Inde du Nord - Ragas du matin et du soir (Ram Narayan & Chatur Lal)
Boite à Musique - BAM LD 094 - P. 1965
Side 1
A1 Annonce et expositions
A2 Ragini Shuddh Todi
Side 2
B1 Annonce et expositions
B2 Tala Lila Vihan - Tabla solo
B3 Annonce et expositions
B4 Raga Marva
I will post many more Ram Narayan later and although I like his more mature style and later recordings that bear evidence of the more profound depths that hopefully comes with the years, but alas not to all... Some musicians turn more and more muddleheaded by each day but I won't point any fingers, those who have ears can easily hear their audience pinching tricks and musical show offs at the cost of something more rewarding and lasting. This record as you may guess is as rare as turtlefurs and it is also in perfect visual condition. But unavoidable with age it has some clicks and pops all the same!
Anyhow it is a lovely little 10' record with lots of information, there is even a little inlay in the sleeve, nothing much that is new today but gives an idea at the earliest attempts to introduce Indian classical music to the west. It is all in french but if it is not your preferred language you can always look at the scales and pictures, I'll write more about the artists later on. There is a little spoken rhytm, spoken introductions to each raga and even a rare vocal by Ram Narayan when he introduces the progression of the raga. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I and as the sarangi is one of my loved instruments there will be much more of that later. I still think it is sad that the Sarangi went out of style and was mostly replaced by the harmonium, but if you have tried to keep one in tune in changeing climate and in the cold north going in to a concert and moving outdoors to the next mehfil you may get an idea why. Anyhow it is sad because it was a much more sensitive accompaniment to vocalist than the harmonium.
