# Indian classical music and religious music



## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

I'm a big fan of Indian or Indian-adjacent traditional music. I love the tones of the instruments, in fact I have a (very cheap) sitar and set of tabla, and I'm pretty good with them. I also love the tonality, rhythms, and relaxing nature of it all (except qawwali which is more energetic from my experience).

My problem is that I only have three artists on my computer: Ravi Shankar (naturally), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (not as naturally but still pretty naturally), and Ali Akbar Khan. I'm a huge fan of all of them, but I would like to get to know more artists. Any suggestions?


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Try Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ustad Imrat Khan, Nikhil Banerjee, V.J.Jog, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ram Narayan. All wonderful covering a wide range of classical Indian styles. Violin, flute, sitar, shenai and Surbahar.


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2018)

Fred, here's a Wikipedia link that you may find of interest -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_India#Uttarakhandi_music

As your thread appears to be primarily concerned with Indian classical and religious music I didn't want to derail it by introducing variations that strayed from the topic and so I'll create a separate "Raga Rock, etc." thread.

Thought you might find this Mridangam vs. tabla drum-off to be of interest. Bit like Ginger Baker and Bill Bruford squaring off, eh?


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Dr. Gaurang Yodh, PhD Physics, associated with physics Nobelist Enrico Fermi at U. of Chicago. Interesting to compare his simplicity of approach to Shankar.....


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## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

I love the instruments. One note on even a drum is already harmonically complex and beautiful.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

That Kumar cat on the drum is incredible!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I love all the instruments used, I love the way they all sound together, but I think the melodies aren't distinct enough from piece to piece making it all sound the same. Also, with Ravi, I think the pieces go on far too long and get boring.

His daughter, Anoushka Shankar, based on what I've heard from her, seems to focus more on distinct melody, and more compact pieces which is to my liking.

Interesting fact if you didn't know, Norah Jones is also Ravi's daughter.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Anoushka Shankar (Ravi's daughter) & Joshua Bell in a composition by Ravi Shankar & Yehudi Menuhin... exquisite and transcendental musicianship. The interplay between the two of them is stunning, a mixture of a written piece and improvisation. Deeply impressed with both.






Bravo!


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## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

I seem to be drawn to music that's extremely long and can seem boring to others. A piece that comes to mind is Ali Akbar Khan's 80-minute raga. I think the more the merrier.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I've enjoyed Indian classical music for years and recently become a fan of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Most of his recordings are flute and tabla. His breath control must be the envy of professional flautists worldwide! He says he developed it while young, training to be a professional wrestler. Now _there's _an unusual story.

A nice long one for Fredx. Raag Patdeep.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

I've kinda gone raga crazy lately, listening to several a day for months now. Right now I especially like the rudra veena, a very large plucked instrument, played well by Z.M. Dagar, Asad Ali Khan, and a couple others. This music tends to be slow and fragmentary, aka meditative, featuring lots of note bending and silences... the flute playing of Hariprasad Chaurasia has a similar effect...

On the more upbeat side, Irshad Khan, Debashish Bhattacharya, Dhruba Ghosh, and especially Shahid Parvez have stood out for me.

Ragas are no more alike than piano concertos... Ragas Yaman and Bhimpalasi are a couple favorites... but this music reminds me more of bluegrass and early Americana... recalling how Ry Cooder slipped from one to the other back in the 80s, armed with his slide guitar.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

philoctetes said:


> ...On the more upbeat side, Irshad Khan, Debashish Bhattacharya, Dhruba Ghosh, and especially Shahid Parvez have stood out for me.
> 
> Ragas are no more alike than piano concertos... Ragas Yermen and Bhimpalasi are a couple favorites... but this music reminds me more of bluegrass and early Americana... recalling how Ry Cooder slipped from one to the other back in the 80s, armed with his slide guitar.


In fact, Debashish Bhattacharya plays a slide guitar of his own devising. He started out very young with a Hawaiian steel slide guitar! I was lucky enough to see him in recital, with other family members, not long ago.


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## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

philoctetes said:


> I've kinda gone raga crazy lately, listening to several a day for months now. Right now I especially like the rudra veena, a very large plucked instrument, played well by Z.M. Dagar, Asad Ali Khan, and a couple others. This music tends to be slow and fragmentary, aka meditative, featuring lots of note bending and silences... the flute playing of Hariprasad Chaurasia has a similar effect...


That instrument looks extremely cool. I wasn't even aware of that group of instruments. I love slow meditative music, so that sounds perfect.


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2018)

philoctetes said:


> I've kinda gone raga crazy lately, listening to several a day for months now. Right now I especially like the rudra veena, a very large plucked instrument, played well by Z.M. Dagar, Asad Ali Khan, and a couple others. This music tends to be slow and fragmentary, aka meditative, featuring lots of note bending and silences... the flute playing of Hariprasad Chaurasia has a similar effect...
> 
> On the more upbeat side, Irshad Khan, Debashish Bhattacharya, Dhruba Ghosh, and especially Shahid Parvez have stood out for me.
> 
> Ragas are no more alike than piano concertos... Ragas Yaman and Bhimpalasi are a couple favorites... but this music reminds me more of bluegrass and early Americana... recalling how Ry Cooder slipped from one to the other back in the 80s, armed with his slide guitar.







Link to above video - 




Breathtaking and unbelievable Raag Darbari by Ustad Irshad Khan at the Darbar Festival -






Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya | Raag Shudh Sarang | Music of India -






Pt.Dhruba Ghosh Sarangi at Sarb Akal -






Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan (Sitar) at Sarb Akal 2016 -






Ry Cooder The Slide Man -


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

Not to be a spammer, but there are some good mp3 deals at you-know-where for music by some of the musicians I mentioned, entire albums for $3-4 which were inexpensive but worthy additions to my library. 

Also, Manilal Nag is another sitarist to check out.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Here is an Indian song:


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I think one of the finest Indian musicians was Ali Akbar Khan, who played the sarod. His recordings on the Connoisseur label, recorded by Mark Levinson (of Lexus fame).


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## JFairweather (Oct 25, 2021)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahana_Bajpaie
https://tabla.org/calendar/2017/1/7/sitar-roopa-panesar-pirashanna-thevarajah-nitin-mitta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilayat_Khan
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Debu+Chaudhuri+
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niladri_Kumar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikhil_Banerjee (Top three - Ravi, Viliyat and Nikhil)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahid_Parvez


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## Sumantra (Feb 1, 2018)

I feel an absence of vocalists around here

(From early part of 20th century, available in yt, but not in best possible quality)

Faiyaz Khan
Abdul Karim Khan
Kesharbai Kerkar
D. V. Paluskar

(From second half of 20th century, better recording quality of course)

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
Maliikarjun Mansoor
Amir Kahn
Bhimsen Joshi
Kishori Amonkar
Sruti Sadolikar
Rashid Khan
Ulhas Kashalkar


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Ulfat Ki Nayi Manzil Ko Chala Iqbal Bano*


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

Indian pop is quite funny but not sure about hindu religious music, I love buddhist chants and tibetan horns and drum thing.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Dr. Gaurang Yodh was a well-known astrophysicist, with an interest in cosmic rays. Born in India, he received his Batchelor's in Mumbai (then Bombay) and his PhD at the U. of Chicago. He also was an accomplished sitar player and cut a fine record (LP) with both a morning and an evening raga. I personally find his approach as a skilled amateur to be, for me as someone with a non-Indian heritage, more satisfying than the more practiced and professional playing of Ravi Shankar. I wonder whether, in fact, the performances by Dr. Yodh may be perhaps more close to what an "average" sitar recital in India might sound like. Here is that LP via YouTube. It is mislabeled as being only an evening raga but actually offers both a morning and and evening raga, with the transition occurring at around 19 minutes.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

Strange Magic said:


> Dr. Gaurang Yodh was a well-known astrophysicist, with an interest in cosmic rays. Born in India, he received his Batchelor's in Mumbai (then Bombay) and his PhD at the U. of Chicago. He also was an accomplished sitar player and cut a fine record (LP) with both a morning and an evening raga. I personally find his approach as a skilled amateur to be, for me as someone with a non-Indian heritage, more satisfying than the more practiced and professional playing of Ravi Shankar. I wonder whether, in fact, the performances by Dr. Yodh may be perhaps more close to what an "average" sitar recital in India might sound like. Here is that LP via YouTube. It is mislabeled as being only an evening raga but actually offers both a morning and and evening raga, with the transition occurring at around 19 minutes.


Thanks. I couldn't tell the difference between morning and evening raga if I had to. But I really enjoy Debashish Bhattacharya's approach. He plays a 12 string guitar like a sitar - Indian Slide, they call it. Great album -










*Spotify Edition*


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

nice primer on the raga


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