Dadar Concert, August 13, 2013

Ragas Purvi, Nayaki Kanada, Khamaj (Tappa-ang thumri), and a Sindhi lok-geet — all performed in what appeared to be the world’s largest shower stall. With Mukta Raste – tabla, and Ravindra Lomate – harmonium. Thanks to Nandu Dhaneshwar and Neela Bhagwat for arranging this program at Shivaji Park Nagarik Sangh.

Music videos are below the fold:

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Brief Update…

…”Violins Against Climate Change” was a spectacular success. We sold out the hall (actually running out of chairs!) and raised a whole buncha money for 350.org. I will be posting videos and photos this week.

Khyal update

The Chinmaya Center concert went well, I thought. I did a 90-minute set:

Maru Bihag: “Unhi se jaaye” in vilambit ektaal; “Kaahe bajaaye daayi ho Shyam” in tintaal; “Sun sun tori batiyaa” in drut ektaal.

Paraj: “Chandani raat ati bhaave sakhi” in tintaal.

Desh: Tarana in tintaal

Surdaas bhajan: “Ankhiyaan Hari darasan ki pyaasi”

Bhairavi thumri: “Jamuna ke teer”

Chris Pereji played tabla, George Ruckert was on harmonium and Vijaya Sundaram on tamboura and supporting vocals.

This was the longest span of time I’ve sung in quite a while, as I’ve been gradually (veeeeerrrrrry gradually) recovering from an acid reflux condition that’s damaged my vocal chords over the past couple of years. I’m definitely on the mend, which is tremendously cheering.

Chris gave nice supportive theka; George was his usual preturnaturally alert self; Vijaya’s vocal sangat felt lovely. People liked it. I liked it.

The good news is that I got a recording off the PA board.

The bad news is that it (WTF?) has my voice mixed so low as to be inaudible. People in the hall said they could hear me clearly, and I was coming through the monitors nicely, so I’m baffled as to what mix the PA guys were giving me. Dammit. I’m told there was a video recorded; I hope that at least turns out properly.

I am performing khyal…

…a little later on today at the Chinmaya Mission in Andover, MA.

It’s been fun practicing although I have not really had enough time. Many of the techniques that I discuss in Posts About Practicing really come in handy here in the first part of the twenty-first century, with a kid and a house and a global climate crisis occupying my attention. Ten hours of practice a day, which I used to do back in India in the 1980s, really seems like a mythological accomplishment.

Full report later on…