I am going to go see Ustad Amjad Ali Khan this evening performing with a quintet! Raga on!! #headbangemoji
Going To Go See Ustad Amjad Ali Khan This Evening
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Well... I went and saw the maestro last night and what a show! It was a quintet with his sons- and joining towards the end his grandsons who looked around 10-12yo and it would be impossible to express how amazing and what an emotional experience it was to see three generations of sarod players playing together. I'm not even such a deep listener of this music but I was blown away!
Khan is one of the masters of sarod. Also those guys at the tablas are great. Must be a touching experience to listen live, though ragas need getting used to.
Many years ago, my late wife and I went to a Indian festival sponsored by the Smithsonian up and down the mall in Washington, D.C., that featured Indian music, dance, food, and art.
Now I find myself living in an Indian food desert since the pandemic started, but someday I dream of some good Indian food.
Now I find myself living in an Indian food desert since the pandemic started, but someday I dream of some good Indian food.
This is the first I've heard of him. I particularly enjoyed his concert posted on his website with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. The Orchestra melded seamlessly with him and his band.
Yes, I really should of mentioned the tabla players. They were incredible. I listen to ragas and such from time to time at home but as you said they need getting use to. That's the magic of great live music- I never enjoyed this sort of thing in such a visceral way from recordings and when I was headed there I was half afraid I would be hoping that the show wouldn't drag on as I sometimes get that with a whole range of concerts. The weird thing is that despite this being music that is from such an astounding old tradition the way he played the sarod at times felt like I was at a punk show.
And one interesting thing I learned about playing the sarod. At one point between pieces he was filing his nails and after he explained and demonstrated that the fingers on the fretboard (if that's the right term) need to me played with the nails and not the fingertips.
Apparently he has played with a few orchestras etc. I'm going to dig deeper into his catalogue and try to get a better understanding / appreciation. Glad you checked him out and found something you enjoyed!
I also have been listening to ragas from time to time, but even now I am afraid that I understand a little of traditional Indian music, though I read a certain amount of texts about it. There are just not the instruments or even the cycle time and pace I listened to as I grew up in western civilisation. It remains strange, although it adresses and transfers emotions.
And as you said before, it could be an experience in a concert, like listening to someone apearing like playing punk on a guitar.
My first encounter with Indian music I had in the middle of the 1980s. I bought a recording of the German jazz musician Charlie Mariano together with the Karnataka College of Percussion“ called „JYOTHY“.
sounds awesome. Music is still the main reason I hope humanity sticks around a while.
I have not listened to Indian classical for a long time. I should.
I am willing to bet most people of Indian origin also do not understand Indian classical music. That does not stop them from enjoying. It’s like the microprocessor in your iPhone. The world would be different if it was required to understand the microprocessor engineering before using an iPhone
I am willing to bet most people of Indian origin also do not understand Indian classical music. That does not stop them from enjoying. It’s like the microprocessor in your iPhone. The world would be different if it was required to understand the microprocessor engineering before using an iPhone
I have not listened to Indian classical for a long time. I should.
I am willing to bet most people of Indian origin also do not understand Indian classical music. That does not stop them from enjoying. It’s like the microprocessor in your iPhone. The world would be different if it was required to understand the microprocessor engineering before using an iPhone
That's a good point. Actually, sometimes knowing too much about something like music I think can hinder a certain aspect of appreciation as the person can't help to over intellectualize it or constantly make sort of technical observations. One thing I was actually a bit surprised about the show though was that the audience looked to be overwhelmingly Desi, considering it was in NYC and not in a sort of Indian cultural center etc.
I think that I sometimes approach certain types of music, like jazz, classical, Indian classical, etc. in a way that makes them seem sort of "monolithic" for the lack of a better term. Like, I'll hear one piece or composer and not get into it and give up- but something else in the genre might really strike a cord for me, like Vivaldi. Also, I have found as I get older some stuff I appreciated but couldn't exactly get into suddenly started to speak to me. I would say this about most instrumental music which up until 3 or so years ago I didn't actively listen to, now probably half of what I put on doesn't have any vocals. For me staying curious and keeping an open mind about a lot of things is what I feel keeps me feeling not my age.