INDIA – PAKISTAN Raag Rang Berang – Thumriyan-Light Classical Vocal – EMI STC 5040

INDIA – PAKISTAN
Raag Rang Berang – Thumriyan-Light Classical Vocal – EMI STC 5040, released in 1980 (Cassette)

I am delighted to share this excellent compilation of Thumri, a form of semi-classical Hindustani music that flourished in 19th-century northern India. Often called the "song of the heart," this vocal genre is known for its emotive expression, lyrical beauty, and a connection to romantic and devotional themes, particularly the love story of Radha and Krishna. 

This engaging program showcases Thumri luminaries Siddheshwari Devi (1908-1977), Rasoolan Bai (1902-1974), Nirmala Devi (1927-1996) and Hira Devi Mishra. It also features legendary Khayal vocalists from India and Pakistan who incorporated thumris into their repertoire: Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2011), Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902-1968) and his younger brother Barkat Ali Khan (1908-1963), as well as brothers Nazakat (1932-1983) and Salamat Ali Kahn (1934-2001).

Je suis ravi de partager cette excellente compilation de thumri, une forme de musique hindoustani semi-classique. Développée dans le nord de l'Inde au XIXe siècle et souvent décrite comme le « chant du cœur », le thumri est avant tout un genre vocal. Il se caractérise par son expression émotionnelle, sa beauté lyrique et son lien avec des thèmes romantiques et dévotionnels, notamment l'histoire d'amour entre Radha et Krishna.

Ce programme captivant réunit les figures emblématiques du thumri : Siddheshwari Devi (1908-1977), Rasoolan Bai (1902-1974), Nirmala Devi (1927-1996) et Hira Devi Mishra. Il présente également des chanteurs légendaires de khayal d'Inde et du Pakistan, qui ont intégré le thumri à leur répertoire : Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2011), Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902-1968) et son frère cadet Barkat Ali Khan (1908-1963), ainsi que les frères Nazakat (1932-1983) et Salamat Ali Khan (1934-2001).

A1 – Hari Om Tatsat

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902-1968) was a prominent vocalist of the Patiala gharana. He brought immense technical brilliance and emotional depth to his Thumri renditions.

 

A2 – More Saiyan Bulawe Adhi Raat
Hira Devi Mishra was a Thumri vocalist of the Banaras gharana.

A3 – Saiyan Bin Soona
Brothers Nazakat Ali Kahn (1932-1983) & Salamat Ali Kahn (1934-2001) were outstanding vocalists of the Sham Chaurasi gharana,

A4 – Ro Ro Nain Ganwye Sajna Na Aaye 
Nirmala Devi (1927-1996), also known as Dulari, was an actress and a vocalist of the Patiala gharana.

 

B1 – Ras Ke Bhare Tore Nain
Siddheshwari Devi (1908-1977), a vocalist of the Banaras gharana, was revered as ‘The Queen of Thumri.’

 

“[A] glorious performance of hers was in the All India Music Conference in Bombay in which Ustads Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Faiyaz Khan [1886-1950] also were to sing. Siddheswari concluded her superb recital with such an intensely emotional rendering of the Bhairavi-Thumri (Kaahe Ko daari re gulal Brajlal Kanhayi) that the Aftab-e-Mausiqui [the Sun of Music/ Faiyaz Khan] refused to sing after her! He said to her: "After such music there is no room for any more. After Gauhar Malika, the crown of the Thumri rests on your head". Such was the grand magnanimity of the musical giants of the past!”*

 

*From Great Masters of Hindustani Music by Susheela Misra, 1981. Devi’s performance here refers to the memorable 1944 All India Music Conference in Mumbai, which also featured Kesarbai Kerkar and Pannalal Ghosh.

B2 – Jad Kadar Nahin Bold

Barkat Ali Khan (1908-1963) was a vocalist of the Patiala Gharana and master of the Punjabi Thumri. He was the younger brother of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

 

B3 – Kankar Mohe Lag Jaihen
Rasoolan Bai (1902-1974) was a vocalist of the Banaras gharana.

B4 – Jadu Bhareli Kaun Albeli

Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2011) was a vocalist of the Kirana gharana.

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Many thanks to our friend D., who spontaneously offered to share some of his favorite Indian Carnatic and Hindustani cassette tapes that he had digitized, including this rare album.

More posts:

Siddheswari Devi – HMV – EALP 1436 here

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan – Odeon MOAE 5004 here

Nazakat & Salamat Ali Kahn – 7 EPE 1356 here

Nazakat & Salamat Ali Kahn – HNBL 1332 here

Bhimsen Joshi HMV – 7 EPE 1246 here

Bhimsen Joshi HMV – ECLP 2264 here

The Great Tradition – HMV – EALP 1453/1452 here

 

The photograph below is from India: Art and Culture, 1300-1900 by Stuart Cary Welch, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1985:

 

Krishna and Radha: Love in a Dark Wood from a manuscript of the 

Gita Govinda (The Song of the Herdsman) of Jayadeva 

Punjab Hills, Kangra, c. 1780:

Please help me purchase important traditional records to 

pursue my global curation project and share the 

best finds with you on this blog here below:

THAILAND – THAÏLANDE Department of Fine Arts Bangkok – 33PIX-102

THAILAND – THAÏLANDE
Department of Fine Arts Bangkok – 33PIX-102, released in 1962 (LP)

I am delighted to share a second fascinating album of authentic, time-honored Thai classical music from the essential collection of the Department of Fine Arts, released between the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Department of Fine Arts (Krom Sinlapakon), which operates under the Ministry of Culture, works to safeguard and promote the country's rich cultural heritage.

This album showcases three piphat ensembles (A1, B1, B3), which provide the vibrant accompaniment for Thai classical music, traditional masked dance dramas, dances, shadow puppet theater, and various ceremonies and rituals. First created during the Sukhothai era (13th–15th centuries), piphat ensembles include quadruple-reed pi nai oboes, ranat xylophones, tuned khong wong gongs, various barrel drums, and ching hand cymbals. The Pi Phat Mai Nuam Ensemble here (B3) also features vocals.

In contrast, tracks A2 and B2 present solo, two-string bowed saw u fiddles. Their deep, mellow tones offer a minimalist counterpoint to the dense sound of the ensembles.

 

J'ai le plaisir de vous présenter un deuxième album de musique classique thaïlandaise authentique, puisé dans la collection essentielle du Department of Fine Arts publiée entre la fin des années 1950 et le début des années 1960. Agissant sous l'égide du Ministère de la Culture, le Department of Fine Arts (Krom Sinlapakon) œuvre à la sauvegarde et à la promotion du riche patrimoine culturel de la Thaïlande.

 

Cet album présente trois ensembles de piphats (A1, B1, B3) qui accompagnent la musique classique thaïlandaise, les spectacles de théàtre masqué, les danses, le théâtre d'ombres chinoises, ainsi que divers cérémonies et rituels. Originaires de l'époque de Sukhothai (XIIIe-XVe siècles), ces ensembles de piphats comprennent notamment des hautbois pi nai à quatre anches, des xylophones ranat, des gongs khong wong, divers tambours et des cymbales à main ching. L'ensemble Pi Phat Mai Nuam (B3) comporte également une voix.

Les pistes A2 et B2 présentent des vièles saw u à archet à deux cordes jouées en solo. Leurs sonorités profondes et douces offrent un contrepoint minimaliste aux ensembles plus denses.

A1 – Veera Chai Yak (The War Dance of the Demons)

Pi Phat Yai Ensemble of the Fine Arts Department.

A2 – Khêk Mon
Bowed two-stringed saw u solo by Luang Pairaw Siang Waw.

B1 – Veera Chai Ling (The War Dance of the Monkey Warrior) 
Pi Phat Khrueng Yai Ensemble of the Fine Arts Department.

B2 – Phya Soke (lament)
Saw u solo by Luang Pairaw Siang Waw.

B3 – Lao Kum Hawm (from northeastern Thailand)
Pi Phat Mai Nuam Ensemble of the Fine Arts Department,
Vocals by Pravej Kumut (1923-1999).

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Our other classical Thai music posts:

Chui Chai – Department of Fine Arts Bangkok – 0008 here

Track A8 in Musik in Asien – BM 30 SL 5107 here

Photographs below are from The House on the Klong: The Bangkok Home and Asian Art Collection of James Thompson by William Warren & Brian Blake, privately published, 1968, and The Art of East Asia by Gabriele Fahr-Becker, Koneman, 1999:

Hindu Harihara bronze sculpture, Sokothai style.

Harihara figures convey the philosophical idea that 

Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara) are different  

aspects of the same ultimate reality (Brahman).

Buddha statue in the ruins of the Wat Mahathat (Monastery of the Great Relic) complex, completed in 1345, Sokothai, Thailand.

The blending of Hindu and Buddhist traditions have shaped

Thai culture over centuries:

Please help me purchase important traditional records to 

pursue my global curation project and share the 

best finds with you on this blog here below: