Kesarbai Kerkar - Rarest of the Rare - Vol. 4 - Live - Raga Kedar

Copy of the cover of the cassette

I have two copies of this cassette, both on CD. The first is a private CD made by our friend DM in 2001. I don't know if it was made directly from the original cassette or from a copy on cassette, perhaps from the collection of James Stevenson, as two of our previous posts. The second I purchased a few years ago, also as a privately made CD, from an Indian collector. This one is about 10 minutes longer. How much it corresponds to the original cassette I don't know. If these are the two sides of one cassette merged into one track I also don't know. And there is still a question regarding a small gap around minute 44:35.

But anyway, the second seems, because of its length, the more satisfying. So we post here this one.

flac

mp3

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902-1968) - Ragas Kedar & Jaijaiwanti - Cassette released in India in 1996

Here some beautiful recordings from the archives of All India Radio (AIR). They were apparently published in 1995 or 1996 as an LP by HMV India in their PMLP series, quite beyond the end of the LP era. I never have seen the LP and there is only very little evidence in the internet that it existed.

We posted in 2017 four LPs by the great master. See here.

It can be that just the copyright for the LP was in 1996 (on the other cassette edition given as 1995) and that this cassette was released in 2003. The same recordings were also published in 1996 as:

flac
mp3

Hirabai Barodekar (1905-1989) - Raga Puriya & Raga Kedar - Recordings from All India Radio

Here two beautiful recordings broadcast in 2002 by All India Radio and recorded by our friend KF. He made a CD out of these recordings and created the covers. Many thanks to him.

flac

mp3

Ustad Rahimuddin Dagar - Raga Shudh Sarang & Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar - Compositions in Ragas Kedar & Malkauns

Yesterday Raagam, the internet radio of All India Radio, which broadcasts 24 hours a day 7 days a week classical Indian music, had a Dhrupad program with Ustads Rahimuddin Dagar and Sayeeduddin Dagar. 

Raga Shudh Sarang by Ustad Rahimuddin Dagar (1902-1976) was wrongly announced as being by Dagar Bandhu (Dagar Brothers). But it is performed by the great Rahimuddin Dagar, probably with vocal support by his son Fahimuddin Dagar (1927-2011). Another great performance by the great master.

flac

mp3

This program was preceded by a performance of some Dhrupad compositions by Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar (1939-2017): 

Raga Kedar - Dhrupad & Dhamar

Raga Malkauns - Dhrupad

flac

mp3

For Raagam see:

http://www.airbengaluru.com/cue-sheets/raagam-2/

http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Default.aspx

Rahimuddin Khan Dagar (1901-1976) - AIR programs & EPs

Here three AIR recordings by the great Dhrupadiya. The two EPs on the second CD were released in 1961.

See: http://discog.piezoelektric.org/hmvindia/index.php?prefix=7EPE. 

Many thanks to KF for the recordings and the covers.
Frontcover: background right: Behram Khan, background left: Allabande Khan, front: Rahimuddin Khan.

CD 1 - flac
CD 1 - mp3

CD 2 - flac
CD 2 - mp3

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.

Download flac
Download mp3

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.

Abdul Halim Jaffar Khan - The Sitar Legend - A Set of 2 Cassettes - Published in India in 1991

Download Cassette 1 & Scans

Download Cassette 2

Dagar Brothers: Nasir Zahiruddin Dagar & Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar - Dhrupad - Double LP Loft 1006/7 (Germany 1983)

 (Junior) Dagar Brothers:

Nasir Zahiruddin Dagar (Vocal) &

Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar (Vocal)

Gopal Das (Pakhawaj)

Side 1:

Raga Darbari Kanada - Slow Alap (25:03)

Side 2:

Fast Alap & Composition "Sajana bina khelata"

in Dhamar Tal (14 Beats) &

Raga Adana - Composition "Shiva Shiva Shiva

Shankara Adideva" in Sultal (10 Beats) (22:26)

Side 3:

Raga Bihag - Alap (26:01)

Side 4:

1. Composition "Sundara hogayi"

in Chautal (12 Beats) (13:42) 

2. Raga Kedar - Short Alap, Composition "Bhajre

man Vishvanatha" in Chautal (12 Beats) (11:05)

There is on the original LP on side 3 at just before min. 10 a gap of 3 seconds. All copies of this LP show the same fault. My friend LF from Scotland corrected this and cleaned the LPs. Here what he says: "I have prepared a cleaned up version, where the gap has been removed and it is very difficult to hear the join (unless you're listening hard for it). Also all the pops and crackles have been removed. The music is brilliant and the sound is very good."

Many thanks, LF. We offer here now his versions, as flac and mp3 files.

Download LP 1 & Scans - flac

Download LP 2 - flac

Download LP 1 & Scans - mp3
Download LP 2 - mp3