Saturday, 25 July 2015
Friday, 24 July 2015
Monday, 13 July 2015
Sharafat Hussain Khan (1930-1985) - 30th anniversary of his death - Part III - Raga Maluha Kedar & Ragas Raysa Kanada & Gara Kanada
Here another set of beautiful radio recordings by the great master.
Sharafat Hussain Khan 3 - CD 1 & Covers:
Sharafat Hussain Khan 3 - CD 2:
Many thanks to KF for the recordings and the covers.
Saturday, 11 July 2015
Sharafat Hussain Khan (1930-1985) - 30th anniversary of his death - Part II - Raga Todi & Raga Rageshri
Here two other beautiful recordings by the great master. On the first CD we have a wonderful demonstration of his mastery over the Dhrupad format including a long Alap. Sharafat Hussain Khan was the last great singer of the Agra Gharana who reguarly performed long Alaps.
Sharafat Hussain Khan - CD 1 - Todi & covers:
Sharafat Hussain Khan - CD 2 - Rageshri:
Many thanks to KF for editing these recordings and creating the beautiful cover.
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Sharafat Hussain Khan (1930-1985) - 30th anniversary of his death - AIR memorial broadcast on 14th of july 1985
In honour of the great artist, we admire very much and of whose music we are especially fond, we post here a National Program of Music broadcast by All India Radio on July 14, 1985, one week after his sad and premature passing. His first and only LP we had posted in 2011. See here.
Ustad Sharafat Hussain Khan “Prem Rang” (1930 – 1985)
A disciple of Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Ustad Ata Hussain Khan – A great vocalist from Agra Gharana. His approach towards music was always to expand the Raga. Take any Raga-s and Ustad-ji would sing these Raga-s at length. For example Raga Malati Basant, Raga Raisa Kanada, Raga Maluha Kalyan to name a few – He could and would sing them for about an hour plus, on an average. He was always open to greater development of his music and so he was never shy to adopt something from other musicians or their respective styles. And almost always, he was successful in blending those so called foreign elements into the musical structure of Agra Gharana that he used to prefer and perform. And then the concept he would sing would be his own “Khayal”.
He was probably one of the last musicians who performed full-length, full featured Nom-Tom Alap before Khayal. His command on Laya (rhythem) was also great which is visible (audible, I mean) in various pieces that are presented here. He was blessed with a voice which he successfully preserved and cultivated to suite his imagination.
He was never tired of singing because he loved his music. Once a mehfil was organized in Ahmedabad and the organizer requested Ustad-ji to sing without microphone and without Harmonium accompaniment to get the essence of music in untainted form. Ustad-ji agreed. The mehfil eventually turned out to be a whole night concert where Ustad-ji sang Nom-Tom Alap, Vilambit (Traditional Composition) and Drut Khayal (His own composition) in Raga Savani (a variant with Komal Gandhar) followed by Raga Jaijaivanti, Vilambit and Drut, followed by Raga Nat Bihag, Drut Khyal, Raga Sohini, Drut Khayal. As it was about sunrise, He started Raga Ramkali – Vilambit & Drut. In the end he sang a Dadra in Raga Bhairavi. Fortunately this concert was recorded and recently it has been published as a set of 4 CDs by Sangeet Kendra.
from: https://utterjoy.wordpress.com/2007/07/11/ustad-sharafat-hussain-khan-prem-rang-1930-1985-2/
This series of 4 CDs and some other CDs by the artist can be obtained from: info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com
On the artist see further:
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Abderrahim Abdelmoumen - Tartil Al Karie - Qur'an Recitation from Morocco
On the occasion of the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan a beautiful Qur'an recitation from Morocco. Abderrahim Abdelmoumen is a well known Qur'an reciter, Munshid (singer of religious and Sufi songs) and a singer of Arabo-Andalusian Noubas. Here he recites the two last Hizbs (sections) of the Qur'an.
Side 1:
Hizb 'Amma: Surates 78 - 86
Side 2:
Hizb Sabbih: Surates 87 - 114
"Natif de Tanger, Abderrahim Abdelmoumen, par ailleurs licencié en droit
privé, a commencé son parcours dans le chant spiritual au sein de la zaouïa de
Tanger, où il a appris les règles du chant soufi et reçu les principes et les
valeurs du soufisme au contact des grands maîtres du domaine. Les liens tissés
entre le chant spirituel marocain et la musique andalouse lui ont permis
d’explorer les secrets de cet art et de former son propre style.
En 1999, il enregistre un CD de musique andalouse à l’Institut du Monde
Arabe, avec le groupe du conservatoire de Tanger sous la direction de Cheikh
Ahmed Zaitouni. Il est membre d'une association Italienne impliquée dans les
traditions du monde, « Multifrazione Projettit », sous la direction du maestro
Luigi Cinque avec lequel il enregistre « Tangerine Café » en 2003. En 2008, il
participe aux semaines culturelles organisées par le ministère de la culture
marocaine en Algérie, en Tunisie et en Syrie. Il enregistre également un CD de
musique andalouse « Al Hadika Adai'a » (El jardín perdido) avec un groupe
espagnol à Valence. En 2009, il enregistre la bande son d'un opéra pour
marionnettes « Davia et le Sultan », avec la casa musicale de Corse, Amina
Alaoui, Francine Massiani, Henri et Idriss Agnel.
Abderrahim a aussi chanté dans différentes villes du Maroc, avec les
orchestres des conservatoires de Tanger (sous la direction de Cheikh Ahmed
Zaïtouni), de Tétouan (avec Mohamed Amine Akrami), de Meknès (avec Tawfik
Himmich), et les orchestres Omar Métioui, El Brihi (sous la houlette de Anas
Attar), Chabab El Andalous (avec Amine Doubi), Abdelkrim Raïs (avec Mohamed
Briouel), Layali Nagham (avec Abdesslam Khalloufi). Il a tourné en Afrique du
Nord, en Europe et aux États-Unis."
http://www.imarabe.org/musique/mawal-un-parfum-de-tanger
Comment by Tim Abdellah on his blog Moroccan Tape Stash (http://moroccantapestash.blogspot.com):
"A lovely album of Qur'an recitation by Abderrahim Abdelmoumen, a Moroccan reciter who is also versed in Moroccan Andalusian Sufi singing. It's rare to hear Moroccan melodies and vocal stylings in Qur'an recitation, so this is a real treat."
Comment by Tim Abdellah on his blog Moroccan Tape Stash (http://moroccantapestash.blogspot.com):
"A lovely album of Qur'an recitation by Abderrahim Abdelmoumen, a Moroccan reciter who is also versed in Moroccan Andalusian Sufi singing. It's rare to hear Moroccan melodies and vocal stylings in Qur'an recitation, so this is a real treat."
Saturday, 6 June 2015
Singh Bandhu: Tejpal Singh & Surinder Singh - Dawn & Dusk - LP published in India in 1980
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Here one of the many LPs by another duo of brothers, Tejpal Singh (b. 1937) and Surinder Singh (b. 1940), popularly known as “Singh Bandhu,” They were quite popular in the 1970s and 1980s.
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"The brothers Tejpal Singh (b. 1937) and Surinder Singh (b. 1940), popularly
known as “Singh Bandhu,” cut their musical teeth under their elder brother G.S.
Sardar. Later, Surinder Singh took taleem from N. Aminuddin Dagar. In 1961, both
the brothers became pupils of Amir Khan. The time spent at the feet of the great
ustad was to play a major role in the transformation of their respective musical
personalities. The Singh brothers are also adept at devotional music, and have
an association with not only with the shabads of the Sikh gurus, but also with
the works of the Sufi saints and the Bhakti saints of south India."
from: Bharatiya Sangeetkar Ustad Amir Khan by Ibrahim Ali (Classical
Publishing Company, New Delhi, 2000)
On the artists see also:
Friday, 29 May 2015
Khan Bandhu: Ustad Mohammad Sayeed Khan & Ustad Mohammad Rashid Khan - Rare Morning Ragas - Cassette published 1987 in India
For more infos on the singers see our earlier post here.
Many thanks to Ed from Amsterdam who kindly shared this cassette. Here what he wrote: "I saw on your blog the LP from Khan Bandhu and people asking if there are
more known published recordings. You answered there was one more LP which you did not have. Last week I found a cassette in a second hand shop from Khan Bandhu for the price of 0,10 euro. Yes, what a surprise, what a miracle. No other Indian cassettes, only this one."
Sunday, 17 May 2015
Nikhil Banerjee (1931-1986) at WDR, Cologne, Germany - Broadcasts recorded 1971, 1975 and 1984 - CD 5
Finally we received a complete version of the 5th CD of this set of 5 CDs and posted it. It contains commentaries on Indian music given by Nikhil Banerjee after his studio recording of Raga Desh (see CD 3) (studio recording by WDR on 10.11.1984. Moderator: Jan Reichow).
See here the whole set including the 5th CD.
Saturday, 16 May 2015
Gharanon Ki Gaiki - Vol. 20 - Mohammad Afzal Khan & Mohammad Hafiz Khan - Talwandi Gharana
The Talwandi Gharana is the only Dhrupad Gharana in Pakistan, very different from the better known Indian Dhrupad traditions. These two singers passed away already years ago and are succeeded by their sons Labrez Afzal Khan and Ali Hafeez Khan.
For more information see:
Monday, 11 May 2015
Gharanon Ki Gaiki - Vol. 19 - Asad Ali Khan - Agra Gharana
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:
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:
Some information on the Agra Gharana:
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Gharanon Ki Gaiki - Vol. 18 - Hameed Ali Khan & Fateh Ali Khan - Gwalior Gharana
See our earlier post of a cassette by the two brothers here.
The two brothers were and still are well-known Khayal singers in Pakistan. Not to be confused with the famous Patiala Gharana singers of the same names. It seems that they stopped at one point to sing together. See below the links to their facebook sides.
On the artists see:
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