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.





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.

Friday, 16 January 2015

Ali Akbar Khan (1922-2009) - Sarod - LP published in 1967 in India


Another beautiful LP by the great master - the 10th we post here on this blog. I received this one - which I used to have in the 1970s as a LP, but later only as a copy on CD - recently as an additional free LP when I ordered some LPs in India. The condition of the LP itself and of the cover is not the very best, unfortunately.
Tabla: Shankar Ghosh




Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Nissar Hussain Khan (1909-1993) - LP published in India in 1972


Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan of Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana was one of the greatest singers in mid 20th century. He was an outstanding specialist of Taranas (see here the second side). His best known disciple and nephew Rashid Khan unfortunately didn't keep alive much from this rich heritage. For more details on the artist see: 




Here the corrected files:


Thursday, 18 December 2014

Chatur Lal (1925-1965) - The Drums of India - LP originally published in the US in 1961


Re-edition from end of 1960s or beginning of 1970s of a LP originally published in 1961.
One of the great Tabla players of the 1950s and 1960s, famous for his accompaniment to greats like Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar, his younger brother Ram Narayan, Sharan Rani and many great singers.
See here our post of a LP by Ram Narayan and Chatur Lal.






Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Sabri Moudallal (1918-2006) - Classical Arab music from Aleppo, Syria - Broadcasts from 1988 & 1989 by WDR, Cologne, Germany


Broadcast of a concert on 6th of february 1988 at Musikhochschule in Cologne, Germany, and studio recordings, probably done around the same time and broadcast in 1989, by the outstanding classical and religious (Sufi) singer from Aleppo, Syria. Music from a very endangered culture. See also our post of a Sufi programme by the same singer here.






Many thanks to KF for making the CD covers.

Tuesday, 25 November 2014

Mahapurush Misra (1932-1987) - Rythmes de l'Inde - French edition of an LP originally published in 1966 in the US


Originally published in 1966 in the US as "Indian Drums" by Connoisseur Society, CS 1466.
With Lahara on Sarod by Ali Akbar Khan.




Unfortunately we only recently noted that the pickup needle was hanging for a moment at one or two spots in the last track. By putting a small weight on the pickup we could get beyond this. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Here the corrected files:


“Pandit Mahapurush Mishra (1932-1987) was a disciple of Pandit Anokhelal Mishra, a revered master of Tabla. Mahapurush was a famous Tabla accompanist to many topmost musicians and a professor at the Ali Akbar College of Music in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He spent most of his time during the late 1960s in USA teaching, recording, and appearing widely in numerous classical music concerts. There are far too few of his Tabla solos in circulation. However, this solo album of Pandit Mahapurush Mishra, a very rare-of-its-kind, is an invariably spectacular display of his virtuosity and musicality, which he is renowned for.
Longtime Tabla master, sideman to the stars, and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s main accompanist throughout the better part of three decades until his death, Pandit Mahapurush Mishra has also appeared on the Beatles b-side of Lady Madonna, George Harrison’s The Inner Light (recorded in Bombay in January 1968 with the vocal tracks added in London the next month) as well as on Harrison’s Wonderwall soundtrack.”

See here our posts of performances by his guru Pandit Anokhelal Mishra:

Sunday, 2 November 2014

Nikhil Banerjee (1931-1986) at WDR, Cologne, Germany - Broadcasts recorded 1971, 1975 and 1984




CD 1:
Raga Bageshri (27.11.1971)
This recording was published by Chhanda Dhara on CD:
Nikhil Banerjee - Alltime Classics - CD 1 (SNCD 701/02)
(now no longer available)

Download CD 1 & Scans - wave
Download CD 1 & Scans - mp3

CD 2:
Raga Pilu (17.8.1975)

Download CD 2 - wave
Download CD 2 - mp3

CD 3:
Raga Desh (studio recording by WDR on 10.11.1984)

Download CD 3 - wave
Download CD 3 - mp3

CD 4:
Raga Mishra Khamaj
Ragas Pilu & Suha Sugharai (10.11.1984)

Download CD 4 - wave
Download CD 4 - mp3

CD 5:
Commentaries on Indian music given by Nikhil Banerjee
after the studio recording of Raga Desh (see CD 3)
(studio recording by WDR on 10.11.1984. Moderator: Jan Reichow)

Download CD 5 - wave
Download CD 5 - mp3

Many thanks to KF for the recordings and the covers.

Friday, 17 October 2014

Nikhil Banerjee - In Concerts - Set of 2 LPs published in India in 1988


Vol. 1
At the Ali Akbar College of Music, San Rafael, Claifornia, USA on 12.10.1985
Tabla: Swapan Chowdhury



 Vol. 2
At Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India on 3.2.1982
Tabla: Anindo Chatterjee






Wednesday, 1 October 2014

Özbekiston Ajoyib San'at Ustalari - Ciqarish 32 - Masters of the art of Uzbekistan - Part 32 - LP published in Uzbekistan


Re-edition - published probably in the 1980s or early 1990s - of some beautiful recordings from 1966 and 1967 by Makom singers F. Baratova, accompanied by a traditional ensemble, and N. Boltayev, accompanying himself on Tor (Tar - a long necked lute) plus A. Ismailov on Doira (a frame drum).