NIGERIA Haruna Ishola & His Apala Group – Star Records SRPS 31

NIGERIA – NIGÉRIA
Haruna Ishola & His Apala Group – Star Records SRPS 31, 1976 (LP)

We now share another gorgeous album by Apala King Haruna Ishola (1919-1983), which includes a tribute to general Murtala Muhammed (1938-1976), Nigeria’s head of state, who was assassinated in Lagos in February 1976. For more than three decades, Ishola dominated the Islamic-influenced Yoruba Apala music with his commanding voice and profound and poetic lyrics, accompanied by vocalists and backed by some of the finest polyrhythmic percussion playing ever recorded, featuring iyalu talking drums, agogo bells, sekere rattles, and an oversize agidigbo thumb piano.

Nous partageons à présent un nouvel superbe album du roi du Apala, Alhaji Haruna Ishola (1919-1983), qui comprend un hommage au général Murtala Muhammed (1938-1976), le chef de l’état du Nigéria qui fut assassiné à Lagos en février 1976. Pendant plus de trois décennies, Haruna Ishola a dominé la musique Apala avec sa voix majestueuse et ses paroles profondes et poétiques, accompagnées de chanteurs et de percussions polyrythmiques sublimes, notamment des tambours parlants iyalu, des cloches agogo, des hochets sekere et un grand piano à pouce agidigbo.

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Our other Haruna Ishola shares:

Haruna Ishola & His Apala Group - Star Records SRPS 32 here

Haruna Ishola & His Apala Group - RPS 16 here

Our other Apala shares:

Ayinla Owomura & His Apala Group  – 25 x40 – Africa Song Ltd NEMI 0515 here

Ayinla Omowura & His Apala Group  – His Master's Voice Vol. 2 – HNLX 5085 here

Moufa Laif – Yoruba Apala Music from Porto Novo, Benin here

Our Yoruba Sakara shares:

Yusufu Olatunji & His Group - Vol. 17 - Philips PL 636 1050 here

Yusufu Olatunji & His Group - Vol. 18 - ORSL 1706 here


Photograph below is from L'Art Royal Africain by Suzanne Preston Blier, Flammarion, 1998:

A venerable member of the prestigious Ogboni (“cult of old age”) Secret Society wearing a pair of brass edan ogboni sculptures signifying membership, Yoruba, Nigeria 1949-1950.

In the old days, the Ogboni worshiped Mother Earth and were the traditional intermediaries between the living and the ancestors. They wielded great powers as guardians of traditional law and sought to maintain a global balance and the well-being of communities across Yorubaland. Guided by wisdom and the divine Ife oracle, they could even, if deemed necessary, destitute kings.

Please help me purchase important traditional records to pursue my global 

curation project and share the best finds with you on this blog:

INDIA Faiyaz Khan – Raag Darbari / Raag Lalit / Raag Bhairavi – Hindusthan Record – LH 5

INDIA – INDE
Faiyaz Khan – Raag Darbari / Raag Lalit / Raag Bhairavi – Hindusthan Record – LH 5, released 1962 (7 in, 45 RPM)

The Agra Gharana vocalist Ustad Faiyaz Khan (1886-1950) was a towering Hindustani artist of the 20th century. Born into a family of distinguished musicians in Sikandra, Agra, his father, Safdar Hussain Khan, died before he was born, so his grandfather, Ghulam Abbas Khan, and granduncle, Kallan Khan, supervised his musical upbringing. Khan was also much influenced by Zohrabai (1868-1913), another Agra Gharana singer, and greatly admired Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1937), the founder of Kirana Gharana.

Faiyaz Khan served as a court musician in Baroda, but also performed publicly in Bombay, Delhi, Lucknow and Calcutta, most notably at the All Bengal Music Conference launched in 1934. All India Radio broadcast his music throughout the country.

A true musical phenomenon, Faiyaz Khan expressed his incomparable versatility, brilliance and majesty in the Khayal style, as well as in the Dhrupad, Dhamar and Thumri styles.

According to Susheela Misra, author of Great Masters of Hindustani Music (1981): "As one of the privileged few in whose home the Aftab-e-Mausiqui [the Sun of Music] gave several informal all-night music soirees, I am at a loss for words when I try to describe the spellbinding effect of his voice: rich, masculine, sonorous, trembling with emotion, a voice capable of a thousand nuances and shades, moods and fancies, turns and twists that touched the very chords of the listeners' hearts. His voice was at its grandest in the mandra [lower] notes. Its range was not wide, in fact, it was quite limited in the taar saptak [higher octaves], but in his two or two and a half octave range he created 'a living picture of the raga, pulsating with life and personality.’"

Khan was also a prolific composer and great teacher, whose illustrious disciples included Vilayat Hussain Khan (1895–1962), Khadim Hussain Khan (1907–1993), Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar (1900–1974), Latafat Hussain Khan (1920–1986), Dilip Chandra Vedi (1901–1992), Ata Hussain Khan (1899–1980), and Sharafat Hussain Khan (1930–1985).

Le chanteur d'Agra Gharana Ustad Faiyaz Khan (1886-1950) fut l'une des figures majeures de la musique Hindoustani du XXe siècle. Né dans une famille de grands musiciens à Sikandra, Agra, son père, Safdar Hussain Khan, meurt avant sa naissance, et son éducation musicale fut prodiguée par son grand-père, Ghulam Abbas Khan, et son grand-oncle, Kallan Khan. Faiyaz Khan fut également très influencé par la chanteuse d’Agra Gharana Zohrabai (1868-1913) et exprimait une grande admiration pour Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1937), le fondateur du Kirana Gharana.

Faiyaz Khan s’établit comme musicien de cour à Baroda, tout en donnant des récitals à Bombay, Delhi, Lucknow et Calcutta, notamment lors du All Bengal Music Conference crée en 1934. All India Radio diffusait également sa musique sur tout le territoire lui assurant une renommée nationale.

Véritable phénomène musical, Faiyaz Khan exprima toute l’étendue de sa puissante fluidité, sa brillance et sa majesté incomparables dans le Khayal, mais également dans le Dhrupad, le Dhamar et le Thumri.

Selon Susheela Misra, auteure de Great Masters of Hindustani Music (1981): « En tant que l'une des rares personnes privilégiées chez qui l'Aftab-e-Mausiqui [le Soleil de la musique] a animé plusieurs longues soirées musicales informelles nocturnes, je trouve difficilement les mots pour décrire l'effet envoûtant de sa voix: riche, masculine, sonore, vibrant d'émotion, une voix capable d’une myriade de couleurs et de nuances, des atmosphères et un univers onirique sophistiqués, et des rebondissements inattendus qui allaient droit au cœur des auditeurs. Sa voix atteint la plénitude dans les notes mandra [basses]. Sa tessiture de voix était en fait limitée dans le taar saptak [octaves supérieurs], mais dans ce registre de deux octaves et demi, il créa une image vivante du raga, débordant de vie et de personnalité. »

Khan fut également un compositeur prolifique et un grand guru qui forma d’illustres disciples tels Vilayat Hussain Khan (1895–1962), Khadim Hussain Khan (1907–1993), Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar (1900–1974), Latafat Hussain Khan (1920–1986), Dilip Chandra Vedi (1901–1992), Ata Hussain Khan (1899–1980) et Sharafat Hussain Khan (1930–1985).

A1 - Fulwan ki Gendan Maika Na Maro - Raga Jaunpuri / फुलवन की गेदंद मैका, न मारो-जौनपुरी
A2 - Darbari Khyal / दरबारी ख्याल​
B1 - Tarapat Hun Jaysey Jal Bin Meen - Raga Lalit / तड​पत हूं जैसे जल बिन मीन - राग ललित​
B2 - Chala Kaheko Jhooti Banawo – Bhairavi / चलो काहे को झूटी बनाओ - भैरवी

Atta Hussain Khan is the accompanying vocalist in these 1930s or 1940s recordings  
(thanks Karun Kian for his input; listen to his excellent archival music selection: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGJiHl0c3TYybU-BgipaiAA).

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The cover of this record was designed by South-Indian classical dancer and teacher Amala Devi.

Our other male Hindustani vocal shares:

Faiyaz Khan, Abdul Karim Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, etc. – EALP 1453/1452 here

Amir Khan – Inreco 24110001  here

Bhimsen Joshi – ECLP 2264 here
Nasir Aminudin Dagar – EASD 1420 here

Photographs below are from The Art of Tantra by Philip Rawson, Thames & Hudson, 1978, and Miniatures et Peintures Indiennes by Roselyne Hurel, BnF Edition, 2010.

Simurgh, a mythical bird of Persian origin, clutches nine elephants, symbolic of the lower elements of the partial self, Kangra, 19th century:

Goddess Durga mounted on a chimera, Murshidabad, c. 1760.

Please help me purchase important traditional records to pursue my global 

curation project and share the best finds with you on this blog:

JAPAN Il Canto Buddhista / Buddhist Chant – Albatros ALB/12

JAPAN – JAPON
Il Canto Buddhista / Buddhist Chant – Albatros ALB/12 – Recorded by Katsumasa Takasago in various temples in Kyoto, Japan, published 1980 (2 LP)

These deep inspired chants by groups of monks, priests, or pilgrims accompanied by traditional instruments were recorded during ceremonies and rituals in Kyoto, a historic center of worship for Japanese Buddhists. The performances, which draw on classic poems and sutras and highlight the specific musical characteristics of various Japanese Buddhist traditions, include invocations of the Buddha, purification chants, sung poetry, and prayers for world peace and prevention of disasters.

Ces chants profonds et inspirés de prêtres, de moines ou de pèlerins accompagnés d'instruments traditionnels ont été enregistrés lors de cérémonies et de rituels à Kyoto, un centre historique de culte bouddhiste japonais. Ces performances, qui ont pour thèmes des poèmes ou des soutras classiques, allant des invocations du Bouddha à des chants de purification, des poèmes chantés ou des prières pour la paix et la prévention de catastrophes dans le monde, mettent en évidence les caractéristiques musicales spécifiques de diverses traditions bouddhistes japonaises.

A – Three sutras chanted by Zen Rinzai monks at Myoshinji Temple.
Zen chants are an exercise in self-discipline, with Zen monks chanting while sitting in the zazen posture. The sound of kei metal singing bowls mark the beginning of each sutra with mokugyo percussion setting the tempo for the chanting.

B1 –  Goeika  chanting of waka short poems sung by 20 female pilgrims at Myoshinji Temple.
Goeika chanting of waka by pilgrims, accompanied by rin bells and small fusegane metal drum struck with a crystal hammer. The leader strikes a kei gong to mark the transition from one poem to the next.

B2 – Shomyo chant by Tendai monks at Enryaku Temple.
Tendai pentatonic Shomyo chants by ten priests accompanied by rin bells, nyo cymbals and shakujo rattles. The ritual begins with a leader chanting the first few lines, after which the other priests join in.

C1 – Four sutras – Nembutsu invocations of Amida, the celestial Buddha, chanted by Jodo priests at Kurodani Temple.
Accompanied by kei gongs, mokugyo percussion, nyo-hachi cymbals, and clappers, the chant is like a slow stream of water.

C2 – Zen solo chants by priests at Myoshinji Temple
Zen roshis (venerable respected priests) may chant at any time of the day, accompanied by kei gongs and mokugyo percussion.

D – Morning chants by Shuken Yamabushi priests at Shogoin Palace.
The Shuken-shu, which dates back to the seventh century and combines elements of Buddhism, Confucianism and Shintoism, use horogai conch shells in their music.

*Condensed and paraphrased from the liner notes of Katsumasa Takasago.

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The photographs below are from Shashin Voyageurs et Photographes au Japon: 1868-1912 by Frank Berzieri, Phebus, 2009; 2000 Years of Japanese Art by Yukio Yashiro and Peter Swann, Thames & Hudson, 1958; and Zen: Direct Pointing to Reality by Ann Bancroft, Thames & Hudson, 1987.

Former Hyogo Daibutsu (Great Buddha), Kobe, c.1890.
Melted down in 1944 for the war effort and since replaced.

Japanese Buddhist monk, by Baron Raimund von Stillfried, c. 1880.

Kannon, Bodhisattva of Compassion, Asuka Period, Early 7th century, 198 cm/78 in.

Zen archery.

Please help me purchase important traditional records to pursue my global 

curation project and share the best finds with you on this blog:

MOROCCO Bennasser Ou Khoia / بناصر وخويا – Ifriquiaphone IFK 380

MOROCCO – MAROC
Bennasser Ou Khoia / بناصر وخويا / and Cheikha Hadda Ouakki – Ifriquiaphone IFK 381 (Vinyl 7 inch, 45 RPM)

After sharing Bennasser Ou Khouya’s only LP here, we now showcase one of his many wonderful 45 rpms, released on a variety of labels (Boussiphone, La Voix du Sud, Atlassiphone, Sakhi Disque, etc.) throughout his musical career, which lasted from the mid-1960s until his retirement in 1984. Born in 1939, Ou Khouia's traditional music and repertoire, in Amazigh and Arabic, was extremely popular throughout Morocco.

The group’s excellence also owes much to the accomplished female singer Cheikha Hadda Ouakki (b. 1953), who joined Ou Khouya’s group in 1969 to form a formidable male-female singing duo. Ouakki is an iconic Amazigh singer in her own right, and pursued a successful solo career that continues to this day.

This dynamic, poetic pair is brilliantly supported here by a mellifluous violin–played upright like the traditional rebab–a loutar lute, and a bendir frame drum.

Sadly Ou Khouya’s precious Amazigh musical heritage is now largely unknown by younger generations and his are recordings difficult to find.

Après avoir partagé le seul album de Bennasser Ou Khouya (né en 1939) ici, nous présentons maintenant l'un de ses nombreux 45 tours publiés sur une multitude de labels (Boussiphone, La Voix du Sud, Atlassiphone, Sakhi Disque, etc.) au cours de sa carrière musicale allant du milieu des années 1960 à sa retraite en 1984. Sa musique traditionnelle et le répertoire en amazigh et en arabe était très populaire dans tout le Maroc.

La remarquable musique d’Ou Khouya doit également beaucoup à la présence de la formidable chanteuse Cheikha Hadda Ouakki (née en 1953) qui rejoint la formation d’Ou Khouya en 1969 pour former un grand duo de chant masculin-féminin. Cheikha Hadda Ouakki est une chanteuse amazighe emblématique qui poursuivra une grande carrière solo.

Le couple de chanteurs, mêlant éloquence, dynamisme et poésie, est brillamment soutenu ici par un violon lyrique, joué verticalement comme le rebab, un luth loutar et un tambour sur cadre bendir.

Le précieux patrimoine musical amazigh de Bennasser Ou Khouya reste malheureusement largement méconnu des jeunes générations et ses œuvres sont notoirement difficiles à trouver.

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Our other Middle-Atlas Berber music shares:

Bennacer Ou Khouya – Folklore du Moyen Atlas – Atlassiphone ATLS 1900 here

Cheikh Baïza Mohamed – Koutoubiaphone KTP 1280 here


Many thanks to our friend João for sharing this precious 7 inch.

CD/digital reissue of rare Moroccan 45s from the Golden Age, featuring an Oukhouya track:

https://dusttodigital.bandcamp.com/album/kassidat-raw-45s-from-morocco

The photograph below is from Music and Musical Instruments in the World of Islam by Jean Jenkins and Paul Rovsing Olsen, Horniman Museum, London, World of Islam Festival 1976:

Girls celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammed, singing to the accompaniment of the bendir frame drum, central to Berber identity, Ouzoud, Morocco. 

Please help me purchase important traditional records to pursue my global 

curation project and share the best finds with you on this blog: