Pt. Shivkumar Sharma & Zakir Hussain - 1992

Raag Kaushi Kanada performed by Pt. Shivkumar Sharma on Santoor and Zakir Hussain on Tabla. Live concert at Sawai Ghandarva/Pune-India 1992.

CONCERT! From 4pm to Midnight, celebrate Halloween in Music with Garikipati Venkata Prabhakar, Rajyashree Ghosh and Snehasish Mozumder & Som

• SATURDAY OCTOBER 30 @ 4:00 PM

  Shruti Laya & Hindu Temple Society of North America present:

  Garikipati Venkata Prabhakar (Light Classical Devotional Music).
  
  
  Mr. Prabhakar is a Professional Singer & Music Director, B.Com., M.A. Music Director, SS Music Academy, Hyderabad. Son of Sri G.V. Subbaraya Sastry & Smt. G.Meenakshi (Renowned Advocate and Trade Union Leader.
  
  He started singing at the age of 13 and has been giving concerts in Radio and TV since 1980 and performed more than 1000 public concerts all over India.
  
  Hindu Temple - Basement
  45-57 Bowne Street, NY 11355
  Tel: 178-460-8484
  www.shrutilaya.org
  Free

• SATURDAY OCTOBER 30 @ 7:30 PM

  Chhandayan Center for Indian Music presents a Vocal Concert by:

  
  

  Rajyashree Ghosh – vocal
  Samir Chatterjee – tabla
  Kedar Naphade – harmonium

  
  Chhandayan Center for Indian Music
  4 West 43rd Street, Room 616 (between 5th and 6th Avenues), New York, NY 10036 www.tabla.org
  Tickets : $20, $16 (students and seniors with valid ID)

• SATURDAY OCT. 30 @ 12:30 AM

  Random Chance Records invites you to the Snehasish Mozumder & Som Album Release show at the Blue Note in NYC! (Midnight show)

  
  Master Mandolinist Snehasish Mozumder & SOM.
  Classical and jazz fusion's Snehasish Mozumder's double-neck mandolin is at the center of a band that swings it North Indian style. Snehasish Mozumder is among those few established musicians in India who has mastered the art of playing Mandolin, and has blended it perfectly into the style of Hindustani Indian Classical Music.
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8-pHs8BhVc
  snehasish & som
  
  Featuring:
  Snehasish  Mozumder - doubleneck mandolin
  Nick Gianni - sopr/baritone sax, flute
  Jason Lindner - piano, organ
  Vin Scialla - drums, perc Francois Moutin  - double bass
  Bopa King Carre - percussion
  
  Blue Note
  131 West 3 street, New York, NY 
  

  Tix avail in advance:

  http://www.bluenote.net/newyork/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=8459

CONCERT! Zakir Hussain and Niladri Kumar in NYC!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCXYrdRYBrY 
2 Special Events in NYC... No to be missed!
 

FRIDAY OCTOBER 29 @ 12 to 1 PM

Presented by the World Music Institute:

A rare and intimate talk with Zakir Hussain & Niladri Kumar!

Lotus Fine Arts,

109 W. 27th Street, 8th floor
(between 6th & 7th Avenues. Subways 1 or R to 28th St)

New York, NY
Very Limited Space! Priority given to WMI Members and Zakir Hussain concert ticket holders for the same evening.
RSVP REQUIRED: (212) 545-7536, ext. 10
 

FRIDAY OCTOBER 29 @ 8:00 PM

World Music Institute presents MASTERS OF INDIAN MUSIC with maestros

Zakir Hussain on tabla & Niladri Kumar on sitar.

Tabla legend Zakir Hussain, whose dazzling rhythms have brought him to the forefront of Indian music, has achieved worldwide fame with his inimitable performances. One of India's most renowned cultural ambassadors, he has performed with India's major classical musicians and dancers and held a prominent role in the world music movement.

The young sitar virtuoso Niladri Kumar, son and disciple of Pandit Kartick Kumar, is one of his generation's most brilliant musicians and appeared in Zakir Hussain's Masters of Percussion tour in 2008.

Town Hall

123 W. 43rd Street (6/7 Aves), New York, NY

Tickets: (212) 545-7536  or ticketmaster.com

Info: (212) 545-7536 or worldmusicinstitute.org

Tickets: $35, $45, $55; $100 includes reception; students with college ID $20

Play like a Lion - A new documentary about Maestro sarodist ALI AKBAR KHAN

Release Date: 2011
Genre: Documentary
Studio: Abuela Luna Pictures
Website: http://www.playlikealion.com
Starring: Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, Carlos Santana, Mickey Hart, John Handy, Derek Trucks, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Pandit G.S. Sachdev, Ustad Aashish Khan, Alam Khan
Screenplay By: Narrated By: Mark Cohen
Directed By: Joshua Dylan Mellars
Produced By: Mojib Aimaq

Plot Outline:
When Maestro sarodist Ali Akbar Khan’s American born son, Alam, goes to India on his first concert tour without his ailing father, he wonders: “How can I follow a legend?” He knows his father would tell him, “Don’t worry, Play Like a Lion.”
Ali Akbar Khan was “The Emperor of Melody,” a national treasure in India and the US, a Grammy nominee, and according to Lord Yehudi Menuhin, “possibly the greatest musician in the world.” Carlos Santana says of Ali Akbar Khan that he is one of the few who like Bob Marley and Coltrane have the universal tone, a tone which shares the spirit of compassion of Desmond Tutu, Mandela, Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama. "Play Like a Lion" is Ali Akbar Khan seen through his son Alam’s eyes. As Alam assumes the mantle of his father’s musical legacy, he is learning that his ends are in his beginnings and that he must come to terms with playing an enduring old music in a disposable new age. In "Play Like a Lion," Alam illuminates the Khan legacy by interviewing the musical crème de la crème of the US and India including his eldest brother, sarodist Ustad Aashish Khan, Carlos Santana, The Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, tabla masters Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and Ustad Zakir Hussain. The documentary was shot in Kolkata, Mumbai, Rajasthan and the San Francisco Bay Area to a soundtrack of Ali Akbar Khan’s music.

Sanjeev Abhyankar on the changing contours of the classical music scene.

Hindustani vocalist Sanjeev Abhyankar. Photo: K. Murali Kumar
August 12, 2010 by Amrit Dasgupta - http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article566671.ece

Sanjeev Abhyankar on the changing contours of the classical music scene!

Back in the 1970s, Indian classical music was characterized by elaborate conferences of artistes that went on for anywhere between a week and a month.

Luminaries of the day would converge at the towns which held these conferences, drawing audiences from neighboring cities, and each would perform for three to four hours at a stretch. The concerts would often begin with the evening twilight and conclude with the break of dawn the next day.
Today, however, such an affair would be a monumental failure given the change in lifestyle. The music is heard a lot more through speakers in drawing rooms than live. And those that happen live last no longer than a couple of hours, on an average.
The generation that was at its peak some three decades ago has now made way for a new one — a vast majority of which are pupils of the former. Vocalist Sanjeev Abhyankar is one of them. Hailing from Pune, he is a disciple of Pandit Jasraj and has made quite a name for himself on the circuit.

Before speaking about his journey to being the jet-setting classical vocalist that he is today, he tells us how the contours of the genre have changed for his generation. For starters, the genre has become an industry in itself — with competition amongst the fraternity being a major factor. This he attributes to the change in lifestyle that has happened over the years.
“Today, audiences do not have the amount of time they did back in the day. Now, the artistes are expected to touch base with a wide variety of gharanas so they can give their audiences the best of what is out there in a shorter period of time,” explains Sanjeev.
Today, an artiste from any part of the country can reach a listener in any part of the world given the vast choice of media. Consequently, the demand for performances abroad has also risen.

On how he feels about playing across borders, he says, “Although I prefer to perform in cities like Delhi and Kolkata, I believe traveling abroad gives an artiste a wider horizon. Hence, the question becomes ‘why not?' Why shouldn't we seize the opportunity to spread the music?”



Sanjeev Abhyankar sings Raag Puriya Kalyan, "Andhiyara kar do ujaalaa".
A beautiful rendition of the raag. Both the lyrics of the composition and the singing are simply outstanding.

Sanjeev was initially trained by his mother from the age of eight.
After a few years, he started training under Pandit Gangadharbua Pimpalkhare in his hometown of Pune before going through a rigorous 12 years under maestro Pandit Jasraj.
Since then, his rise is best measured by the National Award he won for his work on the movie “Godmother” in 1998.

“I am lucky in the sense that after my mother, I was picked up by none other than Pandit Jasraj. That was my turning point. Guruji gave me his best and ensured that I learn the way he wanted me to,” he reflects before expressing a profound gratitude for his guru and his parents.
Sanjeev has also been a judge in a few singing competition in the now prevalent reality television format on a Marathi channel. Sharing the insight the experience brought with it, he believes the participants of such shows usually tread the path too carefully by singing songs which are popular.
“Most of the winners faded from the memory of audiences within three to four years. You need to create your own stamp and for that you require patience, innovation, values and perseverance.”

He likens a recital by a skilled musician to parkaaya pravesh; the legendary ability of a soul to enter a different body. "You can only do justice with the raga when you merge into it. It is only when you become one with the raga, the raga becomes you and the audience is treated to its purest form.”

The Hindu : Arts : Amjad feels Indian music needs a new terminology

Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

Chennai, Nov 6, 2009 by PTI.

Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan feels the age-old tradition of classifying Indian music as Carnatic and Hindustani should be replaced by Classical north Indian or South Indian music to effectively reach out to the Western world.

“It is better for the Western world to understand that we represent the same country and same music. Music is music. It knows no religion or community and the musical notes just connect the world,” Mr. Khan, who was here for a concert at the Narada Gana Sabha, told PTI.

The maestro said he strongly felt that the “time has come to start addressing Indian classical music” by these names. The Hindu : Arts : Amjad feels Indian music needs a new terminology

Jayateerth Mevundi Tarana in Raag Yaman

Jayateerth Mevundi rendering Tarana in Raag Yaman at Poorna Pradnya Vidyapeeth, Bangalore
on 9th July 2005.
Accompaniment - Tabla : Bharat Kamat & Harmonium : Vasudev Katti

CONCERT! Sougata Ganguly on Sarod

THURSDAY OCTOBER 28 @ 8:00 PM 

A C S T House Concert Series presents: Sougata Ganguly ~ Sarod and Ehren Hanson ~ Tabla 

Sougata Ganguli started his musical training at the age of six under the tutelage of his grandfather, Pt. Shyam Kumar Ganguli, a Sarod-maestro of his time. Shyam Kumar learned from Ud. Karamtulla Khan and Ud. Baba Allauddin Khan (father of the legendary Ud. Ali Akbar Khan) and from him, Sugata inherited the styles and treasures of these two famous

Gharanas – the “Lucknow” and the “Maihar-Rampur”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeQ9iYn5x6w
Enjoy his captivating performance this Thursday in an intimate house concert setting.

Reception to follow with wine and snacks.
Hanson Residence
65 Ocean Ave apt 4E

Brooklyn NY, 11225
By Donation.
www.schooloftabla.com

Waheed Ali Khan & Young Abida Parveen

Abida Parveen is a rarity in the world of Sufi music, a female lead performer. She is the daughter of prominent Pakistani vocalist Ustad Ghulam Haider, who (somewhat bravely) ignored convention and allowed her to study under him, and she also accompanied him to various religious performances. After a time developing her abilities, she married Ustad Hussein Sheikh, an influential producer from Radio Pakistan, who also helped her to further her career. More time was spent in study, this time with the great Salamat Ali Khan. A number of albums, compilation appearances, and various world tours have followed, making her by far the most successful Sufi female performer, and one of the more notable performers of the form in general. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide

Bikram Singh - Songs of Bengal

CONCERT! Amit Chaudhuri Band at The Rubin Museum!

Wednesday October 27, 7PM
Rubin Museum of Art presents Amit Chaudhuri Band.
Novelist and musician Amit Chaudhuri engages in conversation with philosopher Simon Critchley followed by a concert bringing together the raga with jazz, rock, and the blues.
Featuring:
Amit Chaudhuri, vocals
Mayookh Bhowmick, tabla
Matt Hodges, piano
Adam Moore, electric guitar
Paul Williams, bass
Calcutta-born singer Amit Chaudhuri's follow-up to This Is Not Fusion ( Babel , 2010) is another captivating and deeply idiosyncratic fusion/not fusion of Hindustani classical music, jazz, rock and blues. It's a style Chaudhuri, with several albums of "pure" Hindustani music already behind him, began developing in 2004 with the Amit Chaudhuri Band, which features his singing alongside electric guitars and keyboards, acoustic trumpet and tabla. If you haven't heard the band before, you're in for a treat—dreamy raga-based discusions which incorporate the acid rock songbook, trumpeter Miles Davis ' modal legacy, Delta blues and retro Tin Pan Alley. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050119/asp/calcutta/story_4264018.asp
Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17 Street (@ 7 Ave)
New York, NY - 212.620.5000 x344
http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/838
Ticket: $25 includes admission to the exhibitions before the program.

For complete list of concerts in NEW YORK check our website:
http://www.harmonyom.org/concerts__events

Bratati & Prattyush - "Ami Hethaye Thaki Shudhu Gaite Tomar Gaan" - Gita...

Recitation with bandish based on the original Tagore song played on the Sarode.

HarmoNYom presents: Vishwa Mohan Bhatt & Subhen Chatterjee from India!

DooBeeDooBeeDoo
a cross-culture on-line music magazine

Date: October 2, 2010

Venue: St. John’s Lutheran Church (NY).

Text By Dawoud Kringle for DooBeeDooBeeDoo

The Music Room concert series presented by HarmoNYom got off to a very good start on the cool autumn evening of October 2nd, 2010 with the presentation of slide guitar virtuoso Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and tabla master Pt. Subhen Chatterjee.


St. John’s Lutheran Church in the village provided a perfect venue for the concert. The pews had been moved to the side, allowing people to sit on the floor if they wished. It was interesting to see the decoration that Sridhar Shanmugam (Indian Classical dancer and choregrapher) festooned the church with. The resulting combination of Hindu and Christian ornamentation and color was a noticeable contrast, yet blended in a way that seemed almost natural. The dark color tones of the church seemed almost a framework for the brilliantly colored silks, rugs, and brass ornaments used in the invocation of The Music Room.


Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is a unique figure in the world of Classical Indian music. As a teen, so the story goes, he met and was attracted to a German woman who played the guitar. Soon, he realized that he was attracted to the guitar more than he was to her! He recognized the great expressive quality of the guitar, and saw, like any true artistic visionary, the untapped potential within it. This led to him making modifications to the Hawaiian-style slide guitar so that it could facilitate playing Indian ragas. Thus was the Mohan Veena born; a Concord archtop guitar with 19 strings, played with a steel bar as a slide. Pt. Bhatt is a disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar, and is part of the garana (school of raga) that traces its lineage back to the legendary 16th century master musician Tansen, of the Emperor Akbar’s court, and his teacher Swami Haridas. He has released many recordings, including the Grammy-winning A Meeting by the River with Ry Cooder. His style blends the Tantrakari ang (an instrumental style of music) with the Gayaki ang; producing a very vocal quality on his instrument.


Tabla master Pt. Subhen Chatterjee is the senior disciple of Pt. Swapan Chatterjee. In addition to his flawless classical technique and accomplishments (having worked with the likes of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj, Ustad Shaheed Parvez Khan, Istad Aashish Khan, and others), he has also led the Indo-fusion band “Karma” and worked with Paul Horn and David Crosby. He also formed an ensemble called “Friends of Drums”, with percussionist Sivamani, which provides a platform for up-and-coming talent as well as charity work raising funds for ailing musicians.


Pt. Bhatt and Pt. Chatterjee began with Rag Shyam Kalyan. This is to be played to invoke a meditative, spiritual mood: to “connect with Krishna.” The alap in the beginning was both beautiful and dramatic.


He would slowly tease melodies out of the raga, and suddenly whip the notes around with an abandon matched only by its precision. The effect was amazing. His intonation was flawless, even when he was playing at breakneck speed. I noticed that his right hand technique occasionally resembled that of master guitar or banjo players of bluegrass music: especially when he played a jhalla. Pt. Chatterjee joined him in the gat, played in ektal (rhythmic cycle of 12 beats), and the two musicians blended their energies with a marvelous synchronism. The complicated and dangerous waters of raga and taal were navigated with ease. They communicated with each other as if they were friends (which they obviously are).


Later, Pt. Bhatt would mention to the audience his gratitude for his parents, teachers, friends, and supporters, and for this music “which is written in our genes.” I have often wondered how much of any music is something that is encoded within our genetic makeup, and how much of that provides both a unifying factor and a necessary contrast with others.


But I’m getting ahead of myself.


The two master musicians explored this raga for quite a long time, gleefully finding new possibilities of the melody and rhythm to be examined and admired. One of the most interesting aspects of their performance is the attention to dynamics and dramatic accents, and creating effects that constantly surprise and stimulate the listener. They were at once serious and intense, yet still humorous and playful. At one point, Pt. Bhatt played a very unusual taan wherein he imitated an echo! I’ve never heard any raga master do this before; and found myself laughing with delight at the inventiveness of it.


The first set ended with a jhalla that could only be described as pyrotechnic. In fact, Pt. Bhatt’s approach to jhalla is quite unique (while, like much of his playing, one can still hear the influence of his teacher Pt. Shankar, in fact, many times I would listen to his taans and think “Shankar’s taans!”). This is clearly attributable to his unique approach to guitar/Mohan veena.


The second set presented a very different musical side of the duo. They began with a short version of Rag Basant in teental (16 beat cycle). Unlike the first set, his approach to the rag was more direct; in fact, he came out swinging. This was followed by a composition called “Shanti Mantra” (from his Music for Relaxation CD). This piece is a song. He sang, and invited the audience to sing with him. This piece was very different in that it has a chord progression, something that does not happen in traditional raga. It was interesting how he played the chords on his instrument. The chordal pattern and overall feel of the song were somehow vaguely reminiscent of late period Beatles (and I am not one of those people who associates Indian music with the Beatles). The chords were simple, no extended harmony like one would find in jazz. But to hear it in this context is a very pleasant surprise; and the effect was quite pretty.


The next piece was a new composition based on a Rajistani melody. He also sang this. Pt. Chatterjee’s tablas were more subdued on this, as with the previous piece. They continued with a new song called “Sleepless Night” from their new CD. This song had, to my ears, an almost Country music feel to it. I imagine Pt. Bhatt had been exposed to Country music, and assimilated elements of it. This was followed by a short presentation of Rag Hansadawani. The tablas introduced a swinging feel to the piece. The effect was almost playful. The set concluded with a piece from A Meeting by the River. The alap had a pastoral feel to it, and somehow reminded me of the mood of rag guar sarang, but different. The introduction of the tablas gave it a joyful mood, and it ended with a breakneck teehi.


I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Pt. Bhatt and Pt. Chatterjee before the performance. I kept my conversation brief, as they needed to prepare for their performance. Both men have that quality that all master musicians have: absolute confidence in what they do, balanced with a genuine humility and sincerity. One thing I noticed about Pt. Chatterjee was a silver pendant he wore that had the symbols of the Hindu Om, the Christian cross, and Islamic calligraphy of the name Allah. This was an eloquent statement of unity. He is soft spoken, and friendly. Pt. Bhatt is an easily outgoing, yet very gracious man; and quite well suited to the role his life has placed him in. He knows precisely what he is doing and how he is doing it. Meeting both men was a great pleasure and honor.


HarmoNYom is to be congratulated for their presentation of Indian music concerts. New York City may look forward to the beginning of a great tradition of more presentations of this truly great music. In these times, we are all in desperate need of music that inspires and beautifies. A truly civilized society would consider this and other great music a national treasure.


HarmoNYom’s The Music Room initiative, featuring intimate concerts with five Indian Classical Maestros for the season 2010/2011, will donate 10% of all revenues to Music Basti based in India. For more details, contact Veronique Lerebours and Girish Raj by at info@harmonyom.org.

About Qawwali... by Abid Ikbal

Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Raag


‘Qawwali’ is considered to be an integral part of culture in Pakistan. Pakistan has produced ‘qawwals’ like Qari Saeed Chishti, Sabri Brothers, Aziz Mian and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who became the identity of the country throughout the world. But now these legend ‘qawwals’ are no more alive and the art of ‘qawwali’ is declining due to lack of attention from the concerned authorities.


The new breed of ‘qawwals’ is facing hurdles in continuing this old art. One such ‘qawwal’ is Imran Aziz Mian. He is the son of Aziz Mian Qawwal, who had ruled the field for almost three decades and gave a new touch to this art with his unique style. Imran Aziz Mian, learnt ‘qawwali’ from his father and has the same style and voice.


In an exclusive interview with this news agency, Imran Aziz Mian said: “I was only 8 years old when I started getting training in ‘qawwali’ from my father. However I released my first album after his death”. He said that he had released eight albums, but now he has no plan for any other album as he thinks that ‘qawwali’ has lost its charm due to the government apathy.


“There is no set-up in our country for the preservation of this art. Neither our TV channels nor radio stations are doing anything. ‘qawwals’ have no platform where this art is promoted”, he said. He said that the environment of Rawalpindi and Islamabad has no scope for ‘qawwali’, while the situation is comparatively better in Lahore and Karachi. “I am thinking about shifting to Lahore from Rawalpindi”, he added.


Imran Aziz said that he had performed in the US and India where he got terrific response from the audience. When he was asked why doesn’t he switch over to other forms of music like ‘ghazal’, ‘thumri’ or pop, he replied that he only wants to promote the art of ‘qawwali’.

According to him, ‘qawwali’ is the ‘epicentre’ of all types of music. “A ‘qawwal’ could sing any type of music because he has full command over all types of ‘surs’, but I want to preserve the dying art”, he explained.


Imran Aziz Mian said: “qawwali played a key role in the spread of Islam in the subcontinent. Khawaja Moeenddin Chishti had used ‘samaa’ (qawwali) to persuade the non-Muslims.

As a result, more than 90,000 Hindus embraced Islam”. He added ‘qawwali’ has enough power to change the current disastrous situation, which Pakistan is facing. The young people could be persuaded towards peace through ‘qawwali’.” “The government should take immediate steps to preserve the dying art of ‘qawwali’.

The new generation of ‘qawwals’ should be appreciated by the government and provided a platform where they can show their talent”, he demanded.

http://thenews.com.pk/25-10-2010/islamabad/11929.htm

HarmoNYom "A Voice for Indian Classical Music"

www.HarmoNYom.org