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Music Today & New Earth Records Music Today’s recent tie-up with Colorado based New Earth Records has opened new frontiers of New Age & World Music in India. New Earth Records is an independent music label which operates globally in support of the rebirth of planet earth and the vision of one world. Its titles reflect this vision and offer a wide range of music spanning the areas of Traditional World, Ambient, Celtic, Worldbeat, Trance, Healing and Meditation. Transcend space and time, with music that’s unique fusion in cross cultural thought. A medley of the haunting folk tales of Europe, the lively nomadic music of Persia, the beats of techno-funk and Indian classical music. Established and recognized international artists like Al Gromer Khan, Deuter, Hariprasad Chaurasia, L. Subramanium, and Nik Tyndall have joined and supported New Earth Records along with James Bobchak, Nadama, Prem Joshua, Kamal, Anuvida, Sambodhi Prem and many others. Inspired by the immortal teachings of Osho, these artists offers their music as a medium for meditation and celebration of life. And now Music Today brings the music for people on the path. (Offer open only for domestic orders )Hamsafar Desert Visions Secret of the Wind Space Hotel A collection of seven modern Dervish Dances. A new soundscape
intended to seduce the listener by this internationally acclaimed instrumentalist-a
pioneer in the fields of ambient and world music in the tradition of Brian Eno. In his
album, Khan creates a master work of deep cross-cultural elements with emphasis on organic
instruments into the equation which demarcates that electronics aren't the sole defining
component of ambient music. The album creates a unique, timeless sound, heavy on
inventiveness and musical daring. Al Gromer Khan Tantra Drums Tantra drums contains elements of dance, electronic space, world ambient and traditional Indian music woven seamlessly together. The theme is tantra, a practice of the ancient Shakti cult, which contains many secret exercises and dark rituals with erotic content. Celtic Ragas Celtic Ragas is a musical love affair between Celtic Melodies and Indian instrumentation. Chinmaya Dunster fell in love with the sarod at an all-night concert in Delhi in 1979. It was then that the parallels between Celtic folk and Indian Classical music hit him like a revelation; the connection was made and Celtic Ragas was conceived. Upon meeting American folk-rock guitarist Jamie in Pune in 1989, the music heard on this CD was born. Sarod, guitars, tablas, drums, flute and violin can be heard on this album. Gypsy Soul The uplifting melodies in the album combine the old dancing soul of Ireland, Russia, Hungary and rural America with a compelling, original beat. Instruments used include the violin, guitar, bass, keyboard and whistle. Journey In Dream Seven romantic ragas including Hamasdhwani, Pahadi, Shivaranjani and Kalawati performed by one of India's greatest sitar players-accompanied by tabla and tamboura. James Asher James Asher has had an exciting and varied career in music-an association with Pete Townshend of The Who led to Pete producing James' first single in 1979. James subsequently returned the favor by playing drums on Pete's 'Empty Glass' album. Highly skilled as a composer , keyboard player and percussionist, James states that "Playing drums has made me very rhythmically oriented, I always build things up from the rhythm, that's my starting point". James is equally at home composing ambient healing musicor his upbeat and rhythmically powerful world music including the highly acclaimed 'Feet In The Soil' and his newest masterpiece 'Tigers Of The Raj'. Some facts about the album James Asher's exciting new release is an uplifting celebration of danceable energies centered in the earth, delightfully irrestible tribal rhythms which draw upon Aborginal and African cultures set fire to keyboard, flute, cello and guitar melodies for an invigorating listening experience. "Led by didgeridoo and djembe hand drum, the music leads
one into a jungle garden of wonder, where one can effortlessly, joyfully move in concert
with all living things; when the sizzling rhythms swell and the drumbeats deepen in
intensity, it's a purely shamanic event to be measured." "Trance dance music simply doesn't get any better than
this". Tigers Of The Raj James Asher is out with a new masterpiece inspired by the magical power of Rajasthan, the ancient Indian "Land of Kings". The ten pieces in TIGERS OF THE RAJ trace a journey to Rajasthan, the land of princely dynastic rulers, elegance, and stark beauty. The power, splendor, color, and epic sense of adventure found in the ancient palaces of Rajasthan made a profound impact on the author who here attempts to orchestrate moods and feelings evoked by his journey, weaving together modern techniques with ancient sounds in a musical score fit for a maharajah. Like in "Feet in the Soil", James Asher uses drums as the base of his musical composition TIGERS OF THE RAJ. Rajasthani drumming rhythms were created in consultation with Sandeep Raval, a remarkable tabla player and expert of Indian folk music. Contemporary Western dance sounds were added and also melody, contributed by Craig Pruess, both a keyboard player and an expert in sitar, tambura, and swarmandala instruments with twelve years of experience in the study of Indian music. James Asher's new album is a welcome surprise ; it honors the richness of Indian classical music and weaves it with variations on Western rhythms. Enhanced by the quality of its excellent production, TIGERS OF THE RAJ stands out as an original album of world music with broad appeal. From the haunting themes of Red Desert to the majestic finale of the last track, its melody, groove, and atmosphere make it an all-absorbing experience. Never has Indian fusion sounded this good before! Live Inside KhajurahoPandit Jasraj Hari Prasad Chaurasia Audio Cassette: A99031 A&B
March 1999–March 2000 has been declared the Khajuraho Millennium Year by the Government of India and the state of Madhya Pradesh in celebration and towards preservation of this resplendent heritage even as the world itself prepares for a new millennium. To commemorate the Millennium celebrations, Music Today has recorded and published two volumes of specially composed music conceived and rendered by great masters Pt Jasraj and Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia. On Volume I, Pt Jasraj opens with Sheesh dharana ganga in the rare morning Raga Gyankali, composed by his guru the Late Raja Jaiwant Singhji, Maharaja of Sanand state. In chronological progression, he renders texts in praise of Shiva in Ragas Des (Gal bhujanga bhasma anga) , Multani (Shringi naada bhasma anga), Malkauns (Pashupatim dyumatim dharani patim) and finally, the majestic midnight Raga Darbari Kanhra in which he renders Hara hara hara bhootnath pashupati written by Swami Vivekananda. Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia’s album opens with a 30 minute composition in Raga Malaya-marutam, a Carnatic raga imported into Hindustani music some sixty years ago. The romantic raga Mishra Pilu is next followed by another Carnatic export, Raga Hamsadhwani. He concludes with Raga Vachaspati. All the pieces feature support flautists on melody or harmony. The series was recorded inside the sanctum of the Kandariya Mahadeo temple by Avinash Oak, India's leading recording engineer from Western Outdoor Studios in Mumbai. The meticulous preparation that made this recording possible included a detailed recce and a dry run with all the recording equipment in a studio. The team also hired and hauled a 10-kilowatt generator from fifty kilometres away that would allow uninterrupted recording through the night. In continuation of its concern for the preservation of India’s heritage, Music Today will donate a percentage of the proceeds from this series to a fund that will help restore and maintain the magnificent temples of Khajuraho. KABIR BHAJANMadhup Mudgal Audio Cassette: D99017 &D99018 Audio Cassette: D99022 - sold as a set only with a booklet The period prior to the mid-fourteenth century was turbulent, a time when the country was ravaged by war. There was political, social and religious turmoil, and in this milieu of enforced regulations and religious stifling,life was difficult for the common man. The outcome was a turning towards bhakti, and like a gigantic wave, a movement commenced to counteract theseoppressive forces. The bhakti movement signified a radical rejection of the then-prevalent bonds of caste and creed, and was a rebellion against the malignancy of unjust social and religious customs. The saint-poets of the times discarded the difficult Sanskrit and wrote in the dialects of the times-Avadhi and Brajbhasha. They couched profound and universal truths in simple, easy-to-repeat verses and set these to music themselves. The emphasis was on introspection and the aim self-empowerment. Gradually, the Bhakti movement diversified into two tributaries. One was the Sagun stream, in which litanies in praise of well loved Hindu deities such as Rama and Krishna were sung. The other, more serious was the Nirgun stream, which spoke of a universal God sans specifics of religion and form. Followers of the Nirgun stream discarded use of the tilak, did not believe in fasting, visiting temples and mosques or praying at fixed hours. These, along with idol worship were viewed as the fraudulent trappings of religion. Prominent among the Nirguni saint-poets were Malukdas, Gorakhnath, Macchindernath and Kabir. Kabir was undoubtedly the foremost of the Nirguni poets. He was born in AD 1399 (1440 according to some texts) in Kashi (Vaanasi). Abandoned by his mother, he was brought up by Neeru and Neema, weavers of low caste. Legend has it that he regarded the great sage Ramanand as his guru, though the famous Sufi Pir Takki of Jhansi is also said to have exerted an influence on him. Towards the latter part of his life he moved (or was banished to Maghar, near Gorakhpur. He passed away in 1518. Perhaps the greatest contribution to the revival of Nirgun bhajans came from the legendary Pt. Kumar Gandharva, the finest exponent of this genre in modern times. His passion and ardor is carried forth through his foremost disciple, Madhup Mudgal. Now, six hundred years after Kabir’s birth, Music Today brings to life the words and wisdom of one of the greatest saint-poets to have ever lived. Composed and rendered by the highly gifted Madhup Mudgal, these eighteen bhajans are being heard for the first time ever in their present form. Unique to this album are the finely-tuned tanpuras that provide a continuum between bhajans. MADHUP MUDGAL Staunch and unwavering in his music principles, he is a gifted composer and conductor of the Gandharva choir, which was his father’s brainchild. The choir has gained national and international fame. At present, he is the principal of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi. |
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There is no finer example of the union of art with sculpture than the temples
of Khajuraho. Conceived by Chandravarman, the first Chandela king, and built from 950-1050
AD, the temples are a monument to love, joy and human emotions. Eighty five magnificent
temples were built by the great Chandelas but only twenty remain as embodiments of Indian
architectural and sculptural art at its most evolved state. 
