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Topic: Indian slide guitar music |
Giorgio Robino
From:
Genova, Italy
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Posted 31 Jul 2005 7:27 am |
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Hi all! Recently I bhought these hindustani slide guitar music:
1) Shri Krishan Sharma - Monsoon ragas on guitar (DOM)
2) Debashish Bhattacharya - Calcultta Slide-Guitar (www.worldusic.net, [url=http://www.debashishbhattacharya.com)]www.debashishbhattacharya.com)[/url]
3) Debashish Bhattacharya and Bob Brozman - Mahima (www.worldusic.net, [url=http://www.debashishbhattacharya.com)]www.debashishbhattacharya.com)[/url]
inj addition on two mervellous CD:
4) Gopal Shankar Misra - Out of Stillness (http://www.realworldusa.com/albumpages/gopal/outofstillnessalbum.htm)
5) N. Ravikiran - South Indian Ragas (http://www.chhanda-dhara-music-dance.de/index.html )
Let me quote the CD cover to introduce Debashish Bhattacharya:
"Debashish's development of new slide guitars sets him apart from other artist.
His Hindustani slide guitar is a completely new instrument: by modifying and adding strings to the Western guitar. Debashish has been able to create uniquely Indian sounds and tecqniques, which recall other classical Indian instruments such as the Veena, Sarod, Sitar and Santoor. These astonishing techniques are innovative both
in Indian classical music and among guitarists of every genre worldwide. Debashish developed his innovative twenty-four-string Hindustani slide guitar after years of research and experience. In addition of six normal strings of a standard Hawaiian guitar there also twelve sympathetic strings, four supporting strings and a pair of chikari strings (high rhytmic drones). These technical innovations, combined with his incredible talent and discipline, render Debashish one of the
greatest slide guitarists ever to have lived, elevating the Hindustani slide guitar to be the highest evolution of slide guitar anywhere."
About the origin of sliding, still quoting CD cover notes:
"Slide Guitar Comes Full Circle
The slide guitar developed in many clultures around the world, but there are many deep connections between Hawaian guiatr and Indian music. The earliest know report of anyone playng slide guitar in Hawaii
dates from 1876, when Gabriel Davion, an Indian boy kidnappen in Portuguese sailors and brought to Hawaii, is said to have played one on his lap. Of course, there are Indian string instruments using slide that are known to have existed since the elevnth century AD."
My thoughts: I have been attracted by Debashish's music also from a suggestion of my friend David Mason a forumer here. Yes, Debashish really surprise with his virtuosism and warmth of his indstani guitar! It's inevitable to compare his style (mix of indian and western taste on playing riffes) with my beloved jazz guitaris John McLauglin with his Shakti music (btw, john's "Extrapolation" is my preferred jazz CD ever and the biggest ytribut to John Coltrane artist I love so mutch... in these day I also rediscovered some beatiful musc with harpist Alice Coltrane! Sorry for dgression ...)
So, after listening "Calcultta Slide-Guitar" ... I take from my CDs closet all Shakti music ! I have to say that Debashish's incredible technique achieve the John's velocity but with a complete different technique (three finger instead of plectrum) ... the result is a more "mellow" sound and above al a more indian sound resukt of course! I reccomend Debashish's music (1) to all people that like the maximum in virtuosism (?!). Btw, the CD "Mahima" is immo a bit more "fusion" in sense of "world music" with Bob Brozman duets are enjoyable but the piece are more "songs" (with a eccelent Indian vocalist, I presume the Debashish's sister).
I reccomend this (2) to a more spread audience and mybe will be very appreciated also by many people in this forum i guess.
Anyway, even if indian slide guitar sound is enjoyable, I sincerely refer the oldest indian "slide" instruments like the Gottuvadyam (3) and especially the vichitra veena (4); I listened only the real Worlds CD of Gopal Shankar Misra "Out of Stillness"; but this music is absolutely amazing!
giorgio
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 solyaris@hotpop.com
http://solyaris.altervista.org
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 31 Jul 2005 9:28 am
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We've discussed this topic several times. Very interesting music. I saw Ravikaran several years ago and posted my review with very few responses. His bar is teflon and the dexterity he has rivals any steel guitarist who has ever played. He plays entire scales on a single string. The chitra-veena is a very interesting instrument.
I've heard of D Bhattacharaya but have only heard a few examples of his playing on a world music show that used to be on National Public Radio. Not your typical slide guitar.
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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 31 Jul 2005 9:57 am
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Oh goodie! I have most of Debashish's releases, and I am pleased to have corresponded with him a few times about technical questions - no hope for me, that's for sure! "Calcutta Slide Guitar" is one of his best and most accessible to Western ears, he's been playing with McLaughlin and Brozman off and on and the influences show. Indians have always been completely open about absorbing other stuff, I have a Ravi Shankar CD from the early 60's where he plays some pretty credible b@njo licks on his sitar, just what you want to hear, huh?
There's also an early CD of Debashish I like a lot called "Reflection of Love." It's almost like it's easier to understand because he hadn't got quite so fast yet. It's an off-brand, but it shows up on Ebay a lot pretty cheap.
Another big name in Indian slide guitar is Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, he recorded a Grammy-winner with Ry Cooder called "A Meeting by the River." I tend to avoid these East-meets-West albums because the white guys sound so musically incompetent in comparison. Vishwa has a good early album called "In Harmony", easy to find on Ebay too. His newest one is called "Mohan's Veena", duets recorded live with his son. He's not quite as fast as Debashish but more melodic, though their styles seem to be converging over the years.
I have no idea how you could play Debashish's licks with a bar, except through the Indian training regimen - 3 or 4 hours a day till the age of seven or so, then 12 - 14 hours a day for the next decade. He still plays 6 or 7 hours a day, schedule allowing. I know he uses a 3/8 X 3" steel bar when he really gets trucking. For what it's worth, the fastest single-note non-roll licks I've heard Buddy do is on "Mardi Gras" off his '77 live CD and Debashish can play just about four times that fast, improvising all the way. Oh, but technique doesn't matter when you got soul, I forget sometimes.
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Giorgio Robino
From:
Genova, Italy
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Posted 1 Aug 2005 9:01 am
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Hy Larry & David,
quote:
I saw Ravikaran several years ago and posted my review with very few responses.
I only listened the Ravikaran one CD; his sound is beatifully hypnotic! I like it 
About the few responses ...
Infortunately in Western country ...
we believe to possess the "true" ...
in all fields of life and also in music ...
you know 
quote:
The chitra-veena is a very interesting instrument.
absolutely agreed!
quote:
"Calcutta Slide Guitar" is one of his best and most accessible to Western ears, he's been playing with McLaughlin and Brozman off and on and the influences show.
thanks David for all your info!
yes ... I just discovered that Debashish appeared as special guests in a "remebered Shakty" jhn McLauglin CD.
| Quote: |
| Indians have always been completely open about absorbing other stuff, |
yes!
quote:
I have a Ravi Shankar CD from the early 60's where he plays some pretty credible b@njo licks on his sitar, just what you want to hear, huh?
ah ah not exactly ...
mmhhh ... I listened some collaboration between Ravi Shankar and Phili Glass ... in that case I believe that the fusion was too mutch "world music" immo ... a bit intelletualistic ... anyway ... I think Ravi is "honest" in his "western music" oriented on melody develop ... as Philip is honest in his "repetitions paradigm" that are base of his music ... but that CD ("passage" if I well remember) was not great for my tastes.
quote:
Another big name in Indian slide guitar is Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, he recorded a Grammy-winner with Ry Cooder called "A Meeting by the River." I tend to avoid these East-meets-West albums because the white guys sound so musically incompetent in comparison. [quote]
I absolutely agree qith you!
The results appear often as "intelletualistic" and "forced"
its because indian music is too complex for western ears ... it require a consciousness status pretty forgotten or unused in our cultures
[quote]Vishwa has a good early album called "In Harmony", easy to find on Ebay too. His newest one is called "Mohan's Veena", duets recorded live with his son.
He's not quite as fast as Debashish but more melodic, though their styles seem to be converging over the years.
mmhhh so I'll prefere Vishwa ... I don't like too mutch the virtuosistic velocity ... it's my limit ... I prefere chordal & melodic slow motion twists.
quote:
I have no idea how you could play Debashish's licks with a bar,
yeaaa! I could compare to Debashish to John McLauglin at a first glance listening ...
now, in the case of John ... I love this artists not because is "the fast guitarist on the world" (no-sense for me)
but instead because his open-mindeness in composition approach ... (his "Extrapolation" album have been for me a stargate in the "value" of jazz) and his Shakti have been I think a movement on rediscover the slowness ... and a real convergence to a different culture.
quote:
Oh, but technique doesn't matter when you got soul, I forget sometimes.
ah ah! you are right!
personally speaking, after many years of tecnique on velocity-picking ?! I discovered to be in error, my way is to go back in slowness ... to enjoy the moment with my biological times (relax please!)
giorgio |
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Giorgio Robino
From:
Genova, Italy
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Posted 8 Aug 2005 11:04 am
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an interesting site for discovering multi etnical (world music especilly Indian) guitar new musicians is:
http://www.abstractlogix.com
btw, really indian slide music, that historically seem have generated hawaian music! (see my previous post) it's so not esteemed in this forum, a part me and David ?
Thst's really surprise me!
giorgio |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 8 Aug 2005 11:06 am
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I don't think that's a stretch, considering migrations. I'm sure there are several theories. Perhaps pan-Asian is the source of Island music.
But it's all good. |
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Mark Metdker
From:
North Central Texas, USA
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Posted 8 Aug 2005 12:23 pm
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I love the sitar and Indian music in general. I may check it out, thanks.
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