Today
I’m starting with something a little different, an instrumentalist called Veena
Srivani playing Breathless by Shankar Mahadevan on the veena, which is an
ancient Indian plucked string instrument dating back to around 1700 BCE. Again, you don't have to know anything about the veena to appreciate her fluency and mood-lifting facility on it. You've heard the original song earlier in my B-post (listen again here).
Next
I’m giving you Parikrama, a megapopular Indian band, playing their title Vapourize at the Download Festival, Donington Park in
UK. Sadly their lead guitarist, one of the founding members, passed away earlier this year.
And
finally the Vinyl Records with their Ready Get Set Go. Enjoy -
Underground
Authority is an alternate rock band from Kolkata, formed in 2010. Their music has
elements of reggae, rap and hard rock. Lyrics much influenced by protest poetry
and anti-capitalism messages.
This
next track called Ungentle is from Bhayanak Maut (lit Horrific Death). They style themselves as a hardcore death metal band - the number certainly lives up to its name!
Finally, this - the grandmother of all Indian music. Ustad
Bismillah Khan (1916 - 2006) playing Raga Puriya on the instrument of his
choice and mastery - the Shehnai, at a concert in London in 1993. Bismillah Khan is one of the cornerstones of contemporary North Indian Classical music. India woke to independence to the melody of his Shehnai - he played at the Red Fort on India's first Independence Day on 15th August, 1947. Ustad Bismillah Khan has given Shehnai recitals all round the world, I was fortunate enough to be part of the audience when he played in Bahrain in 2002. Ustad, btw, is a honorific meaning Maestro/Teacher used for Muslim musicians, similar to Pandit for their Hindu counterparts.
Raga
Puriya is an evening/night Raga - the Indian Classical music system is based on
Ragas/Raginis, which are specific melodic modes created by a fixed combination
of notes in a certain progression and with emphases characteristic to that
Raga. Each Raga is meant to evoke a certain mood and is played at a certain
time of day/season.
But you don't need to know a thing about
Indian Classical, or Ragas, or Ustad Bismillah Khan, to appreciate his
expertise and execution and breath control, how he makes the Shehnai 'speak'
and 'weep,' his consummate ability to transport audiences. Have a listen
-
First
off, I have Ho Jayegi Balle Balle from Daler Mehndi – one of the veterans of
Bhangra Pop who’s been singing in this foot-tapping robust genre of Punjabi music
since the 90s.
Next
is a Bengali track – Hariye Jaowar Gaan, from Anupam Roy, you've encountered him before, a prominent name among the contemporary Bengali artistes – have a listen.
Finally,
here’s Zakir Hussain, the finest percussionist India has, collaborating
with David Holland and others to play jazz fusion.
