Country and Eastern
Z.M.Dagar & Z.F.Dagar : Raag Malkauns, Bombay 1968 (IND,1968)****
One of the oldest still preserved forms in Indian classical music is Dhrupad. It is a devotional form of music with poetry into song, helped by rhythm and melody. In the royal court days this musical form changed into more secular forms. The singer was often accompanied by the Rudra veena instrument. Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar is according to the label, one of the best known maestros of the instrument. Another important form in Dhrupad music is the duet form or Jugalbandi, where it is important that the duo acts in oneness and in harmonious conversation. One of the most known performers of this form were the senior Dagar Brothers, followed by the younger brothers with the same surname. I think this duo is related to the same popular family.
"Raag Malkauns" is a type of raga which is associated with a late night-midnight mood, and this is indeed exactly the feeling it creates, and in which it develops. Most of the track sounds like a delicate tuning into this mood. It uses a pentatonic scale with two series of five notes, with some notes to bring grounding and a few others to open up and liberate the sphere. Thoroughly the mood evolves from a confirming sphere, with an adding depth to the expression of a rather dreamy slumbering late night sphere, to a more clarified rhythmical-melodious form of comfort. Near the end, and after having so calmly started, the energy has built up some fire from within, getting to a great dual inflicting energy to conclude within a calm contemplative nature. A great track, which sounds like the real thing, as I read it described elsewhere.
Country and Eastern Sadanand Naimpalli & Mohan Balvally : Live at Trinity Club,
Bombay 1967 (IND,1967)**°
The Trinity club is one of the most known clubs for Hindustani classical music performances.
This is a recording from the club with a harmonium, tampura accompanying a tabla duet, with one part in a slow tempo, and the other one fast. On the background, now and then, when one listens carefully, one can hear some riksha’s and cars passing by. It has a very repetitive harmonium and tampura background and some tabla improvisation. The repetition of the harmonium is recorded a bit too loud so that the repetition becomes somewhat unnerving. The tabla duet is nice, but the best thing on the album I think is the young enthusiasm especially expressed with the vocal rhythm technique, and with the public reacting on some rhythmic pulses at times, which makes the recording more special, especially near the last third of the recording.
