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INDIAN MUSIC FORUM ARCHIVES: Sitar Forum: Kushal Das in Boston

 

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Neal
Kushal Das in Boston Sep 13, 2003 08:54 p.m.

I saw Kushal Das last night at MIT (across the river from Boston). He was great. I love his - I guess it's called Gayaki Ang style. All meends / barely fretted a note straight on. I want to learn to play like that. He is billed as the heir apparent to Nikhil Banerjees style. (Yes, Lars. .I know, Nikhil is God:Agreed) But Kushal may very well be a deity. I totally recommend seeing him live. The first Raga (Yaman) was almost two hours. The Tabla playerSwapan Chaudhuri was quit a character as well. He did things I did not think were possible on the Tabla.

Neal
K.K.
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Sep 14, 2003 03:19 p.m.

Neal, is he touring the US?
Russ
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Sep 14, 2003 03:31 p.m.

I have to wonder. Does anybody out there play anything other than gayaki ang? If so, how does it sound, and how can you tell?
Neal
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Sep 19, 2003 08:08 p.m.

Hi KK / Russ -

KK if you do a search on google you will get Kushals website with his email and I am sure you can get his tour schedule. His .url eludes me at the moment, but I saw it yesterday.

Hey, Russ, I am not sure if gayaki ang is the proper term - I meant the type of playing in which you play many notes / phrases from one fret via multiple meends etc. as opposed to playing of the notes on the different frets. He was playing a long phrase of notes from one meend, Very pretty, very fluid and moving.
Neal
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Sep 19, 2003 08:09 p.m.

Hi KK / Russ -

KK if you do a search on google you will get Kushals website with his email and I am sure you can get his tour schedule. His .url eludes me at the moment, but I saw it yesterday.

Hey, Russ, I am not sure if gayaki ang is the proper term - I meant the type of playing in which you play many notes / phrases from one fret via multiple meends etc. as opposed to playing of the notes on the different frets. He was playing a long phrase of notes from one meend, Very pretty, very fluid and moving.
Neal
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Sep 19, 2003 08:10 p.m.

Hi KK / Russ -

KK if you do a search on google you will get Kushals website with his email and I am sure you can get his tour schedule. His .url eludes me at the moment, but I saw it yesterday.

Hey, Russ, I am not sure if gayaki ang is the proper term - I meant the type of playing in which you play many notes / phrases from one fret via multiple meends etc. as opposed to playing of the notes on the different frets. He was playing a long phrase of notes from one meend, Very pretty, very fluid and moving.
Neal
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Sep 19, 2003 08:10 p.m.

Hi KK / Russ -

KK if you do a search on google you will get Kushals website with his email and I am sure you can get his tour schedule. His .url eludes me at the moment, but I saw it yesterday.

Hey, Russ, I am not sure if gayaki ang is the proper term - I meant the type of playing in which you play many notes / phrases from one fret via multiple meends etc. as opposed to playing of the notes on the different frets. He was playing a long phrase of notes from one meend, Very pretty, very fluid and moving.
Neal
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Sep 19, 2003 09:32 p.m.

Don't ask me how that posted 4 times. .
Russ
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Sep 19, 2003 11:45 p.m.

Hmmm. .I'm not sure how that happened either. But double postings have happened to me before.

Playing almost a complete taan on one fret using meend is a nice style. Very hard to do well and in tune! Vilayat Khansahib is well known for that one. But I'm not sure if that's what is called gayaki ang either. Anybody else have some insight?
Matt
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Oct 04, 2003 11:09 a.m.

Kushal Das will be in Iowa City, IA on Sunday, October 12. I'm pretty excited - my teacher is one of the heads of the local ICM "society" that is sponsoring the concert, so he's going to save me a seat right up front. I haven't seen a live sitar performance - seems like all we get is sarodiyas around here (not a bad thing, though). There's a chance I'll be able to have a lesson with him, too, which would be an incredible opportunity!
swansong
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Oct 04, 2003 09:00 p.m.

I'm not too clear on the distinction either, other than that gayaki is a type of emulation of the vocal melismatic style (long single note meends), though other than a few references to Ravi Shankar being of the tantra ang I haven't really seen anything more informative. I mean Ali Akbar Khan can do amazing meends but I have never heard him designated as a proponent of gayaki ang. hmmm. : /
Neal
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Oct 05, 2003 09:57 a.m.

Okay, Now what is tantra ang style?
Neal

Ravi Shankar being of the tantra ang I haven't really seen anything more informative.
Beenkarji
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Oct 06, 2003 02:48 p.m.

Very true, Gayaki is generally just a very vague vocal term that can mean different things from each individual Gharana, or style, but in general if you think of it to mean, singer that seems to do the word justice. I think the whole point of instrumental music is to creatively interpret vocal music on an instrument, the only disadvantage is that you loose the beautifull texts that accompany the raag. I like the proficiency when a musician can produce a particular raag (which can have 1,000s of different variations in texts) both vocally and instrumentally.
Beenkar Ted Ceplina
Billy
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Oct 06, 2003 09:31 a.m.

From what little I know, its really simple, sort-of:

Gayaki Ang is a playing style that somewhat emulates the classical vocal style.

Tantra Ang is an instrumental style; it does not attempt to completely emulate vocal style, though I believe its hard to get away from completely. It is certainly non-traditional.

As we know, many Indian instruments were designed to make emulation of vocal style easier, so I believe this is a natural style of the instruments like sitars. I believe most masters will work to emulate vocal style.

Perhaps the best way to distinguish the difference is through listening to quite a bit of Classical Indian singing. If you have, you may likely more easily recognize how the sitar can emulate the unique vocal phrasing. And you can recognize where a vocalist certainly wouldn't be singing what you hear.

In vocal music, I think the term Gayaki is a bit confusing, because it can refer to vocal music in general, particular that of female singers, but it also refers to a style of vocal music created by Alladiya Khan. I'm not any kind of scholar on vocal music, but I have several CD's, and I know that a couple of my favorite are of Shruti Sadolikar, who follows the Gayaki style. Listen for long phrases full of microtones.

Namaste',
Billy Godfrey
Amitava
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Oct 06, 2003 10:28 a.m.

Billy (Oct 06, 2003 09:31 a.m.):
From what little I know, its really simple, sort-of:

Gayaki Ang is a playing style that somewhat emulates the classical vocal style.
AS >>> Correct. The style is both in the meeds (note ornamentation) and structuring. For example vilambit gats are akin to bada khyal and and some drut gats to chota khyal. Most instruments really cannot recreate this style due to the inherrent limitations.

Tantra Ang is an instrumental style; it does not attempt to completely emulate vocal style, though I believe its hard to get away from completely. It is certainly non-traditional.
AS>>>> Dont know about the non-traditional part. I am also not sure whether one can saythat is does not attempt to emaulate vocal style. It is bring out the strenths of the instrument. For example fast jhala, chikari work, di-ri work, plucking the first tarab (like vilayat khand and shahid), are some examples of instrumental style. Certain meeds are also non-vocal. Krintan/zamzamas as used by Ravi Shankar in his style (most of the time) are not vocal. .ie.e they are instrumental. Same with certain teachniques of Hariprasad's flute.

In vocal music, I think the term Gayaki is a bit confusing, because it can refer to vocal music in general, particular that of female singers, but it also refers to a style of vocal music created by Alladiya Khan. I'm not any kind of scholar on vocal music, but I have several CD's, and I know that a couple of my favorite are of Shruti Sadolikar, who follows the Gayaki style. Listen for long phrases full of microtones.

AS>>>> Billy I am not sure that I have every heard any exclusivity reg female or male singers being more gayaki. Also Alladiya Khan is not the only vocalist founder who is considered gayaki. Gayak = singer. So the word generall refers to anything done that imitates vocal music. .folk. .khayl. .thumri. .dhruvpad. .etc. .buth in ornamentation and approach.
Billy
Re:Kushal Das in Boston Oct 06, 2003 03:21 p.m.

Amitava (Oct 06, 2003 10:28 a.m.):In vocal music, I think the term Gayaki is a bit confusing, because it can refer to vocal music in general, particular that of female singers, but it also refers to a style of vocal music created by Alladiya Khan.

AS>>>> Billy I am not sure that I have every heard any exclusivity reg female or male singers being more gayaki. Also Alladiya Khan is not the only vocalist founder who is considered gayaki. Gayak = singer. So the word generall refers to anything done that imitates vocal music. .folk. .khayl. .thumri. .dhruvpad. .etc. .buth in ornamentation and approach.[/quote]

Hence, the confusion. I can only go by what my research of my small collection of books, CD liner notes, and the Internet has told me; and there is differing opinions on much of this, so I can only sum up to the best of my ability based on the sloppy research materials I have.

I just found one Internet site that echoed your sentiments on gayak = singer, not female singer.

As far as sitar music, that's probably not an important point, but you're right to correct me, people should take what I say with a grain of salt! :-)

Namaste',
Billy Godfrey
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