INDIA – INDE Chandrashekhar Naringrekar – Raga Kaunsi Kanada / Raga Chandrakauns – His Master's Voice - 7 EPE 1590

INDIA – INDE
Chandrashekhar Naringrekar – Raga Kaunsi Kanada / Raga Chandrakauns – His Master's Voice - 7 EPE 1590, released 1972 (7 in, 45 RPM)

We are delighted to present this rare 7-inch record by sitar and surbahar (bass sitar) master Chandrashekar Naringrekar (1936-2004), who became the disciple of the illustrious Dhrupad Rudra veena maestro Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (1932-1990) in 1956.

Naringrekar plays the seldom heard surbahar here, which “in point of tone, timbre, depth and range, embodies all that is best in the profound, dignified veena and the ornate, bright and sprightly sitar.”*

Naringrekar’s inspired Dhrupad music creates a deep, slow meditative ambiance perfect for late-night introspective listening.

He is accompanied by pakhawaj drum master Arjun Shejwal (1934-1992) on Side B.

Nous sommes ravis de présenter ce rare 45 tours du maître du sitar et du surbahar (le sitar basse) Chandrashekar Naringrekar (1936-2004) qui devint le disciple de l'illustre joueur de rudra-vina Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (1932-1990) à partir de 1956.

 

Chandrashekar Naringrekar joue ici du surbahar, un instrument rarement entendu, qui « en termes de tonalité, de timbre, de profondeur et de gamme, incarne à la fois toutes les qualités de profondeur et de majesté de la rudra-vina et les qualités ornementales, de luminosité et de vivacité du sitar. »*

 

Ces plages de musique Dhrupad inspirées créent une ambiance méditative, lente et profonde, idéales pour une écoute contemplative nocturne.

 

Il est accompagné du maître du tambour pakhawaj Arjun Shejwal (1934-1992) sur la face B.

*From the liner notes of the cassette Chandrashekhar Naringrekar – Surbahar – Swarashree-CBS CSN001 

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Our other Dhrupad music posts:

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar – HMV - 7 EPE 1312 here

Nasir Aminuddin Dagar – HMV EASD 1420 here

Our other music posts featuring the surbahar:

Enayat Khan – Megaphone EJNG 1003 (on track B1) here

Imrat Khan – HMV EASD 1345 (on Side B) here

Photographs below are from Ritual Art of India by Ajit Mookerjee, published by Inner Traditions, 1985, Yoga Art by Ajit Mookerjee, published by New York Graphic Society, 1975, and Tantra Asana, a Way to Self-Realization by Ajit Mookerjee, published by Ravi Kumar, 1971:

Cosmic Man. Ritual figure from the Bissauli "copper hoards," Uttar Pradesh, c. 1000 B.C.

Gouache on paper, Uttar Pradesh, c. 17th century:

“

Mandala (the Sanskrit word for ‘circle’) represents the cosmos as a balance between centrifugal and centripetal forces combining beginning and end. The centre of the circle signifies the germ of wholeness, equidistant at every point from the curve of evolution-involution.”

Jambu-dvipa. Painting. Rajasthan. c. 18th century:

“The position of Jambu-dvipa in relation to the universe forms an integral part of Tantric and Pauranic cosmology. The cardinal centre of the whole cosmographical conception is the symbolical Mount Meru around which stands the region of Ilavrita. Beyond Ilavrita lies Jambu-dvipa which is surrounded by a number of concentric circles showing the symbols of life. Beyond the outermost circle lies the sphere of Lokaloka (world no-world), which divides the visible world from the invisible.”

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BURKINA-FASO EL Hadji Hamado Kanazoe – Maitre Coranique Secteur 19 Vol. 6

BURKINA-FASO

EL Hadji Hamado Kanazoe – Maitre Coranique Secteur 19 Vol. 6, Ouagadougou (Cassette)

We now share a second cassette of heavenly Sufi Wazu singing by El Hadji Hamado Kanazoe with male backup vocals. In 2000, I visited a cassette shop in Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso, specialized in Mossi music (in the Moré language) where the cassettes of Hamado Kanazoe were recommended to me by the knowledgeable vendors and a group of passionate aficionados socializing and listening to music at the shop. It turned out to be some of the most beautiful African Islamic music I've ever heard.

 

Nous présentons maintenant une deuxième cassette du merveilleux chant soufi Wazu d’El Hadji Hamado Kanazoe accompagné de choeurs masculins. En 2000, je me suis rendu dans un magasin de cassettes à Ouagadougou spécialisé en musique Mossi (en langue Moré) où des cassettes d'Hamado Kanazoe m'ont été recommandées par des vendeurs avertis et un petit groupe de passionnés de musique venu écouter de la musique. Ces enregistrements précieux sont une des plus belles musiques Islamiques d’Afrique que je connaisse.

 

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Also see Matthew Lavoie's post on Sufi sounds here

Our other Burkina-Faso music posts:

El Hadji Hamado Kanazoe – Maitre Coranique Secteur 19 Vol. 1 here

Le Larlé-Naaba – Les Trésors du Mogho – Disques CVD 003 here

Les Trésors du Faso – Musique Traditionnelle Vol. 1 here
Compil du Salou Traditionnel Burkinabé Vol. 1 - KA 00134 here

***

Between 2000-2014 I often visited Fulani-Peul camps in the remote Tapoa region in Eastern Burkina-Faso, where I discovered beautiful mandala-like mats made from millet stalks dyed in natural colors that Peul women would use to protect milk held in large calabashes against the dust, flies and sun. I began passionately collecting these superb mats as a memento of a deeply loved region. On later visits, I could only find a few very worn ones used by elderly ladies in camps deep in the bush. The mats shown here are between 33 cm and 43 cm in diameter (13 in-17 in). The last example pictured, collected in 2010, is made with industrial dyes. The mats now seem to have disappeared, along with this traditional expertise, replaced by rigid plastics.

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ALGERIA – ALGÉRIE Mohamed Tahar Fergani محمد طهار الفرڤاني – El Khaima & Ya Mesiene Anabi – Sawt El Menyar 1004

ALGERIA – ALGÉRIE
Mohamed Tahar Fergani محمد طهار الفرڤاني  – El Khaima & Ya Mesiene Anabi – Sawt El Menyar 1004 (LP)

Hadj Mohamed Tahar Fergani (1928-2016) was one of the most brilliant Algerian singers and violinists in the later half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family in the northeastern city of Constantine (his father was Cheick Hamou Fergani [1884-1972], the renowned Hazwi singer and composer), Tahar Fergani became a great master of Malouf, a Constantinian version of the mythical Arab-Andalusian music originating from Sevilla during the Muslim rule of Spain, which later spread throughout the Maghreb. Tahar Fergani embraced Arab-Andalusian music in 1951 and refined his artistry, mastering the two other Algerian Arab-Andalusian traditions, from Algiers and Tlemcen, under the guidance of Dahmane Ben Achour (1912-1976) and Abdelkrim Dali (1914-1978).

 

Tahar Fergani performed frequently throughout his rich and highly successful seven-decade career, and released hundreds of now hard-to-find albums, notably on the Sawt El Menyar label.

Here the “Nightingale of Constantine” sings lyrical poetry and plays the violin accompanied by a male chorus, a lute, a kanun zither, flutes, and a darbuka drum to create a soft, sophisticated and contemplative ambiance. This universal music inspires feelings of loftiness, humanity, introspection, and the longing for a paradise lost.

Hadj Mohamed Tahar Fergani (1928-2016) fut l'un des chanteurs et violonistes algériens le plus brillant de la seconde moitié du XXe siècle. Né dans le nord-est du pays à Constantine dans une famille de musiciens (son père Cheick Hamou Fergani [1884-1972] fut un célèbre chanteur de Hazwi), Mohamed Tahar Fergani s’affirme comme un grand maître du Malouf, une version constantinoise de la mythique musique arabo-andalouse originaire de Séville dans l’Espagne musulmane, qui s'est par la suite répandue à travers le Maghreb. Il se dédie à la musique arabo-andalouse à partir de 1951 et perfectionne son art tout en apprenant les deux autres traditions arabo-andalouses algériennes d'Alger et de Tlemcen sous la tutelle de Dahmane Ben Achour (1912-1976) et d'Abdelkrim Dali (1914-1978).

 

Mohamed Tahar Fergani a donné d’innombrables concerts tout au long de sa riche carrière longue de sept décennies et a publié des centaines d'albums et cassettes, notamment sur le label Sawt El Menyar, actuellement difficiles à trouver. 

 

Ici le “ Rossignol de Constantine ” chante de la poésie lyrique et joue du violon accompagné d'un chœur d'hommes, un luth, une cithare kanoun, des flûtes et un tambour darbouka qui créent une ambiance douce, sophistiquée et contemplative. Cette musique universelle inspire des sentiments de noblesse, d’humanisme, d'introspection et la nostalgie d'un paradis perdu.

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Many thanks to Laurent for sharing this delightful album!

Vintage postcard of a couple enjoying leisure time, Constantine:

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INDONESIA – INDONÉSIE Java – Gamelans from the Sultan's Palace in Jogjakarta – Archiv Produktion 2723 017

INDONESIA – INDONÉSIE
Java – Gamelans from the Sultan's Palace in Jogjakarta – Archiv Produktion 2723 017, recorded by Jacques Brunet in 1972 (2 LP)

This excellent historic double LP released on the prestigious German classical music label Archiv Produktion was recorded at the Kraton (palace of the Sultan) of Jogjakarta built in 1755. Musicologist Jacques Brunet emphasizes that several Sultans of the dynasty were creative artists, some commissioned new gamelan, choreographed dances and composed gendings. His Royal Highness Hamengku Buwana IX (1912-1988), who reigned at the time of these recordings, maintained some 50 musicians and singers, as well as a large troupe of dancers in residence. Visiting musicians also came to the Palace – a major traditional cultural center – for important ceremonies.

This album showcases seven tracks performed by the court musicians and singers on seven different sets of gamelans, out of the Palace’s collection of 17 gamelans, some of which were recorded here for the first time.

 

Cet excellent double album historique publié sur le prestigieux label allemand de musique classique Archiv Produktion a été enregistré au Kraton (palais du sultan) de Jogjakarta construit en 1755. Selon Jacques Brunet, “ plusieurs sultans de la lignée furent des artistes créateurs. Certains firent marteller de nouveaux gamelan, créèrent des danses et composèrent des ganding ”. Son Altesse Royale Hamengku Buwana IX (1912-1988), qui régnait au moment de ces enregistrements, maintenait en résidence une cinquantaine de musiciens et chanteurs, ainsi qu’une importante troupe de danseurs. De nombreux musiciens de l’extérieur se rendaient également au palais – un centre majeur pour la culture traditionnelle – lors de grandes cérémonies.

 

Cet album présente sept morceaux joués sur sept gamelans différents – sur les 17 gamelans conservés au palais – dont certains ont été enregistrés ici pour la première fois.

 

A1 – Gamelan Sekati Kangdjeng Kyahi Naga Wilaga – Gending Andong-andong (The Venerable Fighting Serpent) 

A2 – Gamelan Kodok Ngorek Kangdjeng Kyahi Keboganggang – Gending Kodok Ngorek (The Venerable Fighting Buffalo) 

B1 – Gamelan Kyahi Surak – Gending Ulul-uluk 

B2 – Gamelan Kyahi Hardja Mulya – Gending Laras Ati 

C1 – Gamelan Kyahi Guntur Sari – Gending Gangsaran with Gending Roningatawan and Gending Bima Kurda (The Venerable Thunder of Flowers) 

C2 – Gamelan Kyahi Madu Kentir – Gending Babad  

D – Gamelan Kyahi Kuntul Wiranten with chorus, rebab bowed lute, and suling flute conducted by Mujiono – Gending Gambir Sawit (The Venerable Bird of Paradise)

Conducted by Raden Rja Gondokusumo (A1-C2) and by Mujiono (D).

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From 1963 to 1982, Jacques Brunet, a concert pianist turned musicologist, made a series of recordings of traditional music from South-East Asia, via his many explorations of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia. We owe Brunet tremendous gratitude for mapping out the vanishing traditional musics in these countries and the outstanding musical quality of his many releases.

Many thanks to David for providing the scans of this double album.

Our other Javanese gamelan posts:

Gamelan Garland – Gamelan Kjai Kanjut Mesem/Mangkunagaran Surakarta (1968) here

Gamelan Kjahi Kaduk, Manis Rengga – Gamelan Music from Java (1963) here

Musique de Java – L'Ecole de Loka Wangi (1971) here

Java – Glagah Wangi Gamelan – Une Nuit de Wayang Kulit (1971) here
Sunda – Gamelan Degung directed by Enip Sukanda (1972) here

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MAURITANIA – GUINEA – BENIN – IVORY COAST Afrique Vol. 4 – Collection du Musée de l'Homme – Vogue EXTP 1032

MAURITANIA – GUINEA – BENIN – IVORY COAST

Afrique Vol. 4 – Collection du Musée de l'Homme – Vogue EXTP 1032, recorded by Gilbert Rouget in 1952 (7 in, 45 RPM)

This seminal 7-inch album, recorded during the 1952 IFAN (Institut Français d’Afrique Noire) mission by the eminent French ethnomusicologist Gilbert Rouget (1916-2017), showcases great traditional West African music recorded in Mauritania, Guinea, Benin and Ivory Coast.

 

Ce remarquable 45 tours, enregistré en 1952 à l’occasion d’une mission de l’IFAN (Institut Français d’Afrique Noire) par l’éminent ethnomusicologue Gilbert Rouget (1916-2017), présente d’authentiques musiques ouest-africaines du monde traditionnel d’antan enregistrées en Mauritanie, en Guinée, au Bénin et en Côte d’Ivoire.

A1 – MAURITANIA (Moorish)

Mohamed Mbarek ould Manou plays the four-string tidinit lute and sings a poetic love song in Arabic composed by the Arab poet Medjoun. Ould Manou, a professional singer renowned throughout Mauritania, played in the style of the Trarza and Brakna provinces in southern Mauritania.

 

A2 – GUINEA (Malinke or Mandinka)

Mamadi Dioubaté (cover photograph), famous throughout Guinea at the time, plays variations on a theme to accompany an epic song on the 19-string kora lute.

 

A3 – BENIN (Yoruba)

Adjado sings and plays the single-string fiddle accompanied by three other singers, who also play calabash percussion and sakara drum. The musicians sing moral tales interspersed with praises addressed to the audience.

 

B1 – IVORY COAST (Adjoukrou)

Lohou Ceremony. This rite of passage initiates boys into the society of men. The boy’s choir engages in a call response with both the lead singer and the drums offering insight into the functioning of the African drum language.

 

B2 – IVORY COAST (Baoulé)

Two musicians play a small rudimentary xylophone with six raw wooden blades, the kind that farmers played when they spent time in the bush.

 

B3 – IVORY COAST (Ebrié)

The musician holds a musical bow’s vine between his lips to create a resonance, striking it with a long stick accompanied by a calabash rattle and a bottle rhythmically struck with a nail. The song is about a type of bird which always nods (saying yes), an allusion to an easy woman.

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Our other Gilbert Rouget music posts:

Chants des Maures Vol. 2 (includes performances by Mohamed Mbarek ould Manou A1) – recorded in 1952 here
Guinea & Ivory Coast – Musique d’Afrique Occidentale LDM – recorded in 1952 here

Photographs below are from a vintage postcard, Les Hommes de la Danse by Keita Fodeba & Michel Huet, 1954, Parures Africaines by Denise Paulme & Jacques Brosse, Hachette, 1956, and The Dances of Africa by Claude Savary & Michel Huet, Harry N. Abrams, 1996:

Musician, Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast:

Traditional acrobats, Man region, Ivory Coast:

Young Coniagui man with an imposing coif, Guinea:

Calabash dance, Labé, Fouta-Djalon, Guinea:

Nyon Néa mask and guide, Kono, Guinea:

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