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MUSIC
Reverberations
When
Sarod Sings
 Some
of the more stimulating titles in recent years have come not from the
big, older brand names but such small, passionate ventures like Koel in
Carnatic music and Alurkar and BMG Crescendo in Hindustani music. Their
better musical judgement and capacity for discovery of new talent adds
to their value. And now in yet another such enterprise, the Delhi-based
Digital Sound Studio have brought out Sensuous Soundscape, a CD featuring
the brilliant sarod player Biswajit Roy Chowdhury.
In this
remarkable album Chowdhury delivers a musical analogy of the Nayika narrative
in Indian aesthetics. Combining the best in instrumental playing along
with the extremely complex gayaki (vocal style) of his late master Mallikarjun
Mansur, Chowdhury renders three musical explorations with sringara rasa
or the sentiment of love as the basic theme. He begins with E pyari paga
hole, the slow khayal in raga Bihagda and follows it by a buoyant Jhan
jhan jhan payaliya in Nat Behag. The third track has an expansive meditative
alap in Darbari Kanhara. The informed will recognise in Chowdhury's playing
an amazing grasp of the Jaipur-Atrauli idiom in terms of authenticity
of composition, raga development, the intricate relationship of rhythm
to the melodic line, the double note and triple note taan patterns. But
such is his flowing artistry that even for the uninitiated the sheer musical
excitement and pleasure of excellent sarod playing will prove to be an
uplifting experience.
-S.
Kalidas
Melodious
Mix
Yet
another music company jumping on to the classical music bandwagon. And
they claim to promote both maestros and upcoming artistes. This series
has six albums featuring Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flute), Pandit
Shiv Kumar Sharma (santoor), Ulhas Bapat (santoor), Rakesh Chaurasia (flute),
Rahul Sharma (santoor) and Pravin Godkhindi (flute). A notable point is
that it has three musicians playing santoor-an adaptation of the ancient
Satatantri Veena. Considering the limitations of the instrument in moving
between notes, fundamentally critical in producing gamaks and meeds which
are the building blocks of the raga. In Rare Masterpiece, Pandit Shiv
Kumar Sharma has played a rare raga, Bhinna Kauns, a combination of Bhinna
Shadja and Malkauns. This is the first ever recording of this raga- its
strength borders on the spiritual, evoking a variety of colours in the
mind. The other album, Sunrise to Moonlight, features the young flautist
Rakesh Chaurasia, disciple and nephew of Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia.
He presents a morning raga, Ahir Bhairav, Chadrakauns and a melody in
Pahadi. He manages to paint a meditative canvas with a well-developed
alaap and pleasant dhun. Another youngster who has matured is Rahul Sharma.
In Dawn Blues, he presents an extensive portrayal of raga Bhoopali Todi
followed by Mishra Bhairavi. On the whole, a mixed fare.
-S.
Sahaya Ranjit
Boys
will be Boys
Don Philips:
(HMV; Rs 125)
Ignore the
dedication to teen queen Britney Spears ("You introduced me to the
world..); and gloss over the man's suspiciously faux name. Then, you can
enjoy Don Philip's music.
The 23-year-old,
who sang I will still love you with Spears on her first album, flaunts
power dance (You make me love you ... more) with a distressing equanimity.
Then, as though to give listeners a breather, throws up some sugar-sweet
ballads (September Love, God Gave Me You).
The lyrics,
akin to those of teen crooners NSync and friends, spew non-existent angst
along with troubles of the heart, and verge on the rip roaring/horrifying
depending on personal taste: "It's like sugar, what can I do, what
can I say." Or this gem from Tenderly: "I'm high on the wings
of a dream..." Indeed. Despite the routine propensity for exaggeration
and histrionics, Philip's vocal talents allow him a considerable measure
of redemption. Buying his foot-tapping tape, to use popular parlance,
is paise vasool.
-Sonia
Faleiro
Arrivals
Ab Ke Baras
(HMV; Rs 65)
Sunita Rao sings peppy, lilting melodies with a good score by Anand
Raj Anand.
Bhajan
Om
(Music Today; Rs 65)
Three albums by Veena Sahasrabudhe, Gundeja brothers and Rajan Sajan
Mishra.
Absolute
Dance II
(BMG Crescendo; Rs 55)
Jaded dance tunes from Eiffel 65, Jennifer Lopez and old timers, No
Mercy.
Sur Sadhna
(SMW; Rs 65)
Six composition in various ragas by Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and Shafqat
Ali Khan.
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With
all the noise about the cabinet resolution on dilution of the government’s
stakes in public sector banks, is anyone buying shares of these banks,
asks V. Shankar Aiyar in 