|
Mudra -Pandit D. K. Datar & Ratnakar Gokhle . |
Pandit D. K. Datar - Violin
Ratnakar Gokhle - Violin
Arvind Azad - Tabla
Tracks
Raga Jogkauns
1 Alaap 1:38
2 Gat (Vilambit Teental) 26:25
3 Gat (Madhyam Teental) 10:04
Raga Purbi
4 Dhun (Madhyam Kaherwa tal) 12:23
5 Bhajan (Madhyam Kaherwa tal) 7:48
Raga Pahadi
6 Bhajan (Madhyam Kaherwa tal) 2:44
|  |
D.K. Datar is a leading violin player and a rare one at that, as violin is seldom played in
North Indian music whether as a solo or accompanying instrument. He trained,
initially, with Pandit Vighneshwar Shastri and then with his uncle, the outstanding
North Indian classical vocalist Dattatreya Vishnu Paluskar, from whom he learnt the
gayaki-ang (voice-like) style of violin. The style has lent a tremendous fluidity to his
performances of the lighter genres of dhun (a generic term for any kind of folk tune)
and bhajan (Hindu devotional song). Now considered a veteran of violin, Datar has an
outstanding record as educator as well as performer. Despite having played at all the
major, prestigious festivals of India leading to the Sangeet Natak Academy award in
music, Datar still considers the highpoint of his career to have been the opportunity
of accompanying D.V. Paluskar on stage.
VIOLIN
The violin is generally thought to have been introduced into India during the late 18th
century, via Irish musicians who entertained members of the British East India
Company. But it could just as easily have come three centuries earlier through
Portuguese missionaries on the south-western coast. Either way, it was eagerly taken
up by Indian musicians particularly in the south who felt that its likeness to human
vocal chords made it an ideal accompanying instrument for voice. Vocal music is
considered to be the highest form of classical music in India and while North Indian
musicians generally preferred the sarangi, (also played with a bow), Karnatic (or
South Indian) musicians, took up the violin and developed new playing techniques to
suit the requirements of Karnatic music. In India, the violin is played sitting cross
legged on the ground, with the instrument pointing to the floor and the scroll resting
firmly on the ankle of the right foot allowing more freedom to wrist movements for
creating slides (called meend). Traditionally, fingering is based around the middle finger
(which slides up), and the index finger (which slides down)
THE MUSIC
Recorded live at the Saptak Festival in 2008, Datar is accompanied by Ratnakar
Gokhle on violin and Arvind Azad on tabla.
Raga Jogkauns, the first piece of this recording, is a relatively recent raga, originally
conceived by Jagannathbua Purohit "Gunidas" who began playing it at concerts in the
early 1940s. It is a composite scale derived from raga Jog and the very well-known
raga Malkauns. Gunidas originally took Malkauns and added a melodic twist; making
that somewhat sombre and enigmatic raga a bit more specific and somewhat sprightly
but many musicologists now link the raga Jogkauns to raga Chandrakauns , itself a
relatively modern invention.
Datar begins with a brief alaap (slow, pulse-free introduction) in raga Jogkauns before moving on to a gat (composition) in vilambit (slow tempo) teental (16-beat cycle) creating a meditative ambience.
The second piece, also a composition in Raga Jogkauns, is set to a medium tempo using the jhaptal rhythm (10-beat cycle), after which the mood is immediately lightened with a dhun in Raga Purbi set to the kaharwa tal (8-beat rhythm cycle, usually stressed as 3-3-2 and divided 4-4). The dhun is akin to a folk tune with a lyrical melody that forms the basis of many folk songs of north-east (purbi means "eastern") India and kaherwa is a common, frequently used rhythm cycle for light classical and folk songs, greatly enhancing Datar's intensely lyrical style of violin.
The disc concludes with the tunes of two popular bhajans, the first loosely based on
raga Khamaj and also set to the kaharwa tal. Again, Datar's violin is strongly
reminiscent of the human voice as lyrical nuances are expressed with a great deal of
relish and ease. From here, he launches straight into a popular tune, based on raga
Pahadi which has come to be associated with the words of a bhajan by
princess-poet-mystic, Meera Bai, (circa. 1498-1547).
Notes: © Jameela Siddiqi
SENSE WORLD MUSIC
93 Belgrave Road,
Leicester,
Leicestershire,
LE4 6AS,
UK.
Tel: +44 (0)116 266 7046
Fax: +44 (0)116 261 0480
Web: www.senseworldmusic.com
E-mail: info@senseworldmusic.com
|
|
