Vilayat Khan - Ameer Khusrau - A Tribute by Ustad Vilayat Khan - LP published in India in 1975

Here we present a wonderful LP by the great Ustad Vilayat Khan. It is interesting to compare his Raga Saazgiri, a creation by Ameer Khusrau, with the one performed the same year by another outstanding Sitar player, Ustad Mohammad Sharif Khan Poonchwale of Pakistan, also performed as a tribute to Hazrat Amir Khusrau. See here.

We will post in the next couple of weeks about four more LPs by Ustad Vilayat Khan.

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Folk Music of Central Asia - West Turkistan - LP published in Japan in 1968

Here we present another LP from Japan which was never on the market in Europe or the US, but this time for license restriction reasons, as the recordings were licensed for sale in Japan only from the Soviet state owned label Melodiya.

On side 1 we have three recordings from Turkmenistan and three from Uzbekistan, on side 2 there are three tracks from Tajikistan and three from Kyrgyzstan, at that time all republics of the Soviet Union.

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Jurakhan Sultanov (1893-1964) - Old Masters of Arts of Uzbekistan, Vol. 18 - LP published in Soviet Uzbekistan in 1986 (1950s)

Jurakhan Sultanov (Jura-Khon Sultanov, Джурахон Султанов) was considered the greatest voice in classical Maqom music in Uzbekistan in mid twentieth century. He had an extremely powerful and beautiful voice. In 2011 we posted a double LP which had one track by him. See here. He belonged to the Maqom tradition of the Ferghana Valley. Unfortunately there are not many recordings by him. Partly this is due to a Russian who was the director of the radio at that time. He always thought that the singer had a sore throat and asked him to come back when he felt better. 

Here we present an LP re-released in 1986. It was originally published in the 1950s. At least one track (no. 4) was recorded already in 1938.

For a long time he sang together with his best student Mamurjan Uzakov (1904-1964). See the two cassettes we posted in 2011 here. Around 1955, Mamurjan Uzakov started a career on his own. 

On this LP one hears in most tracks two singers in perfect "vocal unison" (jura avazi), also called "in a single breath" (ham nafas).

Information partly taken from the booklet of the wonderful CD "Ouzbekistan - Les Grandes voix du passé (1940-1965)", unfortunately no longer available for many years (Ocora, C 560142, 1999). This CD has three tracks by the singer. The booklet was written by Jean During.

Here the track information of our LP in transcription and translation:

1. Okh, kim (folk music - Z. Furkat); 2. V sadu (folk music - Z. Khabibi); 3. Besh parda suvora (classical melody - Agakhi, A. Navoi); 4. Sodirkhoi ushshogi (folk music - Dzhami); 5. Savti suvora (classical melody - Agakhi); 6. Gde moya lyubimaya (folk music - Lutfi); 7. Khanuz (folk music - A. Navoi); 8. Bulmish (A. Khatamov - A. Navoi). 

The names in the brackets are the poets of the songs. The first name in the last track is probably the composer of the song, the famous singer Orifxon Xatamov. See our posts of this great singer here.

The accompanying singers are:

Mamatbuva Sattarov, Zakirdzhan Ergashev (7), Mamurdzhan Uzakov (4), Arifkhan Khatamov (Orifxon Xatamov) (8).

Accompanied by an ensemble of folk instruments.

Recorded in the 1950s.

Seriya «Stareyshiye mastera iskusstv Uzbekistana» (Old Masters of Arts of Uzbekistan), vypusk 18 (volume 18).

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Xozhixon Boltayev - Old Masters Of Arts of Uzbekistan, Vol. 25 - LP published in Soviet Uzbekistan in 1988 (1967)

Here we present a LP by Xozhixon Boltayev (Xojixon Boltaev, Хожихон Болтаев), a great singer from Khiva, the old city in Khorezm in western Uzbekistan. The recordings were first published in 1967.

Xozhixon Boltayev was in the middle of the 20th century a great master of the Khorezm Maqoms called Alti-Yarim Maqom (six and a half Maqoms). This Maqom tradition is extremely poorly documented. My friend Danny brought from his trip to Uzbekistan a couple of years ago a book in English on this Maqom tradition, in which our singer is mentioned extensively. I read this very interesting book. In the internet one can find information on this tradition here. But after all the reading I did I still don't know for sure if the music on this LP corresponds more or less to this Maqom tradtion or at least to certain aspects of it or not. I guess it does. 

I see that in the Russian liner notes the words Khorezm Makom are mentioned. Perhaps someone is able to translate the Russian liner notes.

Here the only recordings I could find in the interenet named as being examples of Khoresm Maqoms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeLgmn17o6g. There are in total six examples.

Another singer from Khiva, slightly younger than Xozhixon Boltayev, is Komiljon Otaniyozov (1917-1975). He also has a relation to this Maqom tradition. We posted in 2012 two LPs by him. See here.

Additions and corrections added on 5th of March 2017:

Here the track information of this LP in transcription and translation:

Yakparda suvora (folk music - A. Navoy); Savty yakparda suvora (folk music - Bayaky); Kushparda suvora va savty kushparda suvora (folk music - Ahakhy); Ka-zhanh suvora (folk music - Devony); Chapandozy suvora va savty chapandozy suvora (folk music - Makhramy, Mashrab).

The names in the brackets are the poets of the songs. 

The artist accompanies himself on Tar and is accompanied by Akhmad Ysmaylov on Doyra (frame drum). Recorded in 1967. «Stareyshye mastera yskusstv Uzbekystana» (Old Masters of Arts of Uzbekistan), vypusk 25 (volume 25).
As we see from the track information all songs belong to the genre "Suvora" which are spiritual (Sufi) songs, apparently performed in a style close to Maqom music. In the booklet to the CD "Uzbekistan - Music of Khorezm", published in the Unesco Series from Auvidis and now available from Smithsonian as a download in mp3 & flac formats including the booklet (UNES08269) (see here), the two musical forms of Suvora and Maqom (classical music) are explained. There are also 3 pieces of Maqom music and one Suvoro on the CD. The booklet can be downloaded for free.  

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The man in the middle - I guess - is Xozhixon Boltayev, the man on the right Komiljon Otaniyozov.

Munajat Yulchieva - Ey Dilbari Jononim - LP published in Soviet Uzbekistan in 1982

Munajat Yulchieva is outside of her country the best known traditional singer from Uzbekistan. She toured extensiveley worldwide. I saw her in concerts in Germany: Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne and in Holland and Belgium. Unfortunately she has only very few CDs: one on the French Ocora label (1994), one on the German Network label (1997), one published in Uzbekistan, which was sometimes sold at her concerts. There was also a beautiful DVD published in France containing a concert in Paris and a documentary.

I think even in her homecountry she doesn't have a lot published. This here is the only LP I know of (but there might be several more). In the near future I will post an Uzbek MP3-CD by her. I also have a broadcast of a complete concert in Frankfurt from 1998. This I might also post one day.

On the artist see: 

http://munojot.com/

http://www.zamanproduction.com/en/artist/munadjat-yulchieva

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munojot_Yo%E2%80%98lchiyeva

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Here a professional translation of the track information, commissioned either by the former owner of the LP or the dealer from whom I bought it.

Classical Music of Iran - LP published in 1982 in Japan

Here the second Japanese LP from 1982, which we bought recently from Japan. See our previous post. 

Here we have a LP with very beautiful recordings by some of the greatest musicians and singers of classical Iranian music of the last decades: the great singers Parisa and Seyed Noreddin Razavi Sarvestani and instrumentalists like Mohammad Mosavi (Ney), Jalal Zolfonun (Setar) and in the ensembles accompanying the singers greats like Hossein Alizadeh, Parviz Meshkatian and others. 

Parisa is one of the greatest female singers of Iran since the 1970s. See our post of a cassette here.

Seyed Norreddin Razavi Sarvestani was one of the greatest Radif masters of recent times. See more below in the description of a CD set. Unfortunately there are not many CDs by him. In the 1990s I saw him perform in Holland together with the great Tar and Setar master Dariush Tala'i.

This LP was republished on CD in 1988 in a series I also had never heard about till very recently. See: https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/6243456?ev=rb.

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These excellent CDs are available from info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com:

 

Razavi Sarvestani (Vocal) & Dariush Tala’i (Tar) – National Vocal Radifs of Iranian Music Tutorial – The First Advanced Tutorial Audio Atlas of Iranian Vocal Radifs with Instrumental Responce, Set of 13 CDs in 2 Boxes, CD 1: Dastgah-e Shoor (60 min.), CD 2: Dastgah-e Mahoor (54 min.), CD 3: Dastgah-e Mahoor (cont.) (60 min.), CD 4: Dastgah-e Homayoon (54 min.), CD 5: Dastgahe-e Chahargah (48 min.), CD 6: Dastgah-e Nava (65 min.), CD 7: Avaz-e Afshari (45 min.), CD 8: Dastgah-e Segah (39 min.), CD 9: Dastgah-e Rast Panjgah (60 min.), CD 10: Dastgah-e Rast Panjgah (cont.) (58 min.), CD 11: Avaz-e Bayat-e Kurd (Kurd-e Bayat) & Avaz-e Aboo Ata (59 min.), CD 12: Avaz-e Bayat-e Turk (Zand) (48 min.), CD 13: Avaz-e Dashti (49 min.), MESHKAT

Excellent recordings of a complete vocal Radif with instrumental responses by two great musicians, announced since about 10 years and now finally published. These recordings not only serve as a tutorial for students of classical Iranian music, but are also an exquisite listening pleasure. Seyyed Nureddin Razavi Sarvestani (1935-2000) was the last great Radif singer. Studied with Nurali Borumand, Abdollah Davami and Mahmud Karimi. Dariush Tala’i (born 1952) is one of the greatest Setar and Tar players today and an expert on Radif. He represents a very traditional style linked to his masters Ali Akbar Khan Shahnazi, Nurali Borumand, Yusuf Foroutan, Sa’id Hormozi and Dariush Safvat. He published several books on Radif and recorded also a complete instrumental Radif on Setar. He was – together with Majid Kiani – the first in the late seventies to introduce a western public to an authentic form of classical Iranian music and gave since then many concerts in the west, several times together with Sarvestani.

Parissa (Vocal), Iman Vaziri (Tar) & Ali Rahimi (Tombak) - Simplicity - Persian Traditional Music: Mahur (56:38), COLOGNE MUSIC

Excellent recording of the most important (next to Hengameh Akhavan) Iranian female singer of recent decades, accompanied by the brilliant Tar player Iman Vaziri. Both are disciples a.o. of the great master Dariush Safvat. Parissa sings here poems by Rumi. Very beautiful.

There are many CDs available by Mohammad Mosavi, Jalal Zolfonun, Hossein Alizadeh and Parviz Meshkatian.

Classical Music of North India - Duet of Sitar and Sarod - LP published in 1982 in Japan

It seems that in Japan quite a number of LPs (and also CDs) were published which hardly ever made it to Europe and probably also not to the US. Here we will post two LPs from 1982 which we recently bought from Japan. It seems that they were never republished on CD.

Even in the Seven Seas Discography on Discogs only 5 LPs are listed from this ethnic series which should have at least 26 volumes and none of the two we post here.

The musicians on this LP are from Nepal. The Sitar and the Tabla players appear on a CD published in 1996 in Nepal. On the Sarod player see here. He has a CD on the French label PlayaSound. Sambhu Prasad Misra, the Tabla player, seems to be known by connoisseurs. There is a very interesting article on him here. He passed away on 12th of march 2002.

Perhaps among the readers of this blog there is someone who knows Japanese well enough to give us a translation of the liner notes or at least the essence of it.

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Lalmani Misra (1924-1979) - Nectar of the Moon - Vichitra Vina Music of Northern India - LP published in the US in 1981

We hesitated first to post this LP as the label had plans to republish it on CD. But this project seems to have died already years ago, probably because of lack of interest by the public. A very beautful LP which was for a while, when it first came out, one of my favourite LPs. It was one of the very first LPs devoted to the Vichitra Veena ever to be published. There were only two earlier Vichitra Vina LPs, both published in Pakistan. 

We had already in 2011 posted a cassette by the musician (see here). Our other Vichitra Vina posts see here.

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On the musician see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalmani_Misra

http://www.omenad.net/page.php?goPage=%2Farticles%2Fhoneybuds.htm

Dinkar Kaikini (1927-2010) - Raga Nand, Paraj & Bhajan - LP released in India in 1985

Dinkar Kaikini was a well-known singer of the Agra Gharana. Here we present a beautiful LP from 1985. Dhruba Ghosh is providing Sarangi accompaniment. So we have here the third recording in a row involving Dhruba Ghosh: first a LP by his legendary father Nikhil Ghosh, the great Tabla master, with Sarangi accompaniment by Dhruba Ghosh. Then the very first solo album by Dhruba Ghosh. And now as the third post a LP by one of his teachers, Dinkar Kaikini, providing Sarangi accompaniment for the singer.

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Dhruba Ghosh - Soulful Sarangi - Cassette published in India in 1989

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On the artist see:

http://www.dhrubaghosh.com/

http://www.artindia.net/dhruba.html