INDIA – INDE
Ali Akbar Khan – Ragas of India – Raga Madhabi / Raga Khammaj – Connoisseur Society CS 2020, released in 1970 (LP)
Sarod master of the Maihar Gharana Ali Akbar Khan (1922-2009), who originally came from East Bengal (now in Bangladesh), was highly revered for his prodigious virtuosity, depth, melodic inventiveness, emotion and uncompromising musicianship.
He had the great privilege of learning his time-honored art from his father Baba Allauddin Khan (1881-1972), one of the greatest musical minds of the 20th century, who mastered well over 100 instruments! This rigorous teacher – who also taught superstar sitarists Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) and Nikhil Banerjee (1931-1986), and sarodist Sharan Rani (1929-2008) – subjected his son to 12 to 16 hours of grueling daily practice pushing him to constantly surpass himself and deepen his knowledge.
Along with other luminaries such as instrumentalists Ravi Shankar and Zakir Hussain (1951-2024) and vocalists M.S. Subbulakshmi (1916-2004), Lakshmi Shankar (1926-2013) and Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2001), Khan also played a pivotal role in popularizing Indian music in the West.
Khan first came to the United States in 1955 and settled in California in the early 1960s where he toured extensively and mentored many students. He also founded the Ali Akbar College of Music in Berkeley, California, in 1967, a center for the teaching and preservation of traditional Indian music, and released excellent LPs on American labels, such as Prestige and Connoisseur Society, including this gem with Mahapurush Misra, or Mishra, (1932-1987) on tabla.
Originaire du Bengale oriental, dans l'actuel Bangladesh, le maître du sarod dans le Maihar Gharana Ali Akbar Khan était vénéré pour sa prodigieuse virtuosité, sa profondeur, son inventivité mélodique, son émotion et sa musicalité sans aucune compromission.
Il a eu la grande chance d'apprendre son art séculaire auprès de son père, Baba Allauddin Khan (1862-1972), l'une des figures musicales les plus importantes du XXe siècle, qui maîtrisait parfaitement plus de 100 instruments ! Ce professeur sévère et intransigeant, qui a également formé les grands sitaristes Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) et de Nikhil Banerjee (1931-1986), astreignait son fils à pratiquer la musique entre 12 et 16 heures par jour jusqu'à l'épuisement, le poussant à se surpasser sans cesse et à approfondir ses connaissances.
En compagnie d’instrumentistes comme Ravi Shankar et Zakir Hussain (1951-2024), ainsi que de chanteurs tels que M.S. Subbulakshmi (1916-2004), Lakshmi Shankar (1926-2013) et Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2001), Khan joua également un rôle majeur dans la diffusion de la musique indienne en Occident.
Khan s'est produit pour la première fois aux États-Unis en 1955, puis s'est installé en Californie au début des années 1960, où il a donné de nombreux récitals et formé de nombreux élèves. Il a également créé l'Ali Akbar College of Music à Berkeley, en Californie, en 1967, un centre d'enseignement et de préservation de la musique traditionnelle indienne. Il publia également d'excellents disques 33 tours sur des labels américains tels que Prestige et Connoisseur Society, dont ce bijou avec Mahapurush Misra, ou Mishra, (1932-1987) aux tablas.
"Music is like a river or stream that has come down to us through time, bringing nurture to man's soul. From the past masters, this music flowed to my father [Baba Allauddin Khan] and through him to me. I want to keep this stream flowing. I don't want it to die. It must spread all over the world."
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan – HMV EALP 1255 here
Ali Akbar Khan – Connoisseur Society CS 462 here
Allauddin Khan – Megaphone – JNLX 1008 here
Amjad Ali Khan – Raga Darbari – EASD 2824 here
Amjad Ali Khan – Live at Teen Murti House – ECLP 2887 here
Amjad Ali Khan – The Maestro's Musings – CBS IND 1149 here
Sharan Rani – HMV 7 EPE 1211 (45 RPM) here
Sharan Rani – Disques Vogue – CLVLX 119 here
Photograph below is from Imperial Mughal Painting by Stuart Cary Welch (1928-2008), Chatto & Windus, 1978:
The wise crow perched atop a mountain addressing a
gathering of animals, birds and mythical beasts;
miniature attributed to Miskin, c. 1600:
As a tribute to the great tabla maestro Zakir Hussain (1953-2024), who passed away on December 15th, here's Zakir from the ECM LP “Making Music.” This outstanding 1987 album featuring Zakir Hussain on tabla, Hariprasad Chaurasia on flute, John McLaughlin on acoustic guitar and Jan Garbarek on tenor saxophone, is one of the most successful Indo-Jazz fusion experiences I know:
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