Education environment music: cultural survival
by Warren
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The Sonic Casualties of Climate Change, Pt. 1
Africa is an entire musical universe; I could (and no doubt will) show you stuff for hours. But some of the most beautiful and emotionally affecting singing I know of comes from the B’aka Pygmies of Cameroon, who yodel polyrhythmic songs of love and respect for the forest that gives them life:
DAKAR (AlertNet) – An increase in sea level and a drop in the quantity of rainfall linked to climate change could destroy Cameroon’s biodiversity, disrupt businesses and uproot hundreds of thousands of people in the west-central African nation, Cameroon Tribune newspaper reported on Thursday.
Louis Armstrong’s Sunlit Art
A few weeks ago I finished reading “Pops,” Terry Teachout’s beautiful biography of Louis Armstrong. The book was sitting on a chair in my living room, and I went to put it away. It opened at my touch to the page describing Louis’ recording of “Star Dust.” I read these words:
“Armstrong’s vocal is a paraphrase of Carmichael’s tune and Parish’s lyric, whose words he reshapes with a desentimentalizing freedom that delighted the composer: SometimesIwonderwhyIspendsuchlonelynight (oh, baby, lonely nightnnnmmmmm) / Dreaming of a song (melody, memory) / And I am once again with you. Even for him it was a daringly imaginative transformation, much more so than the instrumental portion of the record, in which he mostly stays within earshot of the tune. The fact that he takes the song at a danceable lope suggests that he was regularly tossing off similar musical miracles on the bandstand in the winter of 1931.”
So I thought, “Well. That sounds like it’s worth a listen or two.”
It is:
Indian music music November 11 Action Personal photoblogging: musicians
by Warren
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Great Concert Last Night
We sold out the hall, and all the musicians played beautifully. Looks like we raised about $1200 for 350.org. (UPDATE: $1191, to be exact)
I’ll post more photos and concert videos soon.
Standing, from left: Robert Labaree (Dünya), Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol (Dünya), Gaurishankar Chandrashekhar, Durga Krishnan, Zaira Meneses, Eliot Fisk. Kneeling in front: Warren Senders.
music vocalists: genius Middle-Eastern music
by Warren
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Sabri Moudallal — Great Voice of Syria
I know very little about this music, but from the moment I first heard Sabri Moudallal sing I was transfixed. His voice production is completely embodied, and age has not withered nor custom staled his infinite variety. What a magnificent voice.
The former muezzin of the Great Mosque at Alleppo, Syria, he was born in 1919 and died in 2006.
Born in Aleppo in 1918, highly esteemed by native Aleppians but scarcely known beyond the city limits, he has almost always lived outside the ” star system “. His talent was revealed relatively late on his life, from the seventies on, when he gave a series of concerts in Paris with his group of the time, a vocal quartet known as ” The Muezzins of Aleppo “. Ever since then he has received constant requests from abroad, has been appointed principal muezzin of the city and was even decorated in 1996 by Farouk Hosni, the Egyptian Minister of Culture.
Education India Indian music music Personal vocalists Warren's music: promotion
by Warren
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India Indian music music: 78 rpm discs shehnai
by Warren
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78 rpm Records of Indian Music: Professor Nazir Hossain of Benares
Here is another excellent pair of shehnai performances, this time by “Professor” Nazir Hossain of Benares. From what I can figure out, he is the uncle and ustad of Ali Ahmed Hussain, whose music you can listen to here.
Raga Adana Bahar
Thumri
India Indian music music vocalists: 78 rpm discs ghazal
by Warren
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78 rpm Records of Indian Music: Kakoo Ram
Google offers me nothing about Kakoo Ram — but I enjoy both of these songs. So will you.
Bade bahaar do din ki hai
Rashke aadaa vakushon dil
India Indian music Personal Warren's music: travel notes
by Warren
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More from Bharat…
…Here it is Tuesday night. I’m back at the cybercafe updating.
Mehfil in Mumbai went very well, with exceptionally supportive tabla playing from a young woman named Mukta Raste. A good audience, lots of appreciative daad — just the thing to get me in a good mood. I returned to Pune the next day and was promptly hammered with all the jet lag I’d been ignoring for days. I spent all Monday lying down, alternately napping and reading (Neal Stephenson’s “Quicksilver” if you’re interested). Rehearsed for Saturday’s Pune concert that night, then came back home and crashed spectacularly, falling asleep with my specs still on.
Today was a lazy day. I bought my ticket for Nasik; I will leave Thursday at noon, getting in around 5 pm. The concert there is on Friday night. Saturday night I am singing in Pune. That will be interesting, coming on top of a five-hour bus ride earlier in the day.
Now to shut down and head back home for dinner.
India Indian music music: 78 rpm discs shehnai
by Warren
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78 rpm Records of Indian Music: Talim Hossain of Lucknow
Shuffling through stacks of discs in the hubbub of Chor Bazaar, how could I resist a pair of performances on “bagpipes”? Except that these are of course shehnai, oddly labeled. Talim Hossain of Lucknow plays two nice gats in Bhairavi. I love the little squeak at the beginning of each piece.
Here’s a tiny snippet of information:
Next to orchestra and band records, the gramophone company recorded ‘Shahanai’ which they called and labeled as ‘Bagpipe’. Most popular players that recorded shahanai were: Fazulal Pandit, Shaikh Munna, Hyderabad Pipers, Talim Hussain of Lucknow alias Ali Bux and Ustad Ali Bux (guru and maternal uncle of Late Ustad Bismillah Khan). Link