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.
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.