Agra Gharana in all it’s facets.

Excellent recordings with good sound quality. The MP3-CD (7 hours long) contains next to recordings by the two masters a number of beautiful new studio recordings by students of Lalith Rao, all accompanied on Tabla by Shashibhushan Gurjar or Gurunandan Kallianpur and on Harmonium by Vyasmurti Katti.

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Sharafat Hussain Khan (1930-1985) - LP ECSD 2495 (1971) - The Gramophone Company of India

The last great singer of the glorious Agra Gharana

Side 1:

Raga Anandi (20:56)

Side 2:

1. Raga Kamod 6:53)

2. Raga Husaini Kanada (5:12)

3. Raga Bhairavi (Dadra) (7:17)

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Sharafat Hussain Khan (1930 - 1985) was amongst the most brilliant Khayal vocalists of the post-independence era. He represented the Agra Gharana (stylistic lineage), and was unanimously regarded as the most illustrious heir to the legacy of his principal mentor, the legendary Ustad Faiyyaz Khan (1886 - 1950).
Sharafat Hussain Khan was born in July, 1930, to Ustad Liaquat Hussain Khan, a court musician in the erstwhile Jaipur State, and Alla Rakhi Beghum. From his father's side, Sharafat was a descendant of Inayet Hussain Khan (1845 - 1936), founder of Atrauli Gharana, and from his mother's side, and of his maternal grandfather Mehboob Khan (Daras Piya), also of the Atrauli Gharana, but whose music was greatly influenced by the Rangile Gharana of his mother's family, founded by Ramzan Khan (1759 - 1806). In early childhood, Sharafat was trained by his father. When Sharafat was only eight years old, his prodigious talent impressed the legendary Faiyyaz Khan during one of his visits to Atrauli. The maestro, without a son despite three marriages, adopted Sharafat, and took him away forthwith to Baroda to groom him as his heir.
Sharafat was a child prodigy, who rose meteorically after his adoption by Faiyyaz Khan. At the age of eight, he made a stunning debut at the influential Matunga Music Circle in Mumbai. This triggered off invitations to perform at the All India Music Conference at Allahabad, and the All Bengal Conference in Kolkata. When he was eleven, he was hailed as the "Rising Sun" of vocalism at the Gaya Conference. By the age of twelve, he has made his first disc with HMV/ EMI, and topped the prestigious Baroda State Music Competition.
Sharafat was only 20, when Faiyyaz Khan died. Thereafter, he started studying with his maternal uncle, Ustad Ata Hussain Khan of the allied Atrauli - Rangile Lineage. Soon thereafter, he acquired a third guide - his scholarly father-in-law, Vilayat Hussain Khan of the Agra Lineage. Thus, like his foster-father, Sharafat Hussain came to represent a magnificent confluence of three intimately connected lineages - Agra, Atrauli, and Rangile.
While still in his 30s, Sharafat became amongst the busiest vocalists in India, and enjoyed a continuous run of sucess for two decades (1965 - 1985). Along with popularity came the honours. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the Performing Arts Academy of Uttar Pradesh (Northern Provinces) and decorated with the Padma Shree by the President of India. In 1985, Sangeet Natak Akademi ( The National Performing Arts Academy) held a special ceremony to honour him shortly before he succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 55. He also got a Tansen Award.
from: http://www.purnimasen.com/guru.htm