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 taal 
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 The Sound Of New Age Music
 Khokar travels through time (three decades of memory) and space (India, America and Europe) to understand the rhythm and soul of music that helps induce harmony and bliss Krishna Nath, a numerologist and tarot card interpreter, was surrounded by a group of curious listeners in downtown Chicago. She was visiting America for her workshops and individual readings. "We are approaching the Age of Neptune with which the next century begins, the century we have lived in belonged to Saturn," observed Nath. "Hence, the 20th century saw destruction and development; wars and peace missions. In fact, the Age of Neptune has already been set in motion by the coming together of various concerns: in the fields of environment, medicine and music. The New Age phenomenon is but a precursor of things to come in making the world a better place to live in. "
As I head for New York, I muse over this. It certainly sounds reassuring. And though purists will argue that New Age music is really Old Age music rechristened, and with a new packaging, the first notes can be conveniently traced to the guitars of the Beatles and the sitar of Ravi Shankar. Although the Beatles became pop icons, they defied many established norms. In doing so, they provided fresh thinking and a new direction.
The music of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez also was a revolt. The mid-sixties, especially the Vietnam War, paved the way for a new movement, a need to prevent rather then cure; a need to think rather than merely act. In the two decades since, a whole new music vocabulary appeared. The spin-off to the Ravi Shankar-George Harrison type of music led to a more serious fusion music between the classicists (Yehudi Menuhin-Ravi Shankar) and between the neoclassicist fusion musicians such as Philip Glass and L. Subramaniam. |
If the sixties were a watershed in changing the course and understanding of music, the seventies ushered in a new sensitivity towards the appreciation of emerging patterns in music. This process culminated in the eclecticism which finally enveloped musicians in the eighties. New Age music cannot, however, be put in any previously existing genre. It is a genre in itself.
How? Take, for example, its structure. Although the same old instruments—from the piano to the cello—are deployed in its creation today, it is in their use that the difference comes through. I asked Gerry, Whitney Houston's manager, who, in his opinion, qualified for the top notch in New Age music today. His answer left me thinking.
On second thoughts, I do not know why it should. For Yanni represents the quintessence of this transformation. His music has melody, it suggests classicism, it has the free will of jazz, includes parts of orchestra music and still retains a newness, a charm, an appeal, an identity. His success from Acropolis to Agra (he is planning a concert in March by the Taj Mahal) speaks for itself.
Artistes such as Yanni also represent New Age music because it can encompass all—cultures, people and places. But the most significant aspect of New Age music is the effect it has on the listener. You have been hearing it in places of worship, in the soulful rendition by the Bauls, even in yoga classes. And in that sense, New Age music is timeless.
It provides a soothing backdrop for therapy sessions and personal growth workshops, for hypnosis and guided meditation. It calms, de-stresses, gently leading you to a world of harmony and bliss. New Age—and here I am almost tempted to call it Age Old—music is used for meditation or for reaching altered states of consciousness.
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 To fit the bill, the music must have a uniform and soothing structure, one that helps induce a freedom of mind and spirit. Any imposition by way of loud notes or heavy orchestration may provide entertainment, but it does not help in attaining tranquility. This music is often repetitive, almost one-track, mantra-like in its composition.
"I suffered from a severe sleep disorder, now I just play a soothing flute score and doze off," says Ambika Paniker, Odissi dancer. Jehangir Palkhivala, a lawyer-turned-yoga teacher, simply defines it as "good, relaxing music". "It is ultimately mind over matter," notes L. Subramaniam, who uses carnatic ragas (classical music tradition of South India) without the crutches of rhythmic support (percussion of any type ) to create canvases for varying levels of consciousness.
His works such as Shanti Priya (1987) represent these traits, where a higher state of music craftsmanship can indeed lead to something extraordinary. Extraordinary it certainly is, that within two decades, New Age music, as we know it, has not only been appreciated, but has also established itself as an important medium of communication.
And while it is yet to break records in India, New Age music has come of age in the West, where it is charting its way to the top. Many professional musicians and composers were instrumental in bringing about this change. Drawn towards the New Age movement in America, they began placing their musical abilities at its service. At first, their efforts received scant attention or interest. So they set up their own recording and distribution networks and started selling their music directly to the public.
Steven Halpern is one such classic case who is, writes The New York Times, ''...as close to being a superstar as anyone in New Age music". According to Halpern, the human body resonates to sound vibrations, and that certain frequencies affect certain parts of the body: "It seemed to me this music could be used as therapy. "
"I knew, in my heart of hearts, that I had no choice but to dedicate my life to researching and composing music for health and healing," Halpern wrote in his book, Sound Health: The Music and Sounds That Make Us Whole (1985). Halpern, who has a doctorate in psychology of music, went on to create several lasting works. In his book, Tuning the Human Instrument, he describes a system of correspondence literally.
A pianist and saxophone player, his stint with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi brought him to India in 1968, when he visited the Taj Mahal, and created his first of the Inside series, recording in the central dome of the monument. He duplicated this feat with Inside the Great Pyramid, in Egypt, Inside the Temple of Heaven, Beijing, and by playing music to killer whales in Canada. As if taking a cue, the Oshoites created their own brand of meditation music when Swami Chaitanya (Georg Deuter) recorded his early albums in Pune and later in Oregon.
His first album, Aum, mixed acoustic instruments with the sounds of the sea. This was followed by Celebration, compiled by Swami Govind Das. Two anonymous releases, Nataraja and Nadabrahma, emerged from the commune in Oregon. In Auroville arose an alternative lifestyle which reflected a spirit of search in all sorts of human endeavor, Straight to Our Heart is what Nadaka and Ganesh offer under the Rain Tree Records label from Pondicherry. |
 This type of Indian-Western fusion is not new, but is part of New Age thinking simply because it follows and flows more from the heart than from the head. There are no compulsions of grammar, technique or classically correct arrangements. And even though instruments such as the carnatic violin (Ganesh) and the ghattam (Vikku Vinayakram) are used, the whole ambiance is almost surreal.
Mohit Satyanand, who has formed the Friends of Music circle in Delhi, doesn't think that India is the right context for New Age music: "In India we live in a different conditioning of the mind. Unlike in the West, where meditation and therapy and such activity perhaps needs the inputs of the right environment, the right setting, the right music, for us these are not altogether necessary or affordable. An atmosphere may help, but that atmosphere can also be created in the mind itself. I think our classical music is perfect relaxation material. Thus we really do not have as much use for New Age stuff as is in the West."
Besides, he asks: "Is New Age really new? Take the case of Jethro Tull: what came out 10 years ago is totally different to what is being attempted today. Just because an artiste progresses in his own artistic pursuits, can his work derive a new label? In India, I feel only Indian Ocean qualifies for that label; their work has integrity, they are honest without jargon or pretense."
At the other end of the spectrum is the avant garde work of a few composers such as Philip Glass and Steve Reich. A sort of minimalism often dominates this style. Glass first achieved recognition in 1974 for his Music in 12 Parts, followed by his operas Einstein on the Beach( 1976) and Satyagraha (1980). His music fitted with the concerns and contexts of the New Age approach, of reliving and revealing higher states of consciousness.
Pink Floyd has devoted an entire side in Meddle ( 1971) to an instrumental evocation of the "textures of crystalline space". Rober L Fripp, formerly of King Crimson, joined Brian Eno to create An Evening Star (1975). Eno produced several other compositions in this mould. New Age music knows no cultural boundaries and in that it is truly representative of world music language today. In fact, in many music stores in India it is sold in the 'world music' section.
European artists such as the German group Tangerine Dream, and Britisher Edgar Froese and Swede Lief Strand have contributed significantly. So have the Japanese Kitaro and the African Shadowfox. Germans Kai Taschner and AI Gromer have used the sitar, Mrican drums and Urdu poetry to create Black Marble and Sweet Fire.
Enya has her own niche and with her latest, The Memory of Trees, brings in vocal notes to New Age music, as does Loreena McKennit in Celtic Twilight by Hearts of Space. The Native American music has a wide range, too, with artistes such as Carlos Nakki, Douglas Spotted Eagle and Perry Silverbird (Narada's Between Father Sky and Mother Earth).
The Native Americans connect to the gods as represented by the elements. There is yet another section pertaining to spirituality with titles such as: The Angels of Venice, Heavenly Relationship, Angelic Meditation and I Cantori: Choir of Angels. The Billboard magazine (the music Bible of sorts) commented in 1987: "New Age music may be the most startlingly successful undefined music ever to hit the public consciousness."
Wesley Van Linda, in New Age Music Comes of Age: "New Age music is defined more by the intention of the artist, rather than the style and range of music." When range, style and intention are combined, it results in a New Age music promotion company such as Narada. How this Wisconsin-based company adopted the name of the maverick Indian saint-cum-troublemaker and musician-of-sorts remains a mystery to me, but what is more mysterious and magical about it is that it represents music cultures as disparate as the Asian, the Latin American, African and the American.
Narada started in 1983 by releasing Pianoscapes by Michael Jones and Heartsounds by David Lanz. Both the musicians continue to be immensely productive and successful, having released many more titles. In 1985, Narada introduced Eric Tingstad, Nancy Rumbel and Spencer Brewer. By 1987, its Natural States had climbed the Billboard Top of the Charts. In 1989, Cristofori's Dream by Lanz achieved a rare distinction of consecutively heading the charts for 30 weeks and selling 500,000 copies. |
Today, however, Celtic music is a bestseller. The Irish landscape and its harps, cellos and strains have captured the imagination of listeners and Michael Barnes, a music lover, says: "It is all post-Braveheart success. The film brought Scotland and Ireland of yore and that has led to spin-offs musically. "
Celtic Legacy, Celtic Odyssey and Celtic Voices have a combined sale of over a million. The owner of the Gem City Records music stores across the USA, John Huffman, gave me a compilation of the tapes of Windham Hill which also ranks among the major producers of New Age music titles. For Huffman, "New Age music represents freedom from form. "
The other top names in the line, according to him: Alcazar, Ancient Future, Canyon Records, Fortuna Records, Serenity, Hearts of Space, New Earth Records and New World Productions of England. In India, the first signs of this Age have appeared in the form of music produced by classical instrumentalists such as L. Subramaniam, Hariprasad Chaurasia (with Oshoite Amareesh Leib ) or L. Shankar with Jan Garbarek and Zakir Hussain who have created musicscapes connected to either their music genres or their instruments.
Experiments such as Elements by Music Today have created a groove for this type of music, but other companies are yet to follow the lead in any conclusive manner. "The whole New Age music is rather syrupy here. The fact that it is being equated with spirituality is a bit of a joke," observes Anu Majumdar who lives in Auroville.
Dr Raghava R. Menon, music critic and author, admits that "audiences are slowly becoming curious about the New Age milieu," but adds that "in its absence and in the presence of such a heavy tradition of classical and popular [read film] music, India has yet to focus itself on this genre. Also, because unlike in the West, we are just entering the TV boom. This has resulted in all kinds of music cultures: pop, Indo, fusion, bhangra, rap, tap and what have you."
Deepak Marwah of The Music Shop in Delhi includes "everything: fusion, jazz, alternative music" in the New Age music label, offering me titles such as Garbage and Babylon Zoo. The label may be undefined; it may even appear new to us, regardless of the fact that we have been unconsciously listening to this kind of music for many years. But when music transcends all barriers, synthesizing with our body and mind to bring us to a feeling of well-being—well, that's what I call New Age music.
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By Ashish Khokar
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#1 09 Sep 2008 09:17
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| Thanks for the useful Topic taal : |
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Re: The Sound Of New Age Music
Midival Punditz: Hello Hello Release Date 31 March
This past decade has been marked by the rise of the Indian electronica scene and no single band has had more influence on its growth than the Midival Punditz. Comprised of New Delhi based producers Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, the Punditz have been repeatedly heralded as pioneers of a scene that has ushered in some of the freshest global music out of India. On their new, third studio album Hello Hello, the duo has successfully documented their own personal journey as artists and brought their sound into the present. As India's influence on the world through music, film and fashion hits a new peak as evidenced by the worldwide popularity of the film Slumdog Millionaire, the Punditz have kept their hands on the wheel and helped steer this ship into a new century of sound and culture.
Hello Hello encompasses all the varied worlds in which this producer/DJ team exists - tying them together through a sound that brings International Electronica, Global Pop, Folk, and Indian Classical with modern day song writing. The result is a sound that is uniquely Midival Punditz. For this album, the duo get support from longtime friend and collaborator Karsh Kale, working as co-producer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. The album's opener, “Electric Universe,” follows in the old tradition of 'tonight's-the-night' style dance hits. The majestic bansuri flute sets up the vocoder lyrics “this is the night/to turn on the lights/to the universe” over a sturdy, western dance groove. But at the end of the record, an acoustic version of the same song, with “real” vocals and acoustic guitar by Karsh Kale, turns it into a nocturne as if to prove that despite all the bells and whistles, in the end it's all about the song. Led Zeppelins “Four Sticks” gets an authentically South Asian treatment that builds on the faux-Indian sounds of the original. They collaborate on this one with Israeli electro jazz band, J.Viewz. A few minutes later we're taken into the 19th century with a setting of the Indian poet Mirza Ghalib's beautiful “Har Ek Baat” over a decidedly 21st century beat. Raina and Raj realized that Western dance music wasn't connecting with them on the same emotional level as India's own classical and folk music so they decided to do something about it. In 1997, after several years of work setting up their own studio in New Delhi, the two producers launched the Punditz. Gigs with Tabla Beat Science, the Indo-electronica act founded by producer Bill Laswell and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, put the duo on the map. They honed their vision with a series of events called Cyber Mehfil a modern update on an ancient north Indian tradition of artistic gatherings. The original mehfil could include music, poetry, and/or dance. The Cyber Mehfil brought the sounds of modern electronica to the traditional music of the subcontinent, while adding visuals and incense to entice the other senses as well. In a span of eight years since the first Cyber Mehfil, the Midival Punditz have become the most in-demand producers and remixers in India, with remix credits for some of the biggest Bollywood soundtracks such as the 2008 blockbusters Don & Chake De. They have shattered attendance records of some of Indias most venerable clubs such as Mumbai's Blue Frog and have become the foremost ambassadors of India's rapidly growing alternative and electronic music scene around the world. Since releasing their first Six Degrees record in 2002, the Punditz have created a Bollywood film score, given tracks for a Hollywood film (Closer), collaborated with some of the greatest classical musicians of India, and contributed to several Six Degrees compilations. Their version of Zeppelin's “Four Sticks,” in fact, was originally done for the Six Degrees 10th anniversary record, and revealed Raina and Raj's abiding love for classic rock. That affection colors much of Hello Hello. The song “Atomizer,” for example, is a rollicking, stomping tune that looks back to 80s rock and also features an electronic “vocal” track. And on “Drifting,” one of the album's two instrumentals, Pandit Ajay Prasanna's bansuri flute weaves its way over a layer of guitars that suggest U2's the Edge. Because young Indians grow up with a strong classical music influence and an even stronger pop music one (namely, the string of hit songs coming out of the Bollywood film industry), the Punditz's blend of Western and Indian music is completely organic; there's no sense of anything being forced. In fact, in songs like “Tonic,” it's hard to tell where one tradition leaves off and the next begins. Is that a clubby groove?, a South Indian folk rhythm? Maybe it's both... As if to blur borders even further, the vocals consist of a bilingual rap, by actor/performance artist Ajay Naidu. The voice itself has a quiet, restrained sound, but there's no restraint in the words. This is one you probably won't be playing for your mom. Another seamless fusion is “Desolate,” where a moody, 6-beat rhythm leads to a surge of voices, by Bollywood star vocalist Shankar Mahadevan & New York based singer/songwriter Shahid. It's a distinctly Indian sound propelled by grinding electric guitars. Like any good producer team, Raina and Raj know that you have to vary the mood and the tempo, and two of the highlights on Hello Hello are slower, more atmospheric songs. “Naina Laagey,” written collaboratively with Assamese singer/producer Papon, has a lovely melody that comes straight from the tradition of Indian Classical love songs; this one, though, is sung over tolling piano and Brian Eno-esque electronics. And “Sun Mere Sanam,” sung in Urdu, has some of the most complex singing on the album by New York based modern ghazal artist Vishal Vaid, floating over a downtempo groove and a bed of synthesized and programmed sounds. Of course, this all plays well in the clubs of Mumbai and New Delhi. But Midival Punditz have also become a genuinely international band, attracting critical acclaim in Europe and the States while performing their high-energy live show at festivals such as Glastonbury and selling out venues from New York to San Francisco. Collaborations with rising star Anoushka Shankar, “it” Bollywood composers Salim & Sulaiman, Sting, Norah Jones, and countless others in India and abroad have cemented their reputation as both talented producers and musical visionaries. They are part of a remarkable infusion of Indian culture around the world. India's film industry has begun appealing to the global mainstream, and cross-cultural movies like Slumdog Millionaire have become worldwide success stories. The stage is set: it's a world on Shuffle, and Midival Punditz are on the playlist.
____________ Music forms a part of me again It gives Shape to my faceless Expressions...To my Thoughts. {Alochana}
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#2 31 May 2009 01:00
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mymoon
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 347
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Re: The Sound Of New Age Music
Thanks for sharing excellent thread.
____________ Ae zindagi yeh lamha jee lene de
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#3 01 Jun 2009 09:09
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mymoon
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 347
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Re: The Sound Of New Age Music
Thanks for sharing.........!! Global musical confluence in Leh
____________ Ae zindagi yeh lamha jee lene de
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#4 14 Jul 2009 11:02
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king12
Joined: January 2007
Posts: 1035
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Re: The Sound Of New Age Music
Conventional `melodies' were replaced by experimental music, as Bollywood became `cool' 2000 The end of `melody' Nadeem-Shravan had cracked it. The '90s had belonged to the composer duo, who churned out chartbuster tunes, one album after another.
After a brief hiatus, the duo had come back to Bollywood in 2000 with Dhadkan. Almost instantly, the music created new records.
But with Taal in the last year, A R Rahman had proved that conventional Bollywood melodies were giving way to a new sound where experimentation would lead the way. The dawn of music directors like VishalShekhar and ShankarEhsaan-Loy on the scene, who gave equal importance to music production, as they did to composition, all signified a complete overhaul of `conventional' Bollywood music. 2001 The Bhatt film formula The signs were there, right from the time of Kasoor. A high-pitched romantic number with a catchy hook (`Kitni bechain ho ke'), a male sad song with deep vocals (`Mohabbat ho na jaaye'), and a female sad song about unrequited love (`Zindagi man gaye ho tum'). Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt's films had worked out a distinct music formula at the time of Kasoor, that they'd replicate every year, in every movie, even if the composer and singers changed. So, in the years that followed, Anu Malik gave a similar sound in Murder, Pritam in Gangster, right up to ToshiSharib in Jashn. You could identify a Bhatt-film song from a mile away, but that's not a bad thing. 2002 Kaanta laga If the Bollywood music industry was ever in peril, it was in 2002, when remixes threatened to replace the `mukhadas' and `antaras' with different variations of the phrase `Let's party', and some turntable effects thrown in for good measure. Shefali Zariwala became the face ... or..err.. butt of the remix revolution, when she starred in the music video of `Kaanta laga', thong firmly in place. Pristine Hindi songs like `Chadhti jawani' acquired a new meaning, the moral police had a field day, and DJs minted money with Non-stop remix Non-stop remix albums. And we found out that even Bappi Lahiri can be plagiarised, when he sued R `n' B singer, Truth Hurts for remixing his song `Kaliyon ka chaman' in his single, `Addictive'! 2008 Jai ho Rahman In retrospect, after Roja (1992), every year can just as easily be called the `year of A R Rahman'. Heck, if the 2000s were to belong to a musician, it would be called the `decade of Rahman'. Yet, 2008 was special because, for the first time, Rahman churned out as many as five Bollywood soundtracks, with each one hitting the right notes. From Jodhaa Akbar and Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, to Ada, Yuvraaj and Ghajini, Rahman covered just about every genre from historical to contemporary romance, to `masala Bollywood', showcasing his versatility and mind-boggling range. Then, just before the year ended, there was Slumdog Millionaire. And world music will never be the same again. 2003 The Return of R D It had to happen. After RD Burman passed away in 1994, his mad orchestrations, wacky experiments, and penchant for using unusual musical instruments to create songs that broke out of the typical rhythmbased Bollywood routine, could never be recreated by any other composer. A lot of remixes came and went, but the Panchamda sound had been lost forever. Until Jhankaar Beats and Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar came.
Vishal-Shekhar's break out album, Jhankaar Beats was an ode to the legacy of Panchamda, and was rooted in his sound. And Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar went the whole mile, recreating 14 of Burman's best songs, in the voice of the present generation. The Pancham flavour was back! 2004 Zip,zoom,dhoom Move your body, shake your ass', did you say? That was the domain of the `foreign' singers, that we `foreign' singers, that we caught glimpses of, on late night shows on MTV. Music videos, did you say? Only the Indipop world of Sunita Rao and Baba Sehgal had that. Car music, did you say?
Well, unless you call `Kanta laga' car music...
In 2004, Pritam changed all that with `Dhoom machale'. With Thai singer Tata Young at its helm, the song was singularly responsible for the zipping `Hinglish' songs we hear on every track now, the trend of music videos, and the much-abused phrase, `international collaboration'. 2005 Kajra re There's something about `Kajre re' (Bunty Aur Babli). Maybe it is the sight of a droolsome Aishwarya Rai performing trademark Bollywood `thumkas', in a ravishing, sexy avatar, that men had so-far only dreamed about. Maybe it is the father-son duo dancing with abandon. Or maybe it is the reinvention of the qawwali by ShankarEhsaan-Loy and Gulzar, that helped the song pip Omkara's `Beedi' (2006) as the item number of the decade. We think it's Aishwarya! 2006 The phenomenon called Himesh He came, he sang, he conquered. In 2005, Himesh Reshammiya was unwittingly encouraged to sing title song for his Aashiq Banaya Aapne. The song, which had a `sufi flavour', became a rage across India.
And an idea was born that took shape in the form of a 23-song debut private album, Aap Ka Suroor, by Reshammiya, who exploited his nose to sing, swallowed his tears for beautiful models, who ditched him in music videos, and wore a cap to hide his bald patch.
The sale of caps reached an unprecedented high, Reshammiya was signed on for a big-budget movie that would explain `why he doesn't smile in music videos' and `nasal singing' found a synonym. And a phenomenon was born. 2007 Chak De India Last decade, India ever really had a ports movie that set our pulses racing and made us bite our nails in excitement.
Lagaan, in 2003, changed that. But though Lagaan became the toast of our nation, we still didn't have a sports song, which would inspire patriotism in us and motivate us to kick some ass. And then came, Chak De India!.
The movie moved us and inspired us in all kinds of ways. It didn't do much for Hockey, but no one complained since, coinciding with the year T20 became huge, the song became the national chant for supporters of the Indian cricket team at matches. India had found a sports anthem. 2009 Dev D I f c r there was one song that ould have been singularly esponsible for driving audiences to the theatre to watch a movie in 2009, it would easily be `Emosanal attyachar' from Dev D. Amit Trivedi's radical 18song soundtrack that turned every Bollywood stereotype on its head, with a fresh, edgy sound, could well be Bollywood's first rock opera.
Aided by Amitabh Bhattacharya's wacky lyrics, that incorporated a bi**h somewhere, and a wh**e elsewhere, Trivedi's music signified the dawn of a new era in contemporary Bollywood music that's driven by sweeping orchestrations and extraordinary experimentation. And after the exquisite `Iktara' in Wake Up Sid, you know that Trivedi's just getting started.
____________ Katra katra milthii hain, katra katra jeene do,
zindagi hain, behne do, pyaasi hoon main pyasi rehne do
from the movie Ijaazat.
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#5 30 Dec 2009 23:17
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king12
Joined: January 2007
Posts: 1035
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Re: The Sound Of New Age Music
Sunday , April 25 , 2010 LEGACY OF TWO RICH VOICES Upholding tradition without being traditionalists | Postscript Githa Hariharan | 
|  | | (From top) D.K. Pattammal and Gangubai Hangal |
The voices of two grand old women fell silent last year. With the passing of D.K. Pattammal and Gangubai Hangal in 2009, we lost two of our most important performers, one from each of the two streams of classical Indian music. They had quite a bit in common, these extraordinary women. Both were lauded as brilliant performers. But more important, they were hailed as musicians who engaged deeply with the technical nuances as well as the spirit of classical music. Both said they listened to different types of music. But they were committed women. Their commitment anchored them firmly in their respective streams, with a steadfast loyalty to their schools of music and to their gurus. Neither woman was viewed as particularly feminine, either in terms of appearance or voice. Both had unusually strong and deep voices, with Gangubai’s voice often being described as masculine. (Typically, this did not bother Gangubai — it did not “hurt” her, she said, because “as long as sur and bhaav are right, nothing else matters”.) The integrity the two radiated — the refusal to compromise with principle — was as powerful as their voices. Neither was cliché feminine, but both women emanated a sense of simplicity and innocence. They had modesty, in the best sense of the term, meaning a humility that comes from knowing that more can be learnt. Pattammal and Gangubai were great musicians, but they were also students of music, practising, learning, always wanting to be mid-song. Pattammal said in an interview, “Carnatic music is like an ocean. There is so much to learn. How much ever you learn, there is always more. One lifetime is not enough even to fathom the depth of the art. My wish is that I should die singing. I ask for nothing more.” This was the goal they strained toward; but both knew how difficult the way there was. In an interview, Pattammal spoke of the demands of music on a singer, even when the singer is still a child. She recalled how she used to practise every morning from 3.30 to 6:00, then again in the evening after returning from school. Gangubai too recalled the work she had to put in day after day, work that sometimes seemed to be drudgery. Her guru, Pandit Sawai Gandharva, was in a village in Kundgol. Gangubai would take the train from Hubli every morning at 5:30 and return by the last train at 9:30 pm. During the day, she and the other pupils were expected to meet their guru’s exacting standards. Gangubai remembered how she would be close to tears because of having to repeat the same phrases over and over again. But she was only allowed to stop when her guru thought she had it right. In fact, Gangubai described the musician’s life in her usual style, honest to the point of bluntness. It’s a hard life, she said, and not everyone can bear the hardships that are part of a life of music. When she said this, she must have had more in mind than the backbreaking practice sessions. Perhaps she recalled some of the hard personal decisions involved. And the compromises, made by more than one person so that a musician could be born. Gangubai’s mother, for example, stopped singing Carnatic music so that Gangu’s talim in Hindustani music would not be affected. And talking of hardship, the musical achievement of Gangubai and Pattammal cannot be separated from their struggles to overcome prejudice and discrimination, and, eventually, their great triumph: extending the space of women performers. To begin with, they shared the restrictions imposed on them because of their gender. But more specifically, the two women faced the brick-wall rules of caste. In the case of Gangubai, it was the numerous ways in which she could be isolated as lower caste. Gangubai spoke of the niggling little fears that dogged her even as a schoolchild. She recalled, for instance, that she would often hide when she saw a teacher passing by, in case she was asked to sit separately. And when she was part of a group of school students who sang an invocatory hymn at the Congress session in Belgaum in the 1920s, she was again afraid; this time that she would be asked to go out and eat separately. (She wasn’t.) Pattammal, too, suffered from the rigidities of caste conventions — but in a different way. As a Brahmin woman, the benefits of gurukul training were denied to her. Her own mother sang well, but was not allowed to perform even for friends or the family. Pattammal was forced to notate songs in concerts and take down the key phrases of ragas. And when her talent was discovered, her father, a lover of music, was worried about the stigma that would be attached to public performance. Luckily, the headmistress of the school Pattammal studied in convinced him. Later, her husband was also a supportive figure. How did these two women manage their delicate balance between strength and openness? An openness growing out of their generosity but also their vulnerability? Maybe there is an oblique answer in two endearing images of Pattammal that I will always cherish — one from a concert at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, and the other on YouTube. The YouTube gem features a 90-year-old Pattammal singing the Indian national anthem. The syllables are measured and solemn as she spells out the anthem in that slow and clear way she has. She sings the words so they seem to be describing a spacious land with room for everyone. What you hear conjures images of a place on a grand scale. And there is such a sweet expression on Pattammal’s face as she sings, that nothing need be said about what the song means to her. It can be seen, the deep joy and the sense of belonging the song brings to her even as she sings it. Patriotism becomes something else the minute it is called by that word, the minute it is valorized and made official. Perhaps those who hate in the name of patriotism or bore on forever about packaging a commodity called Brand India should be made to learn from the look on Pattammal’s face as she sings the anthem. And at the JNU concert I referred to earlier, Pattammal spoke to the students briefly about the distinguishing features of the two great composers whose work she sang that day. She described them in homely images that showed how much their work was a part of her: a song by Thyagaraja, she said, was like a banana, it went down so smoothly and sweetly. But a song by Muthuswamy Dikshitar was like a coconut. You would get something worthwhile in the end, but you had to work for it by breaking open the resisting nut. Pattammal and Gangubai were both keepers of tradition who were not traditionalists. They enriched tradition, and in the process became trailblazers. Ultimately these women, through their music and their lives, extended the meaning of ‘progressive’, filled it out so we get a better idea of the possibilities of the word and the reality. |
____________ Katra katra milthii hain, katra katra jeene do,
zindagi hain, behne do, pyaasi hoon main pyasi rehne do
from the movie Ijaazat.
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#6 25 Apr 2010 01:16
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Music
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Re: The Sound Of New Age Music
Modern sound of ancient India< type=text/java>var addthis_pub = "thehindu";SUDHISH KAMATHJuly 2, 2010 SAILING INTO THE WORLD OF SOUND: Yodhakaa. Photo: R. Ravindran CHATLINE Sanskrit slokas get a contemporary sound in Yodhakaa's new album. SUDHISH KAMATH catches up with the band members The average age of the band members is 23. With its brand of Indian ethnic sound and classical music that has world influences, Yodhakaa has sparked off a revival of sorts for non-film music in Chennai. The band is all set to release its eponymously named first album for Purplenote, a new non-film label launched by the promoters of Sathyam Cinemas recently. Band members Darbuka Siva, Subhiksha Rangarajan, V. Pradeep Kumar, Keba Jeremiah and Divyan Ahimaz are a fun-loving bunch. Bassist Keba observes, “What we do is spontaneous. We don't play what we rehearse. Our concerts end up very different from what we had rehearsed. If someone is angry before a concert, the music turns out angry. We are unpredictable.” Yodhakaa was started by ‘Darbuka' Siva in 2005. “We were doing world music back then. The line-up was very different. After a year, Pradeep and Subhiksha joined the band. Around last year, we realised we were getting a little tired of doing cover versions. We didn't have anything that was our own. We felt it was not our natural expression. That's when Pradeep had an idea,” recalls Siva. Pradeep had worked with Sanskrit slokas and that interested the band. “We take Sanskrit slokas, add Indian sound to them and mix them with influences from around the world, but retain the lyrical quality and the tune.” Do they understand the meaning of the slokas they incorporate into their music? “Always. The meaning helps us tune the songs,” says Siva. Subhiksha, the vocalist adds, “We have a friend, Pranav, who understands what we want. He's a Sanskrit scholar and has written two of our songs. He has researched different slokas over the years.” “We are not afraid to use a Brazilian groove like the samba to an Indian sound. We don't have any hang-ups and are open to any musical style as long as it sounds good,” says Siva. Classical and contemporary “The stuff that Pradeep and I sing is classical and what we do with it together makes it contemporary,” Subhiksha chips in. “Every sloka was written in a very different era. The Ganesha Pancharatnam and Vishnu slokas are centuries old... There were only 3 notes in 2000 BC,” says Pradeep. “The tune of ancient slokas evolved with time. When we started singing Sangeetha Shastram, the tunes changed. We all know how the sloka should sound as a song. We had an interesting groove and instinctively knew how it should sound and Pranav helped us out with the right kind of Vishnu sloka.” Despite their age and constantly shifting moods, the band members have never had any fights or disagreements. “Decisions are either taken together or not,” says Subhiksha. “Mostly our fights are about food or biscuits,” adds Siva, talking about their practice sessions in T.Nagar, which are held at least once or twice a week. The newest member of the band, a pilot, Divyan joined Yo dhakaa just before the album. “I always wanted to be in a big band…” he starts, as Siva cuts him short: “We are not a big band.” “Being the youngest here, I have been learning quite a bit,” smiles Divyan, sheepishly admitting that he still flies planes in New Zealand. “We have only seen him fly kites,” says Siva pulling his leg again. “The idea is to perform live as much as possible. We want people to find out what Yodhakaa sounds like. We always ask everyone who has heard us, ‘Who do we sound like?' And they tell us: ‘You sound like no one else. You sound like Yodhakaa.' That's what we've been struggling to do and we are glad we are here. But what we do from now is what counts.” Yodhakaa – The Album The album to be released soon has eight songs that have already been recorded in Mumbai for Purplenote. What's more, the album was produced and funded from scratch by the label. “That has not happened for a while. In fact, it's been a while since a record label has even okayed a non-film music album. Record labels usually expect you to master it, mix it with your own money. And in Mumbai, you are also expected to record a video and submit your masters of audio and video for consideration and can still be rejected. We are very, very lucky,” says Siva. “We were playing for a Satya Paul fashion show and Swaroop Reddy was one of the guests. Since we hadn't done anything like that before, we played it by ear and decided on some tracks we usually do and other improvisations. It went down really well. It became a collaboration between music and fashion. We had good chemistry. It got us noticed. A day after that, Priya Krishnan from Think Music called us and said her boss had seen us performing and they were thinking of doing something for non-film music. They asked for samples and, after two months, got back to us. They gave us a good budget. I don't know how many bands get a chance to go to Yash Raj Studios to record their first album.” ____________ Music forms a part of me again It gives Shape to my faceless Expressions...To my Thoughts. {Alochana}
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#7 04 Jul 2010 01:00
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Music
Moderator
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 3983
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Re: The Sound Of New Age Music
November 30, 2011 MADHUMITHA SRINIVASAN Enjoying the high  Music director Anirudh Ravichander. Photo: Special Arrangement The soaring success of Why this Kolaveri? has brought to the fore the young debutant music director Anirudh Ravichander. If he's ever asked if there's a song that changed his life, 21-year-old Anirudh Ravichander, would give the answer without even a second thought: Why this kolaveri? For those who go by numbers, the fact that the song has attracted over 8,179,125 views, 90,322 “likes”, shared by more than a crore users on Facebook, that it was trending on twitter for days after its official launch and it's the first Tamil song to be played on MTV, will vouch for the “life changing” bit. “I never expected the song to become such a phenomenon. My phone's ringing non-stop. It's yet to sink in,” says Anirudh, sounding every bit like the typical youngster. Though his seriousness about his choice of career and music tend to make you forget that fact, his casual tone and chuckles bring back the image of a young talented music director trying to make it in the big ‘ol world of films. NXg catches up with the boy behind the song that's made being dumped by your girlfriend a croon-able experience. How did your tryst with music begin? I started learning western classical piano when I was four. It was my parents who identified my musical leanings and put me up for classes. In school, along with my friends, I formed a band called Zynx which is a Carnatic-Western fusion complete with mridangam et al. Later in college — Loyola College where I graduated in B.Com — I joined a band called Circuit where we played purely rock music. Since, I had always wanted to be a commercial music director, these varied musical experiences helped me gain more exposure and confidence. How did you land your first movie project “3”? The movie's director Aishwarya Dhanush started shooting short films, two years back, as a part of her home work for the film she was going to direct. Since she knew I was into music, she asked me to work with her on her short films and score music for them. In a span of two years, we worked together in 12 short films, during which we developed a good rapport. As she moved to her full-fledged movie project, she asked me to tag along as well, as we had already worked together and were comfortable with each other. That's how my debut into films happened. After being a part of bands, how was it moving into the bigger arena of films? In a movie it is all about understanding the script and being able to connect emotionally with the story. With the homework already in place with the short films, the move wasn't actually a challenge. Also, the bands gave me an opportunity to work with different styles of music. But the feeling of playing a live gig is different. Playing in a band is something that would like to continue. Tell us about the music you have scored in “3”. There are 10 tracks in the album: six songs, one remix and three theme music. I basically wanted to go all out and make every song unique. With a lot of criticism these days about the keyboard replacing actual instruments, I have gone back to the olden days and made every musician play live and recorded in live sound. I have used a 40-piece orchestra. The music credit itself could run to two pages. How has life changed after the success of Kolaveri…? The song was actually targeted at the youth but it has gone beyond that and reached everyone. It was totally unexpected. Now I am getting noticed a lot more. Like the other day, when I was having dinner at a restaurant and somebody actually tweeted about it saying “Anirudh's here!”. This kind of recognition is nice in a way but I would still like to continue being the regular youngster that I am. Is being a youngster in the film industry, an advantage or a disadvantage? It is both as on one side I have the luxury of time and on the other I lack the knowledge on how to handle the different and various aspects of the film industry. But my debt has been smooth I had the best team to work with in “3”. There has been no pressure at all. It was fun all the way. Future projects… After the release of Kolaveri… I have got 15 offers so far. But I want to take it slow. This movie is my baby and I want to see how it is received. I will decide after that. But for now, I am enjoying the high. Rapid fire Song for all seasons: Pudhu vellai mazhai from “Roja” and Kun faya kun and Tum Ho from “Rockstar”. Musical inspiration: Having grown up in the 1990s, obviously A.R. Rahman. Best feedback: The tweet by Amitabh Bachchan (Just heard #Kolaveri after much talk on it ... its so original and catchy ..) Worst feedback: For a song with so much “likes” there's always bound to be another side. I did get about five mails with negative criticism. I am not going to share what it said (laughs). A genre you are comfortable with: Love songs ‘cos am a pianist. ____________ Music forms a part of me again It gives Shape to my faceless Expressions...To my Thoughts. {Alochana}
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#8 04 Dec 2011 03:05
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