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Hamara Forums _ Raag Rang _ Sitar Quintet (1968)

Posted by: Mandrake Jun 7 2005, 11:17 PM

In 1968, Ustad Abdul Halim Jafar Khan, along with his disciples, composed an album called 'Sitar Quintet' which had some truly off-the-path tracks.

The tracks were:
1) Chandani Kedar
2) Mazamiri
3) Khusrawani
4) Sharavati
5) Kalpana
6) Miya Malhar

Would anybody be having this album? It is not available in Mumbai or Pune.

Posted by: bibhas Jun 7 2005, 11:23 PM

Mandrake,
Don't have the album but I trust HF on this one. Meanwhile, here's an appetizer:
Attached Image
Ustad Abdul Halim Jafar Khan and his disciples: Sitar Quintet. HMV ECSD 2385, 1968.

Posted by: anurag Jun 8 2005, 03:54 PM

Interesting recording and even more interesting is the album art. The recording is titled String "Quintet"; number of performers in the art are six; they are bounded by an octogon followed by a quadrilateral, which itself is surrounded by triangles.

Would love to listen to it.

Posted by: Mandrake Jun 8 2005, 04:47 PM

QUOTE(anurag @ Jun 8 2005, 03:54 PM)
Interesting recording and even more interesting is the album art. The recording is titled String "Quintet"; number of performers in the art are six; they are bounded by an octogon followed by a quadrilateral, which itself is surrounded by triangles.

Would love to listen to it.
*




Good observation, Anurag clap1.gif , except that the quintet remains a quintet - the sixth is the tabla player.

Surprising part is that Anurag, Bibhas and Unni haven't heard this? I cannot bring myself to believe this!!! I used to play one of the tracks on a bul-bul tarang!!! (Don't expect anything great to come out of it though wink2.gif)
Shakespeare na? : there are more surprises on earth than heaven can dream of.." rollf.gif

Posted by: anurag Jun 8 2005, 04:54 PM

QUOTE(Mandrake @ Jun 8 2005, 07:17 AM)
Good observation, Anurag  clap1.gif , except that the quintet remains a quintet - the sixth is the tabla player.

Surprising part is that Anurag, Bibhas and Unni haven't heard this? I cannot bring myself to believe this!!! I used to play one of the tracks on a bul-bul tarang!!! (Don't expect anything great to come out of it though wink2.gif)
Shakespeare na? : there are more surprises on earth than heaven can dream of.."  rollf.gif
*



Stranger things have happened, Mandrake. Let's revel in this small surprise, while we can.

As for observation, I missed a part. And now that I see closely, I think this arrangement may be deliberate and well thought out. Notice that there is a heptagon too and there are distinguishing patterns on the floor as well as the amoeba like free-form shapes inside triangles.




Posted by: Mandrake Jun 8 2005, 06:04 PM

On the point of observation Anurag, here's something that seriously struck me as odd:
Halim Jafar sits at the top left (11 o'clock position - in aviation lingo). Everybody is in white - if you except the jackets.
Then why is there a guy in Blue (at 6 o'clock position?) ???
If that was the bossman, accepted. But that is not.
If it was a casual photo, accepted. But it is a composed cover pic.
Did the PR agency goof up? Or simply, way back in 1968, these things weren't considered important?
Just a curious thought... blab.gif

Posted by: milorad Jun 8 2005, 06:30 PM

Dear friends,
Interesting cover.
The positions of sitars bound the pentagon.
Near player in blue there is a stylized swastika.
Does that inner structure of octagon have some
meaning?
Friendly
Milorad R.Stevanovic

Posted by: anilkumar Jun 24 2005, 04:06 AM


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The Sitar Panchak by Ustad Abdul Halim Jaafar Khan & Disciples was a unique musical experiment. In some of these compositions different sitars were tuned to different Pitch Shadja. It gave sometimes the same impression as the harmonics played in the western music.

I have an old recorded tape which I had ripped into mp3 with some difficulty last year, on which my uploads of 'Sitar Panchak' Compositions have been based.

I had seen a part of Sitar Panchak program on the TV in an interview several years ago. This musical experiment was not followed up further as lot of improvisation was necessary. Sometimes the effect of different pitches can be confusing.

Ustad Abdul Halim Jaafar Khan is known for his unique delicate style, stamina, hard work and greatest skill. In a fraction of second he can play many swift swar kanaas and play non stop drut compositions. I wish I had more pieces by him.


The Ustaad has played sitar in many old film songs or in the background pieces in the several films. Notable in these is the piece with a chakradhari taan towards the climaxed end of 'Madhuban mein radhika nache re' (Hameer), the initial piece of 'Ik shahenshah ne banwaake hansi taajmahal' (Lalit), 'Payaliya baavari' (Marwa by Lata) from Saanjh aur Awaaz) etc etc.

The compositions will be uploaded here in the reverse order - starting with the Seasonal Raga of Monsoon..

-A
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QUOTE
Mandrake wrote on 20th

In 1968, Ustad Abdul Halim Jafar Khan, along with his disciples, composed an album called 'Sitar Quintet' which had some truly off-the-path tracks.


[**********************************************************

Posted by: anilkumar Jun 24 2005, 04:11 AM


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Sitar Panchak (1968)

Abdul Halim Jaafar Khan & Disciples - (Sitar)

5 Rachana 'Kalpana' (Mishra Hemant)

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Posted by: anilkumar Jun 24 2005, 04:29 AM


______________________________________________

Sitar Panchak (1968)

Abdul Halim Jaafar Khan & Disciples

- 4 Sharavati (Mishra Madhuvanti - with both madhyams)

(This one I like the most)

_________________________________________________

Posted by: anilkumar Jun 24 2005, 05:48 AM

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Sitar Panchak (1968)

Abdul Halim Jaafar Khan & Disciples -

3 Rachana Khusrawani

(Mishra Charukeshi)

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Posted by: anilkumar Jun 24 2005, 06:13 AM


_______________________________________________
Sitar Panchak Track 2

Abdul Halim Jaafar Khan & Disciples

- 2 Rachna Mazmiri (Mishra Pilu Ragamaliika)

________________________________________________

Posted by: anilkumar Jun 24 2005, 06:21 AM


_______________________________________________

Sitar Panchak Track 1

Abdul Halim Jaafar Khan & Disciples

1 Chandni Kedar

Would like to know from Mandrake - Which track did he play on a bul-bul tarang?
________________________________________________



QUOTE
Mandrake wrote
.... ........ ....... I used to play one of the tracks on a bul-bul tarang!!! Don't expect anything great

Posted by: Mandrake Jun 24 2005, 03:38 PM

Dear Anil, Thanx a milllllllion for this super effort!! bow.gif

Somehow, all these years later, the punch seems to be a bit less of the entire album, but still the Sharavati is as breath-taking as ever smile1.gif

The piece I used to play was the Kalpana track. That could be played in full. The others were attempts.

Thanx verrrrry much Anil.

Posted by: bibhas Jun 25 2005, 02:14 AM

Anil,
Thanks for the grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat uploads ! Awesome experiment, my favorite was Rachana Khusrawani in Mishra Charukeshi.
Bibhas

Posted by: anilkumar Mar 4 2017, 01:08 AM

.
Renowned sitar player Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan — the last survivor of the "Sitar Trinity" of India along with the late Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan breathed his last at his Bandra residence on 4th January after a brief illness, He was 88.

Conferred with the Padmashri, Padma Bhushan and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards, Khan hailed from the Indore Gharana and is credited for innovating the unique music style of "Jafferkhani Baaj".

Born in 1929 in Jawra, Madhya Pradesh, during his music career spanning over six decades, Khan played the sitar for various Bollywood films, including Mughal-E-Azam, Kohinoor, Goonj Uthi Shehnai and Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, among many others.

The son of renowned singer and musician Jaffer Khan, he started his musical career with the All India Radio in the early 1940s. He was among the earliest trendsetters of Indian classical musicians collaborating with western musicians and in 1958 partnered with Jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, and with English classical guitarist Julian Bream in 1963.

He was considered the youngest of the famous "Sitar Trinity" of India, which included the late Pandit Ravi Shankar and the late Ustad Vilayat Khan,

He was best known for his unique musical innovation, "Jafferkhani Baaj", which he used to describe as "a synthesis of precision in technique and systematic thought, with a vigorous playing style".

Khan contributed hugely by bringing Carnatic music ragas Kirwani, Kanakangi, Latangi, Karaharapriya, Manavati, Ganamurti and others into the Sitar repertoire with a Hindustani music touch in the Jafferkhani style, she added.

He became the first Hindustani classical musician who collaborated in Carnatic music with legendary Veena exponent, Emani Sankara Sastry.

In 1976, he set up the Halim Academy of Sitar in Mumbai to impart training to young Sitar players and among his renowned students are son Zunain, Prasad Joglekar and Gargi Shinde, who is director of Jazz programmes at Chamber Music America.

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