Music on the Desert Road - A Sound Travelogue by Deben Bhattacharya

Music on the Desert Road

- A Sound Travelogue by Deben Bhattacharya

Angel Records - 35515 - P.1958

Map of the travelled road...

Side A

A1 Turkey - Automobile on mountain Road - Central Anatolian Dance

A2 Turkey - Mevludin Nebevi (Religious chant)

A3 Syria - Rasd (Dervish song)

A4 Syria - Bedouin Song and Dance

A5 Jordan - Bedouin Coffee Grinding

A6 Iraq - Kesame-Meru (Kurdish ballad)

A7 Iran - Baba Karam (Love song)

Side B

B1 Iran - Rhythm of a Train (Drums)

B2 Iran - Humayun (Traditional melody)

B3 Afghanistan - Atan Dance Music

B4 Pakistan - Neemakai (Wedding folk song)

B5 India - Zila from Varanasi (Benares)

B6 India - Temple Bells and drums of a Bengali Kali Temple - Bhajan (Hindu devotional song, sung in Hindi)

Here is another record with some early recordings by Deben Bhattacharya that bears a close resemblance to the previous one I posted. Except this one takes us back again to India. I don't mind, that is where I want to be anyhow! It comes with an eight page full size leaflet to compensate for the totally uninformative black backside of the sleeve!

Some of the photos in it are great!

Tabl player

Nay player

Rababa player

Seems to be the very same picture as on the LP posted right before!

Santor player

Another picture of the young field recorder himself at work.

Cumbus player

Especially impressive do I find the photo of the Bedouin coffee percussionist...

The track of coffee grinding rhythm on the previous record is however more impressive than this one! The the last track with the bhajan also got me captured!

Hope you enjoy both the coffee and the rest of the music!

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Music from the Middle East - Recordings by Deben Bhattacharya

Music from the Middle East - Recordings by Deben Bhattacharya

Argo Records - ZRG 532 - P.1967

Side A

A1a Syria - Mawal 2'40

A1b Syria - Andalusi Muwashashah 9'43

A2 Syria - Water-seller in Damascus Market 1'21

A3 Syria - Flute-seller in Damasqus Market 1'36

A4 Syria - Derwish prayer music in maqam Segah 6'15

Side B

B1 Bedouine Camp Syrian Desert - Coffee grinding beats 2'37

B2 Bedouine Camp Syrian Desert - Ballad Bedouine 3'35

B3 Iraq - Ehlelawi 3'29

B4 Iraq - Tabl 2'41

B5 Palestine - Bedouine Love Song 3'08

B6 Palestine - Dabkeh al-a Dala'ona 2'58

B7 Palestine - Arabic Romance in maqam Seeka 4'37

Joudad Halibie,qanun, A1a, A1b

Mohammad Jabban, Ud, A1a, A1b

Hazim, rabab, B2

Al-Haj Hashim Mohammad Al-Rejab, santur, B3

Shu'aib Ibrahim, joza, B3

Abdul-Karim Al-Azawi, tabl, B3, B4

Audi Said Hattas, rebaba, vocal, B5

Shelim Awwad, Mijwiz, B6

Yousif Naif, vocal, B6

Sebag Yehuda, B7

It is time for some more Deben Bhattacharya, My friends have left India on their way back and they will soon be clooser to this music than the Carnatic. The classical indian music will stay a long time in their ears and it am sure it will never leave either them nor this blog. We shall come back to India soon enough but now lets here some Arabic music along the middle eastern countries. Time for some strong coffee with the Bedouins of Jordania and Iraq! This Coffe Grinding beat is even better than the one coming on the next Deben in the Desert ....

As always, I hope you enjoy!

Ud

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Don't you just feel uncomfortable when they chop off the head of the musicians !!!

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Qanun

Dancing Derwishes

Nay

Rababa

Water vendor in the market of Damascus

Smell the coffee Arvind and Costis ;-)

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EMI Pathé - Arabesques 4 - Jamil Bachir - 'Ud traditionnel en Iraq

Jamil Bachir - 'Ud traditionnel en Iraq - évocations modales - Arabesques 4

EMI Pathé - 2C 066-95.160 - P.1974

Side A

A1 'Orfa 3'45

A2 Husayni 2'55

A3 Churi 2'50

A4 Dacht 2'00

A5 Awchar 2'25

A6 Madmi 2'20

Side B

B1 Lami 2'45

B2 Swehli 1'50

B3 Abudhiye 2'05

B4 Awj 3'10

B5 Mukhalef 2'45

B6 Riqbaniye 3'10

Jamil Bashir, 'Ud

Jamil Bashir was born in Mosul, Iraq in 1921 and is the brother of Munir Bashir. His father, who was a singer, oud player and oud maker, started to teach him the oud when he was around six years old. When the Iraqi Music Institute opened in 1936, Jamil enrolled to learn oud with Sherif Muheddin Haydar and violin with Sando Alio. He finished his oud study in 1943 and his violin study in 1946, graduating with honours degrees in both instruments, and then worked at the Institute as an oud and violin teacher. At the same time he became the head of the Baghdad Radio Orchestra and then the Baghdad Radio Music Department. He also wrote a two-volume book on oud method. Jamil Bashir was also a good singer, but he did not continue singing as he preferred the oud. He died in London on 24th September 1977. There are currently no CDs of his work available, but you can listen some more audio files of his oud and violin playing at Zeryab.com

You can also hear Jamil Bashir on the "Rare Recordings" page at www.mikeouds.com

Above text quoted from David Parfitts site Oud eclipse

Many thanks to Ahmed al-Salhi (Kuwait) Hi Ahmed! :-) and Juneid Jamil Bashir (USA) for biographical information.

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EMI Pathé - Arabesques 1 - Munir Bachir - Luth classique en Iraq

Munir Bachir - Arabesques 1 - Luth classique en Iraq - 'Ud (Récital Oriental)

EMI Pathé - 2C 066-95.157 - P.1974

Side A

A1 Méditations sur le Maqam Classique Chedd-'Araban 22'30

Side B

B1 Méditations sur des Nagham-s traditionelles d'Iraq 22'00

I am sure many already know this artist well. I am more a fan of his brother Jamil, but I am not that happy about the 'Ud "in concert" and have rather "simpler" tastes. I enjoy more the occasional Ud taksim in a takht or the role of accompaniment to vocals better. Judge for yourself. Jamil did wonderful oud playing accompanying Selima Murad, but more on that later.

So, anyhow lets start with volume one. Munir Bashir...

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