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Classically yours
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What's happening in the music album scene?
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IF OWNING a `radiogram' was a prestige symbol once, the invention of the pocket transistor helped personalised entertainment come within the reach of the less well off. Then came the cassette, which, as a more affordable and portable alternative to the spool recorder and turntable, went one step further in realising the quest of the `plebs' to acquire recreational options comparable with the rich. Today, just about everyone flaunts their choice in terms of aural entertainment. The question is, what is their choice? The chances of it being re-mix, reggae, rap or plain ridiculous might be just about equal, but rest assured, the odds against it being anything to do with classical music, meditation or Sanskrit prayers are about 500 to one.
It doesn't mean that the era of recorded concerts by stalwarts of India's classical traditions ended as the sun set on the heyday of All India Radio (AIR). Music Today's recent releases include the `MoonRise' series featuring flute by Vijay Raghav Rao accompanied on the tabla by the great Allah Rakha. Earlier, there was `The Very Best of Pandit Jasraj'.
Virgin Records' series offers a range of fine listening options such as dhrupad by the Dagar brothers, the late Ustad Nasir Moinuddin Dagar and Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar. On the Virgin list too is the album `Dr. Girija Devi Live' in Udaipur, in which her inimitable thumri in mishra khamaj, a hori, a chaiti and a bhairavi bhajan. Sony Music too valiantly holds aloft the flag of classicism with albums such as `Amore - Music of Love' by Ustad Shujaat Hussain Khan on the sitar accompanied by Anand Gopal Bandopadhyay on the tabla.
Taste of classics
Marketed under the India Archive Music Limited banner is Virgin's `Amjad Ali Khan - Sarod' featuring the ustad playing raga bhimpalasi accompanied by Abhijit Banerjee on the tabla.
If Music Today released Shujaat Hussain Khan's thematic album `Rain' that was nominated for a Grammy Award this year, Sony Music had a whole series called `Moods of Yoga', featuring Pandit Satish Vyas on the santoor. There are albums for all occasions too, such as Music Today's `Shaadi ki Shehnai' by Ustad Bismillah Khan. Western music is not left out either, with releases like `The Violin Legends' of Sony Music, which brings together L. Subramaniam, Stephane Grappelli and Lord Yehudi Menuhin.
ANJANA RAJAN
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