THAILAND Chui Chai – Thiap Konglaithong (Pi nai woodwind) & Usa Sukantamalai (vocalist) – Department of Fine Arts Bangkok – 0008, 1958 (7 in 45 RPM)

THAILAND – THAÏLANDE
Chui Chai – Thiap Konglaithong (Pi nai oboe) & Usa Sukantamalai (vocalist) – Department of Fine Arts Bangkok – 0008, 1958 (7 in 45 RPM)

Our friend João recently returned from Thailand with a number of fascinating vintage Thai music recordings, including this album of music for Chui Chai, which in Thai literally means to walk in an elegant or orderly fashion, and is the name of a traditional form of Siamese dance and drama. This quirky record brimming with vitality features intense solos by Tiab Konglaithong (b.1902), a great master of the Pi Nai six-hole quadruple-reed oboe that requires the use of circular breathing to ensure a regular, uninterrupted lyrical flow, and the eminent classical female vocalist Usa Sukantamalai’s angular vocal modulations (b.1923), accompanied by ranat ek xylophones and percussion.

Notre ami João a récemment revenu de Bangkok avec des disques vintage fascinants de musique thaïlandaise, dont cet album de Chui Chai – signifiant littéralement marcher de manière élégante ou ordonnée en thaï, ou de la danse et du théâtre siamois traditionnels. Cette musique sinueuse débordant de vitalité comprend des solos intenses de Tiab Konglaithong (né en 1902) – un grand maître du hautbois à quatre anches à six trous Pi Nai nécessitant l'utilisation de techniques de respiration circulaire afin d’obtenir un flux lyrique régulier et ininterrompu – et les modulations exaltées de l'éminente chanteuse classique Usa Sukantamalai (née en 1923), accompagnée de xylophones ranat ek et de percussions.

Tiab Konglaithong

Usa Sukantamalai

 

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Many thanks to Ween in Bangkok for providing background on Chui Chai!

Photograph above is a Siamese sculpture of the Buddha, c. 14th-15th century from https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections:

Photograph below is a vintage postcard of Bhuddist Monk Somdej Toh (1788-1872) mentoring King Chulalongkorn Rama V (1853-1910):

Please help me purchase important traditional records to pursue my global 

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

 

INDIA – INDE Vilayat Khan – India’s Master of the Sitar – Raga Darbari Kanada – Capitol Records ST 10514

INDIA – INDE
Vilayat Khan – India’s Master of the Sitar – Raga Darbari Kanada – Capitol Records ST 10514, 1969 (LP)

Vilayat Khan (1928-2004), born into a prestigious musical family in Goripur, in present day Bangladesh, was one of the towering figures in North Indian music in the second half of the 20th century.

 

His father Prof. Enayat Khan (1894-1938) was one of the most brilliant and innovative sitar and surbahar player of his era. Although Khan Sr. died at an early age, his distinguished relatives – notably his brother Wahid Khan, his maternal grandfather Bande Hussain Khan and maternal uncle Zinda Hussain Khan – ensured that his sons Vilayat and Imrat (1935-2018) received the best possible training to brilliantly carry on the Imdadkhani Gharana-style family heritage. Vilayat Khan adopted and perfected a distinctive singing-sitar playing style (gayaki ang) influenced by great Hindustani vocalists, such as Ustad Faiyaz Khan. Khan's heated rivalry with fellow sitar maestro Ravi Shankar was legendary.

This formidable LP, featuring Shankar Gosh (1935-2016) on tabla, captures Khan’s flamboyant, imaginative and romantic virtuosity.

Vilayat Khan (1928-2004), né dans une famille musicale prestigieuse à Goripur dans l’actuel Bangladesh, fut l'une des figures majeures de la musique d'Inde du Nord de la seconde moitié du XXe siècle 

 

Son père Prof. Enayat Khan (1894-1938) fut l’un des joueurs de sitar et de surbahar les plus brillants et les plus novateurs de la première moitié du XXe siècle.  Bien qu'Enayat Khan soit décédé à peine agé de 43 ans, ses proches parents éminents – notamment son frère Wahid Khan, son grand-père maternel Bande Hussain Khan et son oncle maternel Zinda Hussain Khan – s'assurèrent que ses jeunes fils Vilayat (1928-2004) et Imrat (1935-2018) reçoivent la meilleure formation possible afin qu’ils perpétuent avec brio la tradition familiale du Imdadkhani Gharana. Vilayat Khan adopta et perfectionna un style de jeu de sitar très vocal (gayaki ang) influencé par le phrasé des grands chanteurs Hindustani comme Ustad Faiyaz Khan. Sa grand rivalité avec Ravi Shankar est légendaire.

Ce formidable album, avec Shankar Gosh (1935-2016) aux tablas, illustre parfaitement la virtuosité flamboyante, imaginative et romantique du maestro.

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Many thanks to Nuno for his help with the visuals.

Our other sitar music posts:

Vilayat Khan – HMV EALP 1259, 1961 here
Enayat Khan – Megaphone EJNG, 45 RPM, 1930s here

Imrat Khan – HMV EASD 1345, 1969 here

Nikhil Banerjee – HMV EASD 1342, 1969 here

Nikhil Banerjee – HMV EASD 1377, 1972 here

Nikhil Banerjee – HMV EASD 1378, 1973 here

Mohammad Sharif Khan Poonch Wala – Bärenreiter/Musicaphon BM 30 L 2029 here
Budhaditya Mukherjee – Melodiya C80-18043-4, 1979 here
The Great Tradition – Masters of Music – His Master's Voice – EALP 1453/1452, including Vilayat Khan and a Ravi Shankar–Ali Akbar Khan duet here

The photograph below is from the catalogue to the exhibition Rasa: Les Neufs Visages de l’Art Indien at the Grand Palais, March 13-June 16, 1986, Paris.

Lion, red sandstone, third century, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh:

Only the head is sculpted here, with a highly stylized mane, acutely angled eyebrows, opened mouth and tongue, powerful square legs, and the base supporting the lion, which indicates it may have initially been part of a very large throne. In Sanskrit the word to designate throne is Simhasana – meaning the seat of the lion. Simhasana is also the “lion pose,” a seated yoga posture that includes a specific form of Pranayama  breathwork, called lion's breath. In Buddhism, the lion symbolizes strength and is the protector of the Buddha, and in Hinduism, Goddess Durga is often depicted riding a lion serving as Maa Durga’s vehicle and embodying Her power. The lion has a presence that commands great respect and is the very essence of royal majesty.
*Partially condensed and paraphrased from the catalogue's caption.

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TURKEY – TURQUIE Flûtes Orientales Sacrées des Derviches Tourneurs – Disques Vogue – CLVLX 542

TURKEY – TURQUIE

Flûtes Orientales Sacrées des Derviches Tourneurs – Disques Vogue – CLVLX 542 (LP)

The Mevlevi brotherhood, founded by the followers of the great Sufi mystic, poet and Islamic theologian Jalāl al-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (1207-1273), practice a form of Islamic mysticism expressed via esoteric rituals and ceremonies with sacred music and dance movements performed by whirling dervishes to achieve a trance-like ecstasy in the remembrance of God (Dhikr). 

 

This graceful, ecstatic music, recorded by ethnomusicologist and orientalist Jean-Claude Chabrier (b. 1931), features enthralling devotional ney flute solos by Hayri Tümer (1902-1973) (A1, A3, B2, B3), a call to prayer (A2), a prayer-offering sung by Münir Nurettin Selçuk (1900-1981) (A4), and ensembles with flutes, percussion and voices (A5, B1).

 

La confrérie Mevlevi, fondée par les disciples du grand mystique soufi, poète et théologien islamique Jalāl al-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (1207-1273), pratique une forme de mysticisme islamique exprimée au travers de rituels et de cérémonies ésotériques comprenant de la musique sacrée et des mouvements de danse réalisés par des derviches tourneurs dans la recherche de l'extase mystique dans le souvenir de Dieu (Dhikr).

 

Cette musique gracieuse et extatique, enregistrée par l'ethnomusicologue et orientaliste Jean-Claude Chabrier (né en 1931), comprend des solos de flûte ney dévotionnels d'Hayri Tümer (1902-1973) (A1, A3, B2, B3), un appel à la prière (A2), une offrande-prière chantée par Münir Nurettin Selçuk (1900-1981) (A4), et des ensembles avec flûtes, percussions, et voix (A5, B1).

 

A1 – Tekbir (There is but one God) – composed by Mustapha Itrî Çelebi (1641-1711);

Ney flute solo by Hayri Tümer (1902-1973).

 

A2 – Ezzan (Call to Prayer);

 

A3 – Taksim (Solo-Meditation);

Ney flute solo by Hayri Tümer.

 

A4 – Na’t (Prayer - Offering) Mevlevi rite;

Solo vocal prayer by Münir Nurettin Selçuk.

 

A5 – Pesrev (Introduction) – composed by Yusuf Pasa (1821-1884);

Flutes and percussion.

 

B1 – Ayin Ceremony – composed by Mustapha Itrî Çelebi and Dede Efendi (1778-1846);

Flutes, kudüm percussion and choir.

 

B2 – Taksim (Solo-Conclusion);

Ney flute solo by Hayri Tümer.

 

B3 –– Salavat (Mystic Solo);

Ney flute solo by Hayri Tümer.

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Our other Turkish music posts:

HZ. Mevlâna (Ks) – Instrumental Dervish Music – Ney Tâksimleri, 1971 here
Nuit Précieuse au Sérail - ARION 30 U 97, 1970 here

Gazeller II – Ottoman-Turkish Vocal Improvisations in 78 RPM Records – Kalan Müsik here

Musique de Turquie - ALFA 5018, 1973 here
Rythmes et Mélodies de Turquie - Le Club Français du Disque 92, 1957 here
Orient-Okzident - Musik Aus Südost-Europa - Museum Collection Berlin, 1968-1980 here

Vintage poscard of whirling dervishes, Constantinoples (Istanbul):

Please help me purchase important traditional records to pursue my global 

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