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Poor and Crappy is what one has to (unfortunately) describe when it comes to Indian Classical albums. It is rare to find well recorded Indian Classical Music albums. We have (and had in the past) many great maestros in Indian Classical music but it is sad that we only have this substandard recordings of their work to preserve and hand it over to the next generation.

For some good recording of our maestros we have to look at some ‘firang’ labels such as ‘Chhandhadhara’, ‘ECM” ,’MAKAR” etc.

I have some 200+ Indian Classical albums but hardly couple of dozen albums are bearable on my Mid Fi system, for rest albums I am forced to listen to them on my old (forgiving) Philips boom box!

But sometimes, all of sudden as a fine surprise one finds a well recorded / mastered Album from an Indian Record Label, here are couple of such gems from my collection:

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Night Melodies
Artist: by Dr Prabha Atre.
Label: SaReGaMA

Program:

1. Rag Maru Bhihag (Jagoon Main Sari Raina/ जागु मै सारी रैना)
2. Rag Kalavati (Tarana: Tan Man Dhan Tope waru / तन मन धन तोपे वारु)
3. Mishra Kafi Thumari (Kaun Gali Gayo Sham / कौन गली गयो शाम)

A very clean and detailed recording, especially timbre of the instruments (Tabla and tanpura). This recording is so good that one can use it to test a system for Indian Classical Music genre.

(Venkat: Female voice, Tanpura and Tabala ….this is for you!)

The Jagoon Main Sari Raina (जागु मै सारी रैना) in Rag Maru Bihag is simply mesmerizing! There is no other way to describe it.

I am sure after listening to this album you will start searching more albums from Dr Prabha Atre and end up in buying the entire collection.

This album was released in LP format in late 60s and was best seller in those days. This single LP alone brought thousands and thousands people into the folds of Indian Classical genre! This album was also released in cassette form afterwards and at present it is available on CD format.

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Call of the valley

Artist:

• Pt Brjbhushan Kabra (Guitar)
• Pt Shivkumar Sharma (Santoor)
• Pt Hariprasad Chourasia (Bamboo Flute).

Label: SaReGaMA (also available on EMI Classic pressing)


Program:

1. Ahir Bhairav/Nat Bhairav
2. Rag Piloo
3. Bhoop Ghara
4. Rãg Des
5. Rag Pahadi
6. Ghara-Dadra - Shivkumar Sharma, Kabra, Brij Bhushan
7. Dhun-Mishra Kirwani - Shivkumar Sharma, Sharma, Shivkumar
8. Bageshwari

Another milestone album from three legends in Indican Callsical music.
Just like Dr Prabha Atre ‘s ‘Night Melodies’ , this album too helped (or rather forced) people to get into the groves of Indian Classical Music.

Recording is fine, well balanced, instrument separation is quite prominent, timber especially the Bamboo Flute is spot on and program itself is divine.

Firstly in LP (early 70s) followed by a Cassette and now in CD format . CD contains two bonus tracks from the same session.

This album is so popular that , even a hard core Rock / Matalica guy has his own copy!


Well, here I must mention that the same album is released by EMI Classic(available at Amazon.com: Call of the Valley: Shivkumar Sharma, Brijbushan Kabra, Hariprasad Chaurasia: Music and it is far more superior to this SaReGaMa pressing.

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Thumri Katha - Story of Thumri -Enchanting love songs
(Thematic Semi Classical Vocal)

Artist: Satyasheel Deshpande

Lable: Ninaad NCCD0117

Thumri Katha encompasses the many emotions and situations that this 'lighter' form of classical music has traditionally portrayed. The thumri is essentially an expression of the sringar rasa, of the delicate, passionate, playful utterances of the young woman in love. Frequently though, emotions of indescribable divinity emerge from all of the thumri's erstwhile almost naughty playfulness.

Incorporating these ideas into one album to do justice to the variety traditionally found in Thumri singing was, to quote Satyasheelji, quite a challenge. Never one to do things half-heartedly, Satyasheelji devoted almost six months to this project, listening to the approximately 250 thumris he has in his archive. He moulded the tonalities of his voice to suit thumri singing. To add to this, each thumri has been sung by Satyasheelji in the style of the land of its origin, in the manner of the culture of its originators.

The seven thumris on the album are another example, charactersitic of Satyasheelji, of how versatile in knowledge, performance and even in the use of the voice, one can be. Thumri Katha was launched released at the hands of the legendary Pandit Bhimsen Joshi in Pune in December 2006


Needless to say, the recording is very good, sure a collectors item, this album is also a must have for music lovers and music students as well.

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Soul Raga
Classical Instrumental – Flute
Artist : Ronu Majumdar
Label: Ninaad NCCD0120

Program: Rag Gunkali and Rag Yaman Kalyan

Soul Raga is a truly soulful rendition of Indian classical music by Ronu Majumdar, one of the finest flutists of India. With main focus on the slow meditative alap, it relaxes the mind instantly with its serene and soothing quality. Ronu Majumdar opens the album with an alap in Raga Gunkali. A pentatonic morning raga, other than meditative mood, Gunkali lends itself to mesmerizing musical interpretations and moods like compassion and longing.

The second part has a masterful rendition of Raga Yaman Kalyan. All in the entire album takes you through a musical journey into relaxation and rejuvenation

Buy this CD for the Yaman Kalyan , an evening Raga , listen to it around 7:00 – 7:30 PM , and feel the magic!

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Hidden Gems

Artist: Kalpana Zokarkar

Label: Mystica music

Program:

1. Sachi kaho mose batiya / साची कहो मोरे बतिया
2. O miyan janewale / ओ मिया जाने वाले
3. sajan aaya pavana /साजन आया पावना
4. dekhi dekhi kanha / देखी देखी कान्हा
5. bindiya le gayi / बिंदिया ले गयी
6. jhula dheere se jhulao / झुला धिरे से झुलाओ

Hidden Gems, a musical series... has embarked on a journey to inspire hidden legends of Indian Classical Music by featuring Kaplana Zokarkar, a vocalist from one of the legendary musical dynasties of Indian Classical Music, The Gwalior Gharana.

Enchanting musical invocations, melodious passages expressing the emotions of devotion and love in the mellow voice of Kalpana Zokarkar resonate the longing to be one with the divine. Coupled with the drones of Tanpura her classically inclined voice casts a spell of emotional depth. Unique freshness in each recital transports the listener to the world of ecstasy where one finds oneself immersed in divine love.

The very first track Sachi kaho mose batiya (साची कहो मोरे बतिया) is enough to substantiate the claims of Hidden Gem. Recording engineer had done a marvelous job here. Pay attension to the very beginning of this track, it starts with Tanpura and later Kalpanaji begins her Aalaap., see how her voice get fused with the already established Tanpura , remarkable feast to ears.

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Hope you will enjoy these albums. For those who are not very much into Indian Classical music for some reasons or other, my request is to listen to any of these albums , chances of you getting hooked into this genre.
are quite high.

confluence - rahul sharma and richard clayderman

was a little disappointed that the music wasn't 'fusion' between indian and western but none the less a brilliant album

Suhas, you have touched a raw nerve here! It's such a blasted shame how we treat our priceless heritage.

Funny you should cite Makar as one of the better labels; the only thing I've heard from them is Begum Akhtar's 1950s private mehfil/ concert - and the sound quality truly sucked (though the performance is sublime). But I suspect the source tape was too poor to be salvaged there - perhaps a bootleg recording?

You are right about about the recordings made earlier, especially by HMV, but these days most of the albums on SONY NAD, Music-today etc. are not that bad. Just about 10% behind the audiophile labels like waterlily acoustics. Some of the stuff from the Times group is also acceptable. The recording is just a shade brighter than what I like.

When it comes to folk forms like Thumri, dadra, chaiti, kajri, Maand, etc. I normally stick to the original folk/classical artists.
Check out some of these Albums:



Regards,
Sharad

Some Devil by Dave Matthews Band

Suhasji,

when you refer to the albums you do, your recommendations are for the LP or the CD. apologies if this is a lay query, LPs being superior musically to CDs notwithstanding.

however, since you mention pressings and an EMI pressing being better than SaReGaMa, just wondering. will follow your advice to the letter. i'm presently assuming EMI Classics is a CD series.

and, this is one of the reasons i luv this forum, and this thread in particular. suggestions and learnings are excellent. thanx kamalji for starting it!!

Vinyl is always better than a CD . If you find a LP of any of these recommendations consider yourself extremly lucky!

Last two titles in the list are only in CD format.

Call of The Valley EMI pressing is only on CD format but at present out of print but chances are you find it over eBay or similar sources. I have both these pressings and diffrence is like Day and Night!!

Love. Angel. Music. Baby. by Gwen Stefani

Afj, Confluence 1 is very good, but don't waste your time with Confluence 2. It is a real waste of time. Uninspiring music, each and every single number on that album.

Cheers