I just got back from the concert. This was a real experience it was like all the cares and troubles of the day were somehow unimportant and a great feeling of calmness came over me. This was a great concert to say the least. The venue was small, very intimate, c 50 people and everyone was really keen on ICM, I love that kind of audience.
Sitar notes: Sa seemed like D to me, his jawari/bridge was very closed and made of ebony, which has a very different sound, almost dry timbre and bright (hard to describe). His sitar is very different from others of his gharana. The back has the leave pedals of a RS sitar and the flowers on the front. There is very little ornamentation otherwise apart from the pearl edging, but the piece at the joint of the neck and tomba (where you play) was very ornate. Of course, the colour is very dark if not black.
Ustadji began with Raag Puriya. He played a slow alap and I was immediately drawn in by his effortless meends with all the microtones in between. As the alap progressed with meend after meend, I couldn't believe he could get so much sound and such a variety out of one hand position (_Da) --it was absolutely beautiful. From there he seemlessly and slowly moved into the the jor/jhalla section with a number of complex structures with lots of nice meend. The gat section I think was rupak and teen tal.
After an intermission and two samosa, I returned to Bihag, and without announcing the title he tuned up. As he was tuning the tarabs my instructor said "ah yes, Bihag". "Of course", I said sarcastically. This raaga began beautifully as well. His technical perfection at the meends and everything else is a real delight. I think you would have been very hard pressed to find any error or mistake, everything flowed so nicely together. The jor/jhalla of this raaga became very fast, I think his right hand ran a marathon without missing a beat of the mizrab. His gat is filled with little explosions of incredible speed and dexterity. Listening to the CD is no comparision. When you can visually see these lightening taans and hear how clean they are, you can really appreciate the coutless hours of riyaz to get to that point.
I can't describe the feeling I had after the show, it was like I just had a great massage. That was easily the best concert I had ever seen, it was so fulfilling. I'm told that is the feeling you get when you are in the presence of a real Ustad or Pandit. I hope I get to see more!
Pb
BTW since this is a sitar group I didn't say much about the tabla player. He is a very good, young up and coming player.
BTW since this is a sitar group I didn't say much about the tabla player. He is a very good, young up and coming player.
Name??
(a few of us 'skin-bangers' frequent here often. -I was fortunate to see S.P. back when he was a mostly unknown. I wouldn't have guessed at the skill and the status he's aquired in such a short time. If he keeps going like he is you won't get to see him in any 50-seat venues after this tour. Same with Shubhankar Banerjee (tabla) - I'd pay a pretty price to see those two together!)
By the way, Hindol Majumdar will be playing the tabla.
Oops, I missed that, sorry. I don't know him. Anyone care to give the brief details from the program notes (teacher, age, gharana, current residence)?
Thanks.
Hi Aanaddha,
here is what I found out about Hindol Majumdar from Anwar Khurshid:
Hindol Majumdar learnt Tabla from his guru Shanko Chatterjee, who is a student of Allah Rakha Khan Sahib.
He lives in Calcutta, if I remember correctly.
Pb
Aanaddha (May 24, 2004 07:27 a.m.):
Adam duncan (May 19, 2004 11:56 p.m.):
By the way, Hindol Majumdar will be playing the tabla.
Oops, I missed that, sorry. I don't know him. Anyone care to give the brief details from the program notes (teacher, age, gharana, current residence)?
Thanks.
pb (May 22, 2004 02:13 a.m.):
I just got back from the concert. .
Sitar notes: Sa seemed like D to me. .
Hi pb:
You are correct - at his workshop, here in L.A., Shahid pesonally tuned everyones' sitar to D.
Some sitars (including my MPS) sound much better tuned up to somewhere near D. The tone seems to be more even, up and down the neck, and the tarbs get more excited, due to the higher tension.
Hey KK,
I am thinking about going to a workshop in toronto for 2 days, sleep on someones floor and go again. A bunch of people from all over will be doing the same. Should be fun. Now to convince the wife. .
Pb
K.K. (May 26, 2004 02:20 p.m.):
pb (May 22, 2004 02:13 a.m.):
I just got back from the concert. .
Sitar notes: Sa seemed like D to me. .
Hi pb:
You are correct - at his workshop, here in L.A., Shahid pesonally tuned everyones' sitar to D.
Some sitars (including my MPS) sound much better tuned up to somewhere near D. The tone seems to be more even, up and down the neck, and the tarbs get more excited, due to the higher tension.
