Many thanks to KF for the recordings, the covers and the booklet.
Of Raga Lalita Gauri there is on YouTube a version with better sound quality:
See also:
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Sunday, 29 June 2014
Al-Haj Abd er-Rahman ben Moussa - Al-Qur'an al-Karim - TCK 678 - Cassette from Morocco
We post here one more cassette by Al-Haj Abd er-Rahman ben Moussa with beautiful Quran recitations, based on so-called "Andalusian" melodies, a style which has almost completely disappeared.
Before we had already published Vol. 1 and Vol. 60 of a complete Quran on 60 cassettes and five cassettes from this series (see here). Originally we wanted to post this cassette already in february 2013, but abstained from it because this tape has unfortunately some weaknesses: the sound is partly muffled, especially on side 1 up to 11:05. Now on the occasion of the blessed month of Ramadan we finally decided to post it.
Haj Abd er-Rahman ben Moussa was very well known in Morocco as he used to recite
the Quran on Moroccan TV and radio for decades.
This volume is from a series of 8 cassettes. Some volumes were
given to me as a gift by some Moroccan friends, some I bought in the late
eighties in Brussels. There is also a complete Qur'an on 60 cassettes by him, of
which we have posted already the first and last volumes and which I bought in
the early or mid nineties, also in Brussels. I don't remember what inspired me
in the beginning to look for recordings by him, but I did for many years. Two or three years ago one could still not find anything
about him in the internet, but now there are a couple of sites from which one
can download his recitations. As this style has more or less completely
disappeared, now there seem to be people who feel the loss and are eager to get
hold of his recordings.
Addition on 1 february 2015:
Addition on 1 february 2015:
By now one can find many recitations by Al-Haj Abd er-Rahman ben Moussa on
YouTube, for example the complete Qur'an in 5 parts here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/tanga1958/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/tanga1958/videos
If you put his name (abderrahman ben moussa) into the search bar of YouTube
you will find many many more files.
There are now also 40 downloads to be found on platforms like Amazon,
Deezer etc.
Side 1:
Surat al-Tauba (16:50)
Side 2:
Surat al-Ma'ida (16:38)
Sunday, 11 May 2014
Mohammad Shareef Khan Poonchwale (1926-1980) - Some Vichitra Veena Recordings
As the great Sitar and Vichitra Veena master Ustad Mohammad Shareef Khan Poonchwale (1926-1980) has still not got the attention by music lovers he deserves and especially his mastery over the difficult and rare Vichitra Veena is very little known, we post here some recordings, orginally posted by Dr. Ashfaq Ali Khan (Holistic Khan) in his wonderful treasure troves on esnips and mediafire. The original folders don't seem to be available anymore in the internet. Earlier we posted the only Vichitra Veena LP by the artist here.
1. Raga Aimen (31:23)
2. Raga Darbari (18:16)
3. Pilu Thumri (13:05)
On the artist see our earlier posts:
and also:
http://www.thefridaytimes.com/15042011/page25.shtml
See also our earlier Vichitra Veena posts:
http://oriental-traditional-music.blogspot.de/search/label/Vichitra%20Veena
See also our earlier Vichitra Veena posts:
http://oriental-traditional-music.blogspot.de/search/label/Vichitra%20Veena
Thursday, 8 May 2014
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Saturday, 3 May 2014
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Abdelkrim Rais (1912-1996) - Musique Andalouse Marocaine 1 - LP published in Morocco in 1973
See our earlier post of a cassette by the artist here.
About the artist see: http://musique.arabe.over-blog.com/article-18172382.html
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Vilayat Khan (1928-2004) - Sitar - Concert at WDR Nachtmusik in Cologne, Germany, on Oct. 3, 1981
Many thanks to KF for the recordings and the covers.
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Balaram Pathak (1926-1991) - Sitar & Surbahar - Live in Amsterdam - Cassette published 1986 in Holland
Many thanks again to Danny for sharing this cassette.
Legendary Late Pandit Balaram Pathak
'This great musician was also a great man. His real simplicity and
unaffected manners, his laughing and mischievous eyes from which a child-like
purity filters out, are eloquent enough. In one word: he is a true
Artist.'
Late Pandit Balaram Pathak is one of the most important sitar players of
the former generation. He influenced many sitar players and got recognized by
many great musicians for his unique style.
Pandit Balaram Pathak's family traces ancestral tradition to Gopal Nayak;
Lt. Pt.Ramgovind Pathak, the renowned musician, sitarist and surbahar player.
His family was of refined musical stock, his Great Grand father Lt. Pt.
Dinanath Pathak was a great Dhrupadi. Pt. Balaram Pathak is acknowledged as one
of the greatest sitar players in Northern Indian music in India. He was born on
November 5, 1926 in Balia, Uttar Pradesh. He learned the art of playing on sitar
and surbahar in his early childhood under his talented father. From the age of
ten he practised sitar and surbahar eighteen hours a day for the next sixteen
years, learning Sur-singar (instrument) and vocal music. At the age of twelve he
gave his first public performance at Murshidabad, West-Bengal.
Balaram Pathak's debut concert dates back to 1938. As a winsome boy in his
early stages, he played with rare artistry creating unprecedented sensation and
great impact on the master musicians.
At a very early age he became the court musician of Maharaja Kamla Ranjan
Royin Kasim Bazar, Murshidabad, West-Bengal. His talent has been able to graft
all the finer points and subtleties of Dhrupad and Khayal in the
instrument.
Balaram Pathak's style consisted of a unique combination of the qualities
of novelty and perfection in exposition of the Indian ragas. His alap, meends,
mukris, gamaks, zamzamas, ulta zhala created an atmosphere of ideas and feelings
which was at once serious and moving. Pathak's individual talent along with the
tradition of this Gharana has produced a living legend. Based on his extensive
and erudite research of the Carnatic (South Indian) and North Indian styles of
music he had made immense contribution to classical music by way of his
compositions and introductions of new Ragas like Latangi, Charukeshi,
Sanmukh-priya, Amrit-versa, Bakra-madhama Tori, Mukhari, Lilawati, Ahiri
etc.
Awarded of 'Sur Sadhak' title from Calcutta Conference, he had two discs to
his credit. Pandit Pathak renders even rare and difficult ragas with commendable
fluency, and will be held in high esteem in the minds of true music
lovers.
After having been nominated for the head of the department in the Music
faculty of Khairagar University in Madhya Pradesh for some years, Balaram Pathak
shifted in 1980 from Calcutta to New Delhi. Balaram Pathak participated to the
most prestigious annual music festivals of the country and has been regularly
performing for All India Radio (A.I.R. Calcutta, A.I.R. Delhi).
Specially delegated by the 'Government of India', Pandit Pathak visited the
European countries. He was awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy Award
in 1989. He has a unique credit of inventing the 'Raag Bahadur Shastri',
dedicated to our late Prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Pandit Balaram Pathak expired on 15th February 1991, in New Delhi.
Patrick Moutal 1986 (Ocora LP 558 672-73)
from:
http://www.ashokpathak.com/Ashok_Pathak_pages/Balaram_Pathak.html
Friday, 11 April 2014
Mushtaq Ali Khan (1911-1989) - Sitar - Cassette published in India
Many thanks again to Danny for sharing generously this cassette.
For more information on the great artist see:
See also the external links given there.
Bolingo had posted a while ago this LP:
For decades there were no recordings available by this great artist. Now at least three CDs have been published. They can be obtained from: info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com
Saturday, 5 April 2014
Radhika Mohan Maitra (1917-1981) - Sarode & Mohan Veena - Cassette published in India
Many thanks to Danny for sharing this cassette.
![[RMM.jpg]](../3.bp.blogspot.com/_ikNA-qTOdWM/SloNq4JTOfI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/fO6tUvN_NXw/s400/RMM.jpg)
Here a very detailed article about the great artist in 5 parts:
http://debatesangeet.blogspot.de/2008/05/radhika-mohan-maitra-i.html
See also this DVD about instruments from Radhika Mohan Maitra's collection of instruments:
https://katalogshop-smb.museumsportal.org/startseite/sarodiyo-bin.html
See also this DVD about instruments from Radhika Mohan Maitra's collection of instruments:
https://katalogshop-smb.museumsportal.org/startseite/sarodiyo-bin.html
"Das Spektrum der vorgestellten Instrumente neben der populären Sarod ist
gleichermaßen erstaunlich und faszinierend. Die Sursringar verbindet das
bundlose Metallgriffbrett der Sarod mit dem horizontal geschnittenen
Kürbisresonator, der Holzdecke und der flachen Brücke der Surbahar. Sie kommt
ohne Resonanzsaiten aus und war, ähnlich wie die Surbahar, von Mitte des 19. bis
Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts beliebt für die Interpretation von Alap im
Dhrupad-Stil. Die Sur Rabab gleicht baulich weitgehend der Sursringar, hat aber
statt der Holzdecke eine Ziegenhautbespannung und einen schmalen Steg wie die
Sarod. Die Mohan Vina wiederum gleicht einer Sarod, hat aber statt der
Ziegenhautbespannung eine Holzdecke mit breiter Brücke. Sie ist eine Erfindung
von Radhika Mohan Maitra aus den 1940er Jahren und nicht zu verwechseln mit der
von Vishwa Mohan Bhatt im letzten Viertel des 20. Jahrhunderts entwickelten
modernen Mohan Vina, einer modifizierten Slide-Gitarre - mehr dazu hier. Letztes
der fünf Instrumente ist die Dhrupadiya Rabab, neben der afghanischen Rabab
eines der Vorläuferinstrumente der modernen Sarod. Sie hat ein bundloses
Holzgriffbrett, Darmsaiten und eine Hautbespannung und war im 17. und 18.
Jahrhundert neben der Rudra Vina das verbreitetste Melodieinstrument der
Dhrupad-Musik."
from: http://www.india-instruments.de/newsletter-archiv/566-rundbrief-maerz-april-2014.html
After been neglected for a long time by record labels there are now at least six CDs on the market by this great artist. They can be obtained from: info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com
After been neglected for a long time by record labels there are now at least six CDs on the market by this great artist. They can be obtained from: info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com
Thursday, 27 March 2014
Sursringar - A Rare Instrument from India - Recordings by Ustad Allauddin Khan & Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra from AIR
Ustad Allauddin Khan playing the Sursringar
Sursringar is a very rare instrument from India used in the past as an instrument for Dhrupad style Alaps. It got forgotten and nearly extinguished in the second half of the 20th century. Nowadays there a number of younger artists, basicly Sarod palyers, who occasionally play this in strument, but almost always like a Sarod.
Here we present two older recordings by two great masters. Both have strong Dhrupad backgrounds, the first through his teacher, the Beenkar Ustad Wazir Khan of the Senia Gharana (direct descendant of Tansen), the second through one of his teachers, the Beenkar Ustad Dabir Khan, grandson and student of Wazir Khan. These recordings we found a while ago in the internet. Many thanks to the original uploaders: the first one I don't remember unfortunately, the second one being Abhimonyu Deb from Kolkata. A note about the pictures: normally the Sursringar is hold against the left shoulder, but because of Ustad Allauddin Khan being lefthanded he holds it to his right shoulder.
1. Ustad Allauddin Khan
Raga Nat (31:02)
2. Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra
Raga Jaunpuri (30:26)
A recording from All India Radio
Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra playing the Sarod
Sursringar
Another instrument that appeared in Hindustani music in the early years of
the nineteenth century was the Sursringar, which was analogous to
surbahar.
Sursringar is a modified version of the Seniya rabab. The instrument rabab
had some limitations. Its gut strings and skin parchment upon the resonator make
the slow passages of alapchari, impossible unlike the been. Moreover, due to the
dampness in the monsoons, the sound of rabab used to deteriorate so much that
the notes played on it could not even be discerned. In Sursringar, the skin
parchment of the resonator had been replaced by a wooden sound board, the gut
strings by those of steel and the wooden fingerboard was covered with a thin
iron sheet. With these modifications Sursringar became a distinct improvement
over the rabab with regard to the tonal quality and for the alapchari of dhrupad
anga. These modifications, in the rabab were carried out by a descendant of
Tansen's named Jaffar Khan.
Sursringar was well-suited for vilambit (slow) alap, and the techniques of
both veena and rabab playing could be incorporated in it. The melodious effect
of Sursringar was so overpowering that it could even outshine the veena in its
vilambit alap. Thereafter, it became a tradition amongst the Rababiya gharana to
play the Sursringar during the rainy season.
The instrument was well received in the world of music and became popular
in a very short time in northern India.
Sursringar and surbahar, both these instruments were meant for playing the
dhrupad anga alap in an elaborate manner. Sarod players used to play alap on the
Sursringar before playing gat toda on sarod in the same manner as sitar players
used to play on the surbahar before playing gat toda on the sitar. Therefore, it
was customary to learn the Sursringar along with the sarod till the early years
of the twentieth century. Gradually, when the sarod and sitar were modified and
became well equipped with greater range of expressiveness, the popularity of the
Sursringar and surbahar ebbed and these became obsolete in the latter half of
the twentieth century.
from:
http://www.india-instruments.de/instrumente/instrumentenlexikon/sursringar.html
Sursringar: Making way for sarod ?
is the popularity of sarod responsible for elbowing out sursringar from
circulation, asks richa bansal unlike most other instruments in hindustani
classical tradition, sursringar, which falls in the category of stringed
instruments, can be dated back to a specific time. it was devised, according to
traditional accounts, by the great rabab player jafar khan in or around the year
1830. organologically, a cross between rabab and surbahar but with a distinct
sound and string system, sursringar is fast declining in the modern age.
sursringar consists of a large semi-spherical gourd sounding box covered with
wood fitted to a hollowed tapering wooden stem. the stem has a steel plate
attached to it with steel and brass wires stretched across the plate. in its
present form sursringar has six main strings and three subsidiary strings. it is
played with a stiff wire plectrum called 'java'. the traditional style or baaz
of sursringar is extremely difficult and is slowly dying out. the instrument was
mainly used for playing alaap in the complex dhrupad system. it has a marvellous
tone and depth of sound and is held upright like a been or sitar during a
performance. pyar khan, jafar khan and bahadur sen khan were some of the great
exponents of sursringar. in bengal, ustad allauddin khan, kumar birendrakishor
roychwdhury, shaukat ali khan and pandit radhika mohan maitra were the noted
sursringar players. trained under ustad ali akbar khan and shri dhyanesh khan,
anindya banerjee is virtually the only practising exponent of sursringar in its
traditional style in india today. anindya banerjee, who is originally trained in
sarod, "fell in love" with sursringar when he heard a recording of ustad
allauddin khan playing the instrument sometime in the 1970's. it was much later
in the 80's that he decided to revive it and his ensuing efforts since then
deserve high praise. "i was the first to take this instrument abroad and use it
in ballet music in the dhrupad festival in uk organized by amc in 1992," said
banerjee. "i have also used it in the background music of some kolkata tv
serials," he added. he has even taught music in canada in 1984 and is scheduled
to leave for uk in coming november. invited to various other prestigious music
festivals both in india and abroad, banerjee's cd's are expected to be released
fairly soon by an american as well as a french company. banerjee feels that
sursringar has declined primarily since ustad allauddin khan incorporated the
different styles of rabab, sarod and sursringar into sarod alone. this made
sarod so versatile that gradually sursringar and rabab lost their popularity.
besides, he explains that the instrument, being very large in size, poses
difficulty in transportation. the sitting style of sursringar is verasan is
extremely difficult to learn. lastly, it is not an easily affordable instrument
priced between rs 30-50,000. "while five years is the maximum time a student
requires to learn sursringar it is much easier for a sarod student to learn it,"
feels banerjee drawing on his own experience. anindya banerjee owns a relatively
new sursringar instrument made from tunkat with its tabli recently replaced with
200-year-old teakwood. "initially sursringar was made from teak but nowadays
only tunkat is used," he said. "the main maker of sursringar in kolkata today is
hemen and company with instruments ranging from rs 30,000 onwards," he added.
essentially a connoisseur's delight,sadly enough, sursringar is now hardly
played in front of mass audiences. however, banerjee feels that with proper
instruction, it will be possible to play this instrument alongside sarod and
sitar on the concert stage some day. strongly maintaining that classical music
still has its select audience, even banerjee could not help but agree with the
fact that the quality had deteriorated immensely over the past years. and
sursringar is no exception to this rule.
from: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/calcutta-times/Sursringar-Making-way-for-sarod-/articleshow/1375957068.cms
See also this note about Anindya Banerjee and a recording hopefully to get published one day:
http://www.raga.info/indian-music/musicians/Anindya-Banerjee.html
Abhimonyu Deb's wonderful collection of files are here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?stpc5rgt65o4i
Abhimonyu Deb's wonderful collection of files are here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?stpc5rgt65o4i
Monday, 24 March 2014
Java - L'Art du Gamelan - LP published in France in 1974
Another beautiful recording of Gamelan music done by Jacques Brunet.
For more information on this series and Jacques Brunet see:
For our other posts from this series see:
Side 1:
| 1 - Gending Wedikengser | Yogyakarta (RRI) | 24/08/1970 |
| Kuntul Wiranten (Kyahi) | RRI Yogyakarta | 22'25 |
Side 2:
| 2 - Gending Babad | Yogyakarta (RRI) | 07/09/1972 |
| Sadat Pengasih (Kyahi) | RRI Yogyakarta | 22'20 |
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