Indian/Hindustani Classical Music!

[Gaillo]

OK...

I'll float this one one more time - last time I was accused of wearing sandals and "peacing out" while listening to Ravi Shankar in the ashram! ;D

I find myself, more and more as of late, listening almost exclusively to Hindustani/Indian music. I don't know what it is... it's pretty odd... as one of my friends recently remarked "I love coming over here and hearing this stuff - it's like they're tuning their instruments!". I don't personally hear it that way... to me it's a blindingly intense solos and WICKED pitch bends... like I only DREAMED of being able to do back when I played lead electric guitar!

I love almost any kind of music, and I've listened to them all... country, rap, metal, shoegazer, jazz, funk, reggae, techno, classical... my iPod is full of nearly 3,000 tunes from just about every musical sub-genre on the planet - but recently (and by that I mean the last 3/4 year!) I find myself increasingly gravitating to the classical music of Northern India/Southern Pakistan. I can't get enough! It's not only my favorite cooking music, it's also my favorite for chilling on the porch with a fresh pipefull of Cavendish. I find it interesting, exhilerating, and occasionally terrifying... some of those Sitar and Sarod "licks" rival any speed-metal or classic rock performance I've ever had the privilege of witnessing first-hand!

Some of my favs:

Just about anything by Nikhil Banerjee, particularly "Bhairavi Thumri" from "Morning Ragas" and "Bhimpalasi" from "Afternoon Ragas"
Buddhadev Das Gupta - "Nayak Ki Kanra" (This is how I think heavenly music would sound as I was on my way to meet my maker, if I bought into that fairytale!)
Ravi Shankar - Raag Samant Sarang (It's literally IMPOSSIBLE to not crack a wide, joyous smile while listening to this beautiful, energetic piece!)
Hariprasad Chaurasia - "Indian Classical Masters, Raga Bhimpalasi" - best flute music I've ever heard!
Vijay Raghav Rao - "Raga Malkauns" - stunning.
Ali Akbar Khan and Nikhil Banerjee - "Signature Series 4 - Raga Khammaj and Mand" - the most amazing and beautiful musical duet (Jugalbandi) I've ever heard, in ANY genre of music!

Anyone else here like this type of music? Why? Am I out of my mind? ;D

[Bullion_Bob]

I can dig the instrumentals. I can't dig the lyrics though, especially when they start to wail too much, and it's a woman singing.

The sound gets too deep into my ear, and I start to wig out a bit. I've been drumming since 10, and now have a drum set on each floor of the house, so I can dig the hand drumming. I might pick up a set of tabla's.

Then there's the food. Even better than the music. I could eat it every day, all day, (and have)

[Gaillo]

Bullion_Bob,
I'll agree with you 100% on the singing thing, for the most part I can't STAND Indian music where someone is singing! Very grating, that horrible "vibrato" they do... and I just plain DO NOT like how most Indian women's voices "screech" and "whine" anyway. I haven't tried a lot of Indian food, but what I have tried I've liked... especially the hot curry dishes and Basmati rice (my favorite rice PERIOD!).

I hope you do get a pair of Tabla drums, my father had a pair when I was growing up (he later gave them to a friend) and those things sound NEAT! The high pitched drum sounds bright and metallic, while the low pitched drum sounds "aquatic" and watery somehow. If you like drums, I think you would like Tabla, I've considered buying a pair myself, but they're pretty expensive, and I play transverse flute better than I play hand drums (which is to say not that well, at least not yet...) ;)

[Dogman]

I also agree with the singing! But the instrumentals are several levels higher, coming from one of or the oldest cultures on earth. No other culture can match India not even the Chinese. If the truth be told.

Yes I am also hooked on the crustine, along with thai as my favorites, When enjoying Indian music it is best to let yourself go and let the music carry you, it can be soal deep and wide.

[Ponce]

I only like instrumental....... I found the perfect station with my muzee plug in......the station is from Korea and is called "Happy Age New Music"........this is the first station in my life time (at 70) that I can concentrate on something else while listening to it.

By the way........I love my muzee plug in.....I can listen to 20,000 stations from all over the world, at this time (TODAY, RIGHT NOW) Daily Steal are giving them away for free....all that you pay is the shipping that is about $4.98..........I just ordered two more, this site has a 24 hours sale of bargains every day......I even got a digital watch for free about three monhts ago that is still working.

[MAGNES]

It's okay, we are all a little different. ;D

Last few years I have a new found appreciation for heavier metal,
stuff I never listened to as a teen even though I was ACDC
since 12 , listened to everything, but recently Maiden, Priest,
Manowar, even Rammstein, some incredible music, past
favorites were Metalica, Cult, Ozzy, etc, I like cranking up
Rammstein beside a guy playing rap in car, rofl , scared sh*tless.
My dog howls to warriors of the world, goes nutz, only does
that to hells bells. He loves it too. He hates rammstein.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThIzo5FInn0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_UGFLT0VMY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfZBMQoNxJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gg-CsirxfE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCCN8TZhphE

[Gaillo]

Here's one you might enjoy, MAGNES!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsdncbj7_DI

[MAGNES]

Sounds great, never even heard of them, slowly people introduce
new stuff to me, I'm behind the times, got tired of listening to
my old music these last few years, on road a lot, new stuff
and podcasts to keep me occupied and awake. I notice many
metal bands are singing about NWO, even new Motorhead,
Sons of Liberty online, Megadeth. I listen to other stuff too.
Enya. Changing it up is good, got a new CD, Celtic Women,
Christmas CD, pretty amazing. It's your thread Gaillo. ;D

Gaillo, you must listen to this stuff if you can easily find
a selection like that.

[Gaillo]

Gaillo, you must listen to this stuff if you can easily find
a selection like that.


MAGNES, like I said in my original post, I enjoy pretty much all music. Metal has always been one of my favorite types, it's all I listened to when I was young. I used to tell people that I liked listening to everything except for polkas and Rap, but then I had an employee who listened to rap all day at his bench, and I found that I really liked some of it! then, I discovered this polish group (warsaw village band) and this guy Chantell (sp?) who do polkas... and just LOVED it LOL! ;D So now I can't even give the standard "cool" answer about liking everything but (whatever) - I really do actually like it all! :D