Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan - Great Master Great Music

Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan - Great Master Great Music

EMI-His Masters Voice - ECLP-2541 - P.1976 - (All India Radio recording 1947)

Side One

A1 Piya Nahi Aye - Khayal - Patdeep, Jhoomra

A2 Jako Mana - Khayal - Multani - Jhoomra

Side Two

B1 Gumani Jaga- Khayal - Darbari Kanada - Jhoomra

Abdul Waheed Khan of the Kirana Gharana

Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan (b. 1876? d. 1949) was regarded as the second among the great vocalists of the [Kirana] gharana, but, to some extent, he was overtaken by his cousin Abdul Karim Khan. He used to sing with a full-throated voice and was an unparalleled alapiya. He developed the 'Mirkhandi' style alapa, somewhat similar to that of Karnatak music. Actually, the style is known as 'Khandameru' in our ancient musicology (i.e. swara-prastar-kriya of notes)...The style influenced several musicians. Ustad Amir Khan was one of them, who, though not his disciple, absorbed the individual characteristics of his style to such an extent that Waheed Khan was highly pleased and blessed him. Waheed Khan lived a religious life and was a devotee of Pir Hazrat Ali Nakki. He used to seek the Pir's approval for all his engagements and performances. He left Bombay and settled in Lahore, where he died in 1949. He was a generous teacher and trained...Begum Akhtar, Hirabai, Pran Nath, Shaqur Khan and Sureshbabu Mane.

(quoted from Musicians of India by Amal Das Sharma)

Abdul Waheed Khan forbade recordings of his performances to avoid imitation by other singers, and therefore only three of his performances survived, namely these recordings of the ragas Patdeep, Multani, and Darbari Kanada, accompanied by Ram Narayan on tambura and Chatur Lal on tabla. They were preserved by music producer Jivan Lal Mattoo, who secretly recorded a radio broadcast in 1947, to document Khan's style.

I hope the high quality of the music will make up for for the flawed recording techniques and pressings that are made manifests here. If not, the mere scarcity of these recordings might be enough compensation. As usual, the original LP is in perfect condition and has previously been played only a few times.

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Ram Narayan - Master of the Sarangi

Ram Narayan - Master of the Sarangi - Classical Music of India

Nonesuch - H 72062 P. 1975

Side 1

A1 Rag Shri 20'28

A2 Tabla solo in Jhaptal 4'10

Side 2

B1 Bhupal Todi 11'23

B2 Kafi Malhar 9'36

Suresh Talwalkar, tabla

Having had access to the internet since the early days of the eighties,(I got my first email adress

in 1984,) I am still today completely overjoyed as a little child with regards to the speed of getting information and the relative ease with witch one can find likeminded spirits through this facility. I have to repeatedly rub my eyes to realize that this is not a dream, and lately I have come across so many nice and generous people that makes sharing these records and the doing my small edits to a genuine pleasure.

Having collected so much music over the years it feels very good to make at least some of them available to more listeners.

So, since there was a real rapid interest in Ram Narayan and also from some of my local and distant friends from pre-internet days I decided to post some more right away before I go on to the next set of records and other artists.

Don't miss that there is a good discography on the wikipedia you can consult here.

And don't forget to read the liner notes on the backside!

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Ram Narayan - Sarangi, the voice of hundred colors

Ram Narayan - Sarangi, the voice of hundred colors

Nonesuch - H 72030 - P.1968

Side 1

A1 Nand Kedar 19'45

Side 2

B1 Jogia (Thumri) 11'57

B2 Dhun Khamaj That 7'43

Mahapurush Misra, tabla

This is another very good recording of the master musician Ram Narayan. He is still a favourite of mine and I still find this recording to have a freshness and a vitality of a remarkable quality. There is quite a bit to read about him in the Wikipedia here, and for once the liner notes on the back of the record sleeve, (included as always) are most informative and the first few paragraphs puts Ram Narayan and this record in perspective of the times it was issued. Don't miss the Jogia!

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Ram Narayan - Inde du Nord - Ragas du matin et du soir

Inde du Nord - Ragas du matin et du soir (Ram Narayan & Chatur Lal)

Boite à Musique - BAM LD 094 - P. 1965

Side 1

A1 Annonce et expositions

A2 Ragini Shuddh Todi

Side 2

B1 Annonce et expositions

B2 Tala Lila Vihan - Tabla solo

B3 Annonce et expositions

B4 Raga Marva

Have you ever seen such a young Ram Narayan? Or such a young Chatur Lal for that matter? Note well how Pandit Chatur Lal is listed above Ram Narayan who at this early times still is without title on the labels! He is another of my favourite musicians of the Hindustani Classical masters.

I will post many more Ram Narayan later and although I like his more mature style and later recordings that bear evidence of the more profound depths that hopefully comes with the years, but alas not to all... Some musicians turn more and more muddleheaded by each day but I won't point any fingers, those who have ears can easily hear their audience pinching tricks and musical show offs at the cost of something more rewarding and lasting. This record as you may guess is as rare as turtlefurs and it is also in perfect visual condition. But unavoidable with age it has some clicks and pops all the same!

Anyhow it is a lovely little 10' record with lots of information, there is even a little inlay in the sleeve, nothing much that is new today but gives an idea at the earliest attempts to introduce Indian classical music to the west. It is all in french but if it is not your preferred language you can always look at the scales and pictures, I'll write more about the artists later on. There is a little spoken rhytm, spoken introductions to each raga and even a rare vocal by Ram Narayan when he introduces the progression of the raga. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I and as the sarangi is one of my loved instruments there will be much more of that later. I still think it is sad that the Sarangi went out of style and was mostly replaced by the harmonium, but if you have tried to keep one in tune in changeing climate and in the cold north going in to a concert and moving outdoors to the next mehfil you may get an idea why. Anyhow it is sad because it was a much more sensitive accompaniment to vocalist than the harmonium.

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