CHANT THE NAMES OF GOD: VILLAGE MUSIC OF THE BHOJPURI-SPEAKING AREA OF INDIA

Gorgeous Indian folk music LP incorporating coughing, spitting, and bird chirping, enhancing the charmed field recording authenticity, all captured by Edward Henry from 1968 through 1978 (also includes a booklet of stunning photographs). Although singular as an index of regional folk expressions, the tunes range broadly both in performance and style. The first side is primarily a capella with a few instrumental accompaniments, while the second side features ‘entertainment music’, ‘brass band’ (sounding remarkably like traditional New Orleans-style funeral dirges) and ‘Sahnai band’. Sahnai band, heard only on the final track, is a totally mesmerizing piece of folk music encapsulating so much of the sublime beauty that is the music of India!!! From the liner notes:

“The music of India is largely monodic, that is, a single melodic line prevails in any music performance. Harmony as we think of it in the West, and polyphony are absent. In entertainment, processional and classical music this monody sometimes becomes heterophony - different instruments or a combination of voice and one or two accompanying instruments perform slightly different versions of the melody simultaneously. With the absence of harmony and polyphony it is not surprising that melody is a focus of great creativity. A village musician, upon hearing some American pop music on my tape recorder, commented that the melodies were very “straight.” Even in some participatory songs, but especially in entertainment songs like the purvi and qavvali, the melody line is extremely fluid. The melodic agility of some of the professional singers and instrumentalists is dazzling…” - Edward Henry

Rounder Records 5008, 1981

Side One:

1. Mother Goddess Song (3′46)
2. Birth Song (1′59)
3. Women’s Devotional Song (1′36)
4. Pavarias’ Birth Song (1′21)
5. Holi Season Song (2′07)
6. Monsoon Song (2′14)
7. Herder’s Holler (1′02)
8. Martial Epic (2′43)
9. Blind Mendicant’s Devotional Song (1′48 )
10. Song Of The Formless Divine (2′52)
11. Nats’ Song Of The Formless Divine (2′08)

Side Two:

1. Entertainment Music (daphala, daphali) (1′10)
2. Entertainment Music (biraha) (3′34)
3. Entertainment Music (purvi) (3′38)
4. Entertainment Music (qavvali) (3′45)
5. Brass Band (Raga Bhairavi) (3′51)
6. Brass Band (Raga Pilu) (4′19)
7. Sahnai Band (kajali) (4′08)

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RAJDULARI ALIAKBAR KHAN SINGER: RAGA KIRWANI, RAGA IMNI BILAWAL

It’s so nice to find recordings of complete (if not condensed) versions of a given raga, as heard on this LP. Rajdulari Aliakbar Khan was Ali Akbar Khan’s second wife, and although I couldn’t find much info on her, the liner notes describe her as an award winning and leading classical vocalist of the time (1960’s). This Connoisseur Society LP, as with most of their releases, is meticulously recorded, with attention paid to both the acoustic presence and sonic detail. I don’t have many recordings of Indian female classical singers, so this is a real bonus, further enhanced by husband Ali’s lute playing, and Pandit Mahapurush Misra performing tabla. The lush morning Raga Kirwani sets the stage for the sensual and beautiful Raga Imni Bilawal, all providing musical accompaniment for both breakfast tea at sunrise, and a coconut oil-slathered evening sex act during the October waning crescent moon. From the liner notes:

“It is indeed as if she were playing an instrument, for her voice becomes an extraordinarily flexible thread in the overall texture provided by the tamboura, with which she accompanies herself, the Indian lute played by Ali Akbar Khan, and the tabla played by Mahapurush Misra. As an instrumentalist would, she spins from what seems to be - as one is caught and held in the music - a limitless reservoir of melody while also secure in the intricate challenges of the corollary rhythm cycles of each raga.”

Connoisseur Society, CS 2004 Stereo, 1967

Side One:

1. Raga Kirwani (20′15)

Side Two:

1. Raga Imni Bilawal (18′55)

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PALGHAT T.S. MANI IYER, MRIDANGAM/LALGUDI G. JAYARAMAN, VIOLIN

A twin Carnatic workout, the first two tracks here are by the great Palghat T.S. Mani Iyer, and are spellbinding mridangam batteries that reinforce the ever complex system that is Indian Classical Music. Once the performer has studied the voice, the next phase of any well-rounded musical education is the rhythmic expression of tala, which is an extension of the voice and evolved out of “the cadence and metres of poetry”. The third track encompasses the entire side B of this LP, and is a wonderful slow build of violin mastery featuring Lalgudi G. Jayaraman with violin accompaniment by G. Srimathi and Mridangam by Iyer. Digging the source, these tracks deliver in a deep and polished style - “Invisibly and inaudibly within the pulse beats of Indian Tala, unspoken words hide unsaid, and this is what makes Tala different from mere rhythm. Tala is more than rhythm.”

The Gramophone Company Of India Limited (EMI), ECSD. 2413, Stereo, 1969

Side One:

1. Talam - Adi (Half Tempo) (1′09)
2. Khanda - Eka (8′26)

Side Two:

1. Rama Katha Sudha Rasa - Ragam: Madhyamavathi (21′33)

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LALGUDI G. JAYARAMAN: VIOLIN SOLO

I love this cover, and can’t help but think of the proud mother who saw her sweet son’s face adorning it for the first time! Prior to the above, I had never encountered Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, but as a big fan of Indian Classical violin, especially in the Carnatic tradition, this LP exceeds it’s anticipated function. Formal yet poetic, Jayaraman bends the ragas to his liking, providing all the necessary skill and tension to fulfill our craving for virtuoso Indian Classical music. Two Sri Thyagarajaswami compositions comprise the bulk of the LP, with the final piece composed by our man Lalgudi. This joyful set of ditties is sure to color your day pink, yellow and light blue all over. Umayal Puram K. Sivaraman accompanies on mridangam. From the liner notes:

“An unsurpassed degree of excellence will be discernible in every aspect of his presentation of Carnatic Music. The ethos of the “Raga” gradually unfolds itself in all its grace and grandeur as he delineates it with his dexterous bowing. Clarity and fidelity mark his rendering of a Kriti as he brings out its mood with apt variations of musical phrases and statements. The cascade of “Swaraprasthara” that follows the “Kriti” is a delightful combination of rhythm and “ragabhava” that bears testimony t the stature of his imaginative musical mind.”

The Gramaphone Company Of India (EMI), ECSD 3273, Stereo, 1976

Side One:

1. Ada Modi Galada (19′25)

Side Two:

1. Sri Narada (14′14)
2. Tillana (5′59)

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GREAT MASTER GREAT MUSIC: USTAD AMIR KHAN

Last but by no means least, this recording of a genuine master (cut short at age 62 by accidental death in 1974) is steeped in the power and grace of a North Indian vocal icon. Beloved by both musicians and music lovers for his personality and his unique musical style, these  performances give as good an indication of his mastery as any. Controlled and patient, Khan moves through the two ragas with utter command, as if in abeyance to his expression instead of the other way around. The morning “Raga Bilaskhani Todi” takes up the whole of side A, while side B features “Raga Abhogi”, ‘rendered in the second quarter of the night’ as the first r.e.m. cycles start to churn the dense batter of your dream cake. From the liner notes:

“Amir Khan’s concerts were always an experience to cherish. The tall, handsome Ustad, in flowing sherwani, invariably made a lasting impact on the audience by his very presence on the concert platform. His dignity of bearing and his yogic posture, while performing on the stage, struck a perfect accord with the serene grandeur of his music. It was though his musical thought was in tune with some high ideal of beauty and he was striving to communicate it to his charmed audience. It was a style that carried that typically individualistic “punch” which delighted the ear but battled the mind!”

The Gramaphone Company Of India (EMI), ECSD 2765, Stereo, 1976

Side One:

1. Khayal Bilaskhani Todi (22′23)

Side Two:

1. Khayal Bilaskhani Todi (21′40)

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