Kesarbai Kerkar - Rare Live Recordings - Vol. 3 - Private CD

This is again a private CD containing this time the recordings of the cassette "Rarest of the Rare - Vol. 5 & 6", published in 1985. As we posted already the original cassette of vol. 6 we post here only the content of vol. 5. The cassette has on side 1 Raga Jaijaivanti and on side 2 first the continuation of Raga Jaijaivanti and then a Bhajan in Raga Bhairavi: Shiv Shiv Charan.

Denis Meyer, a great collector and lover of Indian music, made this CD in 2000 and was so generous to share it with a few friends. Many thanks to him.

The cassette comes from the collection of the singer Ustad Mohammad Sayeed Khan, the son of the great Sarangi master Ustad Abdul Majid Khan, who used to accompany Kesarbai Kerkar for many years.

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Ramesh Prem - Vichitra Veena - AIR recordings

Here we present two beautiful recordings from the Archives of all India Radio. We recorded them in november 2017 from Raagam, the internet radio channel of AIR, which broadcasts 24 hours 7 days a week classical Indian music from the archives of AIR.

In 2013 we posted a private CD by Ramesh Prem, containing an EP and another AIR program by the artist.

A friend made these covers for these recordings. Many thanks to him.

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Muhammad Hafeez Khan Talwandi (1933-2009) - Dhrupad from Pakistan - Talwandi Gharana

Here we present two recordings by Muhammad Hafeez Khan Talwandi (1933-2009), who was, together with his late brother, the eminent representative of the Talwandi Gharana, the only Dhrupad Gharana in Pakistan. The recordings, Ragas Bageshree & Jaijaivanti, we downloaded, if I remember right, many many years ago from the website, no longer existing, of the Lahore Music Forum or from Lahore Chitrkar, also no longer existing. 

Orginally Muhammad Hafeez Khan performed with his late older brother Muhammad Afzal Khan as a duo. In 2015 we had posted a cassette by the two brothers. 

Peter Pannke recorded them for the CD "Pakistani Soul" published in 1997 by Wergo: Rag Patdeep (14:08). He also invited them for the Festival "Pakistani Soul - Musik der Sufis aus Pakistan" in Berlin and Munich, also in 1997. This was perhaps the most beautiful Festival I ever saw.

Today's representatives of the founding family of the Talwandi Gharana of Dhrupad vocalists, Labrez Afzal Khan and Ali Hafeez Khan, also known as Talwandi Brothers, are the sons of the two older brothers and are quite active, performing in Pakistan and India. On YouTube one can find a good number of recordings by them.

For a very detailed and fascinating article on the Talwandi Gharana see:

http://www.naseeb.com/journals/dhrupad-in-pakistan-111674

Another fascintaing article. Read from page 147 (page 3 of the pdf):
http://www.global.ucsb.edu/punjab/sites/secure.lsit.ucsb.edu.gisp.d7_sp/files/sitefiles/journals/volume16/no1/9-Obituaries16.1.pdf

For some beautiful recordings see:
https://harmoniummusicblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/03/an-old-tradition-in-the-land-of-the-pure-hafeez-khan-talwandiwale/

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As the original recordings have been in mp3 format we offer them here also only in mp3 format.

Pandit Pran Nath (1918-1996) - At WDR in Cologne on 8.12.1984

Pandit Pran Nath, accompanied by Krishna Bhatt on Tabla and Terry Riley & Rolf Sennemann on Tambura, at WDR Funkhaus (West German Broadcasting Cologne) on 8th of december 1984 in the series "Musik der Zeit".

1. Raga Jaijaivanti - Khyal Vilambit Ektal - Madhyalay (27:59)

2. Darbari Kanada (21:12)

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Many thanks to KF for the recordings.

On the artist see:

http://www.otherminds.org/html/Prannath.html

http://bidoun.org/articles/lord-of-the-drone

http://www.henryflynt.org/aesthetics/on_pandit_pran_nath.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pran_Nath_(musician)

Yunus Hussain Khan (1927-1991) - Doyen of Agra Gharana - In Concert - Double Cassette published in India in 1992

After the two double CDs by the great Vilayat Hussain Khan here a double cassette by his son.

Cassette 1 & Scans - wave

Cassette 2 - wave

Cassette 1 & Scans - mp3

Cassette 2 - mp3

"Born on November 15th 1927 at Agra, Yunus Hussain Khan, the eleventh direct descendent of the Agra gharana, received intensive training from an early age from his illustrious father the late Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan. He also studied under other great masters like the Late Ustad Faiyaz Khan and his maternal uncle, Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan of Atrauli. His innate talent for music coupled with the rigorous training he received gave him full command over the great heritage of the Agra Gharana.

Possessed with a rich voice and superb musicianship, he sang the Agra gayakee in his own individual style: varied in music, rich in ideas and full of colour. He was prominent in the Hindustani Musical scene for more than five decades and gave numerous recitals both in India and abroad.

Khan Saheb was not only a sensitive vocalist but also noted for his versatility as an erudite scholar, gifted composer and teacher of music. He was a Professor of Music at University of Delhi, Viswa Bharti University of Shantiniketan and was also a guru at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy at Kolkata. During 1985-86, he taught at the University of Washington in the Ethnomusicology Programme and also gave lectures and demonstrations in the University of British Culombia, Canada. During his association with Delhi University, he was Director, Composer and Conductor of Sargam Choir, Delhi Youth Choral Group and his own Darpan Choir.

Associated with the All India Radio between 1962 and 1964 as Music Composer, he was a composer of distinction, and has left as a legacy, a valuable collection of his compositions under the nom-de-plume “Darpan” and several ragas, like Sujani malhar, Devyani, Nat Deepak, Husaini Bhairav, Nohar Todi, Ahiri Bihag, Lalita Sohini, Jogwanti etc. 

As a musicologist, he had to his credit many articles, books and papers on music. He has been recorded by Sangeet Natak Akademi and Unesco and has featured on European documentary films.

Yunus Hussain Khan died of a heart attack on September 29,1991, in New Delhi."

From: http://www.itcsra.org/sra_story/sra_story_guru/sra_story_guru_links/sra_story_guru_shiyshyaguru/popup/yunus_hussain_khan.htm

There exists also a beautiful double CD by him. It can be obtained from: info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com

Yunus Hussain Khan (1927-1991) (Vocal) & Ramzan Khan (Sarangi) & Hidayat Khan/Zamir Ahmed (Tabla) - Darpan - Khyal, Classical Vocal Music of North India, 2 CD-Set, CD 1:  Raga Bihag: Vilambit (24:32) & Drut (10:25), Raga Chandini Kedar: Vilambit (27:19) & Drut (9:21), CD 2: Raga Rageshri: Vilambit (31:22), Drut (7:38), Tarana (10:14) & Hori Dhamar (10:10), Raga Lalita Sohini (12:34), PAN RECORDS, 4006/07 KCD

„Items selected from live concert recordings made in August 1973 in Amsterdam, when vocalist Yunus Husain Khan (†1991) made his European debut. This registration has become a historical document. Besides a gifted singer Yunus Husain Khan also was a composer of rare distinction. Under the nom de plume ‘Darpan’ he has composed numerous bandishes in various ragas. Today his compositions in well-known ragas are sung all over India. Digipack with 12-p. booklet.”

Abhay Narayan Mallick - Gauhar - The Pearl of Darbhanga Dhrupad - Cassette published in India in 1998

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Addition on 21st of June 2017:

A friend made the following remark:

"I think there is some discrepancy between the music and what is stated in the cover which was included, and I thought you might be interested to know. The cover said there were three tracks Jaijaiwanti, Desh & Malkauns. The download from your blog does indeed have three tracks, but in fact tracks 1 & 2 are the same music, track 1 fades out, and track 2 fades in, at almost the same place (so easy to splice together). They are both Jaijaiwanti. The third track is Desh and there is no Malkauns. I suppose this is a problem with the original tape, as the tracks are exactly the same on MusicIndiaOnline."

Thank you very much. I agree completely. So the second track is the continuation of the Raga Jaijaiwanti on the first side.

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

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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