INDIAN MUSIC FORUM ARCHIVES: Sitar Forum: Shahid Parvez in Dallas 9/27

This was held in the Horchow Auditorium at the Dallas Museum of Art, a pretty decent venue. My wife and I were among the first entering when they opened the doors, and nabbed front-row seats. The concert was quite well attended, so I'm glad we got in early.

The performance started around 7:45. Ustad Parvez announced the Raga, but due to someone talking behind me and his soft-spoken voice, I don't know if I heard it right. It sounded like he said "Raga Ghouli", but I couldn't find this when I looked it up, using several different spellings, so I probably heard wrong.

I thought the alap was remarkable. I knew he was a hotshot on the gats, but I was quite impressed with the passion he seemed to be expressing. The audience all were impressed with the harmonic tones he achieved with his huge mends, and were quite vocal in their appreciation!

After the jor, he played two gats, in 10 beats and 16 beats. This was one of the most exciting performances I have ever witnessed! Honestly, I thought several of us on the front row were going to get up and start dancing! Of course Parvez's well-known right *and* left hand techniques were stunning! I'm quite please that we were close enough that even my foggy eyes could see what he was doing. Very amazing!! Combined with superb tabla playing, it was almost exhausting.

I don't understand why the mike was cool on the tambura; although I don't care for an overbearing tambura often heard in recordings, I still think its important for establishing the tonic. Additionally, the player had a really gloomy expression on her face throughout most of the performance, not a big deal, it just didn't fit in with the rest of the performance.

Unfortunately, with the late start and a long first half, we chose to leave at the Intermission at about 9:30. I really hated to, but healthwise its not my best time of day, and I'd been working long hours all week, so was even more worn than usual. However, I was completely sated with what I saw in the first half.

Well recommended!

Pb
:wq

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pb (Sep 29, 2003 12:24 p.m.):
glad you enjoyed the show. I wonder how long he played? :wq

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Billy (Sep 29, 2003 12:00 p.m.):
I really enjoyed this performance!

:but due to someone talking behind me and his soft-spoken voice, I don't know if I heard it right. It sounded like he said "Raga Ghouli", but I couldn't find this when I looked it up, using several different spellings, so I probably heard wrong.

AS>>>> Yes those moronic talkers. Cannot think of a raag simiar to that performed in the evening.

AS>>>> I thought the alap was remarkable. I knew he was a hotshot on the gats, but I was quite impressed with the passion he seemed to be expressing. The audience all were impressed with the harmonic tones he achieved with his huge mends, and were quite vocal in their appreciation!

AS>>>>Harmonic tones? Usually it is the subtle meeds that people vocally appreciate. Or are we talking about the same thing? Yes his meends are long and complex at the trailing end. A lot of precise mid fret starts. .which are difficult to do.

After the jor, he played two gats, in 10 beats and 16 beats. This was one of the most exciting performances I have ever witnessed!

AS >>>> Shahid is accused of - by several musicians, of formulizing his taans and other elements of his performance and repeating them in several raags. I have not heard him enough to make that judgement, but he does seem to perform everything well. One thing I was dissapinted in Austin, was that he avoided sapaat taans almost completely.

I don't understand why the mike was cool on the tambura; although I don't care for an overbearing tambura often heard in recordings, AS >>> Yes be happy that the tanpura was cool. His style is better appreciated in alaap without one. Was it an anglo dudette? Sometimes he may not want a bad tanpura player to be heard. .:-)

Unfortunately, with the late start and a long first half, we chose to leave at the Intermission at about 9:30.
AS>>> In Austin he played lighter raags. .as seems to tbe the moroinic US tradition these days. .for about 40 min. .and extended it to a second piece when people requested/griped :-) It was OK (ending piece was great), but the 1st "half" was the best.

Well recommended!

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The tanpura player appeared to be South Asian. Its sort of funny; a couple of months ago I posted a note on this forum about how being a tanpura player must be one of the most boring jobs there is, and many people disagreed with me. Well, when we were driving home last night, my wife, who had seen only a couple of ICM concerts, and never from so close, said the same thing to me.

I honestly think the player must have been feeling badly or something. She seemed totally out-of-it, and had an actual frown during most of the performance. She was playing a flatback female tanpura on her lap, so its not like she had to hold it up or anything. And she played the entire time, and I was close enough to tell she was playing in beat. Shahid did check the tuning against his sitar at the first.

Well, its not that big a deal, its just something I expect, but I didn't really miss it that much.

By the way, I forget the tabla player's name, I have the program at home, but he was super too, and the audience also appreicated his work. Even my wife was impressed, and she's usually not into percussion of any type that much. I believe he was one of the Khans (those Khans that includes Shahid), I just don't remember which one, and will post his name when I find it at home; He deserves a lot of credit for a great concert.

By the way, I notice he uses his left little finger to strike the tarbs occasionally. I don't know if this is very common, but it was cool how he could add sort of a half-syncopated rhythm using this technique. He only did this occasionally, or at least I only noticed it a few times. Seems like someone here on this forum mentioned that some performers use this technique, but this is the first time I've noticed.

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Billy (Sep 30, 2003 12:49 p.m.):
Here is an ignorance question: isn't there a term for striking the chikari strings? As in, when Shahid plays, its amazing how fast he can go back and forth between the main string playing melody and the chikari. I first noticed that when watching the online video someone posted a link to, but it was more striking live and close up. Its so fast, it sounds like it must be two people playing!

AS>>>>> His chakari work is impressive and he has brought a new dimension to using the chikari. .like other modern players.

By the way, I notice he uses his left little finger to strike the tarbs occasionally. I don't know if this is very common, but it was cool how he could add sort of a half-syncopated rhythm using this technique. He only did this occasionally, or at least I only noticed it a few times. Seems like someone here on this forum mentioned that some performers use this technique, but this is the first time I've noticed.

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AS>>>>Vilayat Khan was one of the first people to do this. Perhaps it was done before I am not sure. Listen to VK's older recordings. He uses it a lot in gats to play with rhythm. SP uses it more during jor.

The tabla player was Akram Khan.

A

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Raj Singh (Oct 01, 2003 12:21 p.m.):
According to one of U. Shahid Parvez 's students who was at the concert it was raga Gaoti (or Gawati) that he performed in the first half.

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Did they mention their thoughts on the performance?

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Lars (Oct 02, 2003 09:38 p.m.):
Ok. . .now in defense of the poor tanpura player. .

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I did make a comment a couple of months ago along the lines that playing the tanpura must really be a boring job, and everybody jumped on me. Again, not being critical, just an observation. I actually learned some interesting things about tanpura performers. I think the fact that they are willing to do it, whether they do it full time, or they are a student picked to assist aninstructors performance, wins my respect.

I also believe I would like to hear the tanpura a bit better during a concert that includes tanpura, although I do believe sometimes, at least on recordings, they are a bit too dominate. At the Parvez concert, I have no idea why they had the mike down so much, I with it was a little louder.

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Amitava (Sep 30, 2003 09:51 a.m.):
AS >>>> Shahid is accused of - by several musicians, of formulizing his taans and other elements of his performance and repeating them in several raags.

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Along the same idea, I've noticed the same to some degree with Anoushka Shankar. I can understand that more with her lesser experience.