Mysterious Duality | Multifaceted Voices of the Veena
Dr, Jayanthi Kumaresh found herself communicating to different people in different ways, she explains “When you talk to your son, husband, teacher, colleague, or your student, with each role, your intonation changes so much. So I thought, ‘Why not make the veena do this?”
This epiphany transformed into Mysterious Duality. It represents an exploration of the splendour of classical Carnatic music, showcasing the many overtones, unique resonances, and dozens of strings of the awe-inspiring elegance of the veena.
The tracks on this album tap into the deep knowledge of Carnatic music’s system allowing reinterpretation of the rhythmic cycles (tala) and melodic patterns (raga) providing a lush expedition through classical music.
Indian music has this treasure house of melodies, or ragas that are created using a particular set of notes in particular order. Scales don’t become ragas until they have life breathed into them,” Jayanthi notes. “But that creativity has a boundary, as well as a particular emotion. It’s as if you have three colors to use in a painting. You can still paint anything you want, even if you only use three colors.
The tonal richness of the Veena in multiple layers embedded layer within layer, becomes the voice of the self, and expresses the multiple personalities that are inherent in a person and the ceaseless thoughts that make the Self: the individual, a single mind, a single heart, a million thoughts in tandem, multiple roles, a different persona in each relationship.
The resonance of each of the many strings of the seven veenas used come together in harmonious musical synergy, and the mysterious dualities of a single existential entity emerge.
nada:brahma top tracks of 2010
Merry Christmas people!
I’ve got a round up of what I consider to be the top tracks of 2010 (in no particular order). So enough of the chit chat from me and on with the show.
Aeroplane Dope & D-Skillz featuring Raggo Blunt – Pinky Finger (Piyush Bhatnagar Remix)
Akala – Yours and My Children
Anuj Rastogi (Omnesia) – The Dark Knight – Why So Serious (Indian DubStep Remix)
Aref Durvesh + Xfile (xfile remix) – Cloudsurfing dubrub remix
Awake (karsh kale’s morning remix)
Bandish Projekt – Brown Skin Beauty (Liquid Stranger Remix)
Barbouze – Otto Matic Rumble Mix
Bass Flo – Mount Everest
Bonita Applebum – Why Can’t Love
Clare Maguire – Ain’t Nobody (breakage remix)
Daft Punk – Derezzed (from TRON: Legacy)
Dimm Summer – Rubstep – slow burn mix
Engine-Earz Experiment (Feat. Lena Cullen) – Reach You
FILMI – Technicolor
Gaudi – Bad Boy Bass (Piyush Bhatnagar Remix)
Jalebee Cartel – Mirrors (Breed Remix)
Karsh Kale & Midival Punditz – Girl Fight (Enter the Dragon)
Kaya Project – When Only Sand Remains (Tripswitch Remix)
Lal Meri – Lal Meri (Bombay Dub Orchestra Remix)
Mirko Kosmos – Light Warrior
My Pet Dragon – Flow (Karsh Kale’s Way Of The Dragon Mix)
Phaeleh – Afterglow (feat. Soundmouse)
Rita Morar & Steve Carty – Rain (Piyush Bhatnagar Remix)
Shaa’ir & Func – Every time You’re Around
Shammi Pithia – The Seeker
Sub Swara – Bend You
Sukh Knight – Gabba Wasp
The Nasha Experience – REDZONE
Bob Marley – Waiting in Vain (Susheela Raman and Karsh Kale Version)
Amal Lad – Once Upon a Time in London
2011 Favourited already:
Generation Bass Presents Transnational Dubstep Compilation
NAGORE SESSIONS (earthsync)
One of my favourite record labels EarthSync has had a brilliant year filled with some spectacular releases. Not forgetting Business Class Refugees by Kartick and Gotam, Shoshan by Shye Ben-Tzur and the very awesome New Day: Laya Project Remixed featuring some world class DJs and producers.
Back in 2009, EarthSync released Nagore Sessions, a unique musical collaboration featuring Sufi, Indian, Middle Eastern and Western elements.
A trio of traditional Sufi dargah singers teams up with Middle Eastern frame drums, the resonant strings of the sarangi (bowed, short-necked string instrument), and Tibetan brass in pulsating, elevated tracks that ring with raw power and an uplifting, transcendent call to love and devotion.
The production team from EarthSync first came to Nagore in the wake of the tragic 2004 tsunami, as part of the Laya Project, a multimedia homage to the cultures and peoples affected by the devastation.
This deep-rooted, yet open-minded musical outlook made transcultural collaboration a breeze. The dargah singers found common sonic ground instantly with Turkish-Israeli frame drum master Zohar Fresco.
Sarangi virtuoso Murad Ali Khan skillfully interwove classical Indian sounds into the folksy, compelling mix, and Patrick Sebag boldly incorporated the sounds of the horns of the Tibetan Buddhist Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. The result remains as divine and urgent as a Sufi prayer, yet instantly enjoyable and infectious.
Buy : NAGORE SESSIONS
Listen: NAGORE SESSIONS MYSPACE
(courtesy of flipswitchpr)
kartick and gotam | business class refugees + FREE DOWNLOAD
Last year I came across an album that still do this day is refreshing. Business Class Refugees is the collaborative project between two individuals, one a music producer and the other a sound engineer. Both come together to fuse music of different cultures with electronica, elements of dance and visual projects with a massive global appeal.
Kartick & Gotam Live! – Business Class Refugees Trailer 1
From Israel and based in Chennai, India, Patrick Sebay (Kartick) and Yotam Agam (Gotam) are the brains behind the group. They’re music utilises violins, duduks, flutes, saxophones, tablas, sarods, bass and drums alongside programming. Blending the captivating local music from around the world, also re-work a couple of traditional Indian pieces with electronic beats, its these illustrious downtempo grooves is what distinguishes Kartick & Gotam from many others!
Kartick & Gotam Live! – Business Class Refugees – Trailer 2
So how did it all start off? Nowhere near home, Kartick & Gotam were travelling from South India to a remote village in Indonesia, in a journey through Asia recording indigenous music forms. An overbooked flight and unexpected luck landed them in business class luxury. In transit in Singapore, they applied for the visa to Indonesia, and the Special Permit to Aceh. It was to take 3 hours. 6 hours later, the flight left without them. 3 days later, they were still waiting – Business Class Refugees without passports, identity, and stateless – sipping free champagne in the airline lounge or aimlessly roaming Singapore Airport… sometimes homesick, sometimes worried, but mostly, making music on their laptops.
Patrick and Yotam have collaborated on many successful world music albums, films and shows, most notably Laya Project (which I blogged a few days ago), the award-winning audio-visual documentary celebrating the music and cultural traditions of 6 countries affected by the 2004 Asian Tsunami. More recently they have worked on the latest EarthSync releases Voice Over The Bridge and Nagore Sessions, which Rolling Stone magazine called “fantastic world music”.
Kartick & Gotam – “Supreme Chaos”
This project has no end in sight, think about it, featuring distinguished artists from around Asia and the Middle East the world is their musical oyster.
Business Class Refugees is listed as one of the albums on my recommended listening list.
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So if you like what you hear, then Kartick and Gotam and Earthsync have a treat for you.
Here is a FREE DOWNLOAD of their EP
On November 19, 2009, Melbourne, Kartick & Gotam played live to rave reviews on
the Opening Night Party of the Australasian World Music Expo (AWME 09), where
they were invited to perform a guest session for The Easey Sessions at Radio PBS. The 35 minute live set is now available for free download.
a new day – laya project remixed
EarthSync, a record label and audio-visual production company in Chennai, South India. As a world music record label, EarthSync works with “roots music through which cultures express themselves across time”.
EarthSync released Laya Project, a “personal and collective musical tribute to the resilience of the human spirit”, and is dedicated to the survivors of the 26th December 2004 Asian tsunami. A team of sound engineers and camera men took a two-year journey through six tsunami-afftected countries, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives and Myanmar, and recorded film footage. Laya Project producers Patrick Sebag and Yotam Agam recorded local musicians and treated the folk sounds with beautiful downtempo electronica, as tasteful in its application as it is universal in its appeal.
Five years after the Laya Project journey began, urban music embraces diverse traditions and cultures in Laya Project’s musical celebration of life. A New Day – Laya Project Remixed offered the More than twenty of the planet’s top world music DJs the opportunity to choose a track to dabble with for the project.
laya project :: rain buddha -dimmSummer remix [sample]
Ya Allah { Sufi Dubstars aka Celt Islam & DJ Umb remix feat Dawoud Kringle } Laya Project
Laya Mantra (Kartick & Gotam Yalla Mantra Remix)
Remixers on ‘A New Day’:
Pitch Black | EarthRise SoundSystem | Bhakti Brothers, feat. MC Yogi | Desert Dwellers | Eastern Spirit | Ferenz Kallos | Shaman’s Dream | DJ Pathaan | Bombay Dub Orchestra | Karsh Kale | Chris Zippel | Dub Gabriel | Celt Islam | DJ Umb | Dawoud Kringle | Cheb i Sabbah | MIDIval PunditZ | Kaya Project | Kartick & Gotam | dimmSummer | Nickodemus | Fabian Alsultany
WE HAVE MOVED TO NADABRAHMA.CO.UK 