Eastern Music
Indian Women Singers
Sulochana Brahaspati,
Girija Devi and Shruti Sadolikar with sarangi and tabla.
Nimbus (Hindustani
Classical Vocal series) NI 1740 71'40" + 74' +
65'
Nimbus
This is a very pleasing compilation of recordings from the early '90s. Sulochana
Brahaspati represents the Rampur style and is accompanied by the great Sultan
Klan on sarangi (bowed lute) with Anindo Chatterjee (tabla), who also supports
Shruti Sadolikar, noted in previous reviews for her own solo CD and for her
key role in Nimbus's The Raga Guide.
Sulochana Brahaspati sings the Raga Bilaskhani Todi (khyal) and a Punjabi
tappa, which requires and receives a tremendous sense of rhythm and technique.
Girija Devi sings songs from Varanasi, and is supported by sarangi and tabla
players from the same area. After a khyal raga Maru Bihag she performs
a thumri and finally a light classical dadra song.
Shruti Sadolikar is especially sweet-toned and her singing has an air of
sincerity which is particularly winning. She sings three ragas, finishing
with a thumri in raga Bhairavi, currently the most popular of all.
This is music to be heard, not drily explained on the printed page. The notes
deal mostly with the careers and genealogy of the performers, but all the
ragas are described, with music examples to hear and rehear, in
The Raga
Guide, which has properly been described as a godsend
and a quick, easy and reliable guide to this complicated and still (for
Westerners) esoteric music. At a bargain price, it is excellent value and
will give several hours of pleasure
[Nimbus
5536/9] approx £28. See also
Immersion in
Indian music S&H July 1999
Reviewer
Peter Grahame Woolf
