JAN GARBAREK / USTAD FATEH ALI KHAN - Ragas and Sagas (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The saxophone is not an instrument usually associated with Pakistani music. And Pakistanis are not especially famous for collaborating with Norwegians. But that is what listeners have on this incredible recording. The music is predominantly Pakistani in sound, tonality, and structure; voice, sarangi, and tabla improvise along with Garbarek's saxophone on every track. For aficionados of Indian or Pakistani music, this is a great recording; Garbarek's lines are right in step with the traditional styles of improvisation. Listeners unacquainted with these traditions will find this recording a mesmerizingly exotic disc. Those familiar with Garbarek's work will be very surprised. This is a completely unique recording for him; one can only hope that he makes further explorations in this vein. by Mark Allender

Tracklist:

1 Raga I 8:45

Ustad Fateh Ali Khan

2 Saga 5:25

Jan Garbarek 

3 Raga II 13:05

Ustad Fateh Ali Khan

4 Raga III 11:53

Ustad Fateh Ali Khan

5 Raga IV 12:56

Ustad Fateh Ali Khan

Credits:

Jan Garbarek - Composer, Flute, Performer, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)

Shaukat Hussain - Tabla

Manu Katché - Drums

Nazim Ali Khan - Sarangui

Ustad Fateh Ali Khan -  Vocals, Voices

Deepika Thathaal - Vocals, Voices

JOHN McLAUGHLIN / SHANKAR MAHADEVAN / ZAKIR HUSSAIN - Is That So? (2020) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Is That So? is a six-years-in-the-making collaborative album by guitarist John McLaughlin (who turned 78 a week before its release), Indian composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan, and tabla master Zakir Hussain. In 2013, McLaughlin was touring with Mahadevan in the revamped Shakti lineup. Completely blown away by the singer's voice, writing, and performance style, McLaughlin was eager to collaborate on something new. He'd had a career-long ambition to wed classical Indian raga to Western harmony. With Hussain in the original 1974 Shakti lineup, the band's music was acoustic and free of Western harmonic concepts, wrapped instead around Indo-jazz fusion.
This group experiments with form and function: They regard musicality as an expression of the sacred. McLaughlin's guitars sound like synthesizers throughout; they are not really solo instruments but harmonic companions for Mahadevan's singing. Hussain's tablas are completely improvised. Opener "Zakir," with its wafting string-and-synth-like sounds, is given heft via Mahadevan's amazing voice, phrasing, and control; it's at once spiritual, soulful, and free of earthly constraints. The integration of East and West is seamless and immediate, and it sounds like the trio has been recording this way for decades. "Tara" is an entreaty and paean to the deity Radha. It's a request to grant the supplicant musical ability for sacred reasons. It comes across as a long cue in a film score, but as McLaughlin constructs the sonic backdrop for Mahadevan's lyric as a sensual petition that not only extends but expands, and becomes entwined with, the musical backing. "The Search" is an Alap lyrical improvisation in a Raag Todi. An alap is the opening section typical in North Indian classical music performances; it's a melodic improv form that serves to create a foundation for the emergent raga. At nearly 11 minutes, it offers a long, moody intro before wafting guitar synth, droning tanpura, and Hussain's tablas establish a complex, slowly unfurling groove. It's alternately moody, earthy, and painfully tender. Closer "The Beloved," at over nine minutes, sounds -- at least initially -- like film music, with lush, harmonic guitar presented on the frontline alongside Mahadevan's almost unbearably beautiful singing. As erotic and sensory as it sounds to those who don't understand Hindi, it's actually a gorgeous prayer. The lyrics offer a fountain of emotionally free yet disciplined praise, affirmation, and petition; the ghostly guitars and rumbling tablas erect a lush harmonic floor that moves the tune in the direction of jazz, though it never fully arrives. McLaughlin's guitar synth peppers the tablas with quick, deft lines and tonal angles. Is That So? is a lovely yet radical and provocative departure for McLaughlin, and one he freely acknowledges longtime fans may not enjoy. It's easy to see his point, but an honest approach to this quietly astonishing music should result in delight for most open-minded listeners. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist:
1 Kabir 7:27
Shankar Mahadevan / John McLaughlin
2 Sakhi 8:26
Zakir Hussain / Shankar Mahadevan / John McLaughlin
3 Tara 8:32
Shankar Mahadevan / John McLaughlin
4 The Search 10:49
Shankar Mahadevan / John McLaughlin
5 The Guru 7:08
Shankar Mahadevan / John McLaughlin
6 The Beloved 9:25
Shankar Mahadevan / John McLaughlin
Credits:

Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer [Guitar Synth], Orchestrated By [Orchestrations] – John McLaughlin

Tabla – Zakir Hussain

Voice – Shankar Mahadevan

Written-By – John McLaughlin (tracks: 1, 3 to 6), Shankar Mahadevan (tracks: 1, 3 to 6)

REMEMBER SHAKTI - Remember Shakti (1999) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On Remember Shakti, jazz guitarist John McLaughlin returns to one of his chief inspirations -- classical Indian music -- by re-forming his '70s group Shakti. Original members Zakir Hussain (tabla) and Vikku Vinayakram (ghatam) return, joined by Hariprasad Chaurasia on the bansuri (Indian flute). Remember Shakti has a more meditative, fluid feel than the percussive work of the original group, but McLaughlin's subtle, hypnotic guitar work bridges Shakti's past and present. Remember Shakti's double-disc length gives the group ample time to explore the intricacies of compositions like "The Wish," "Chandrakauns," and the hour-plus "Mukti." An emotionally rich, musically accomplished album, Remember Shakti reunites a unique group of players. by Heather Phares
Tracklist:
1-1 Chandrakauns 33:35
1-2 The Wish 18:40
1-3 Lotus Feet 7:33
2-1 Mukti 63:30
2-2 Zakir 9:10
Credits:

Bansuri – Hariprasad Chaurasia (tracks: 1-1, 1-3 to 2-2)

Ghatam – T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram (tracks: 1-2 to 2-1)
Guitar – John McLaughlin (tracks: 1-2 to 2-2)
Tabla – Zakir Hussain (tracks: 1-1 to 2-1)
Tambura [Tanpura] – Uma Metha (tracks: 1-1, 1-3)
Written-By – Hariprasad Chaurasia (tracks: 1-1, 2-1), John McLaughlin (tracks: 1-2, 1-3, 2-2)

REMEMBER SHAKTI - Saturday Night In Bombay (2001) APE (image+.cue), lossless

John McLaughlin brought his revived Indo-jazz project Shakti to Bombay (Mumbai) in late 2000, and the result is this live disc, which features only four compositions but runs over an hour in length. (The title is a deliberate play on 1980's Friday Night in San Francisco.) McLaughlin's electric guitar and Zakir Hussain's tabla remain at the core of the group's sound. U. Shrinivas (on mandolin) and V. Selvaganesh (on kanjira, ghatam, and mridangam, all Indian percussion instruments) remain from the previous album, but there are also a number of Indian guest musicians, giving the music many added dimensions. The most remarkable guests are Debashish Bhattacharya on Hindustani slide guitar, Shankar Mahadevan on vocals, and Shiv Kumar Sharma on santur, an Indian hammered dulcimer. Sharma composed the second track, "Shringar"; nearly half an hour long, it consists almost entirely of a hypnotic dialogue between santur and guitar. Mahadevan's vocal performance on the opening "Luki" resounds with spiritual power, while Shrinivas's "Giriraj Sudha" gives a sunny, optimistic lift to the somewhat mournful set. by David R. Adler
Tracklist:
1 Luki 5:39
2 Shringar 26:38
3 Giriraj Sudha 10:45
4 Bell'Alla 18:48
Personnel:

Guitar – John McLaughlin

Kanjira – V. Selvaganesh

Mandolin – U. Shrinivas (tracks: 1, 3, 4)

Tabla – Zakir Hussain

Vocals – Shankar Mahadevan (tracks: 1, 3, 4)

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN - En Concert à Paris Vol. 1 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN - En Concert à Paris Vol. 2 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN - En Concert à Paris Vol. 3 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN - En Concert à Paris Vol. 4 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN - En Concert à Paris Vol. 5 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

SHEILA CHANDRA - Quiet (1984) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This was truly the album where Chandra broke away from the pop structures underlying much of Monsoon's work. As Chandra began to write much of her material (in collaboration with Martin Smith and producer Steve Coe), the dance rhythms of her debut were virtually eliminated, although the emphasis on Indian instrumentation remained intact. The music simultaneously incorporated elements that were both more traditional and more free-form than her previous work -- traditional in the sense that she drew upon Indian vocal styles such as spoken bols; free-form in that there were no lyrics, just wordless vocalizations, often overdubbed numerous times. Divided into ten tracks with a single title ("Quiet 1," "Quiet 2," etc.), the suite-like piece remained cognizant of modern technology and outside musical influences, without being overwhelmed by them. In most crucial respects, the album outlined the approach she has taken to her idiosyncratic brand of world music ever since. by Richie Unterberger
Tracklist
1 Quiet 1 8:57
Steve Coe / Martin Smith
2 Quiet 2 4:13
Steve Coe / Martin Smith
3 Quiet 3 4:53
Steve Coe / Martin Smith
4 Quiet 4 4:02
Sheila Chandra / Steve Coe / Martin Smith
5 Quiet 5 4:09
Steve Coe / Martin Smith
6 Quiet 6 4:21
Sheila Chandra / Steve Coe / Martin Smith
7 Quiet 7 3:01
Sheila Chandra / Steve Coe / Martin Smith
8 Quiet 8 4:47
Sheila Chandra / Steve Coe / Martin Smith
9 Quiet 9 2:33  
Steve Coe / Martin Smith
10 Quiet 10 4:54
Steve Coe / Martin Smith
Credits
Bass, Harp [Surmandel] – Martin Smith
Bells – Martin Smith, Preston Heyman, Sheila Chandra, Steve Coe
Percussion [Gamalan, Whispered Hi-hat], Cabasa, Shaker, Wind Chimes, Cymbal, Gong – Preston Heyman
Percussion [Water Wok] – Preston Heyman, Sheila Chandra
Piano, Performer [Eqtara] – Steve Coe
Santoor – Martin Smith (9), Preston Heyman
Sitar [Dilruba] – Dharambir Singh
Sitar, Tambura – Dharambir Singh, Martin Smith (9)
Synthesizer – Martin Smith, Steve Coe
Vocals, Voice [Spoken Bols, Jathis, Sargam] – Sheila Chandra
Written-By – Martin Smith, Sheila Chandra (tracks: 1, 4, 6 to 8), Steve Coe

SHEILA CHANDRA - Quiet

 (1984) Narada World / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN - Sufi Qawwalis (2002) Mp3

This 2002 release of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's songs by ARC Music (previously released by Navras Records) presents four songs recorded during a concert that took place in London in December 1989 at the Kufa Gallery. Listeners hear a singer in perfect mastery of his qawwali art, singing in different languages, such as Farsi, Punjabi, and old Hindi. Nobody can remain indifferent to these songs and this great singer, even though one may not understand the poetry. Each song is a prayer that is intimately shared with everyone listening to him. Simply magical. by Bruno Deschênes
Tracklist 
1 Love Song (In Raga Bilawal) 13:21
Lyrics By – Amir Khusrau
2 Naat-e-Sharif (In Raga Mishra Kafi) 19:01
Lyrics By – Maulana Jami
3 Song Of Praise (Traditional Qawwali In Raga Mishra Kafi) 13:45
Lyrics By – Hazrat Amir Khusrau
4 Traditional Qawwali (In Ragas Marwa & Bhatiyar) 15:12

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN & PARTY Intoxicated Spirit (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This, the second of four Pakistani releases licensed by Shanachie, was a big seller when it arrived in U.S. record stores at the height of Nusrat-mania. It's a live recording featuring four long pieces. The sound is crisp and unfettered, decidedly less rich than on the Real World sessions, but good enough to let the listener enjoy another incendiary Nusrat session. The opening piece, "Yehjo Halka Halka Saroor Hai," unfolds through successively intense passages of composed melody and improvisation and clocks in just under 25 minutes, considerably longer than the studio version of this piece featured on The Day, the Night, the Dawn, the Dusk (Shanachie, 1991). The notes give a complete translation of the piece's lyrics, which describe an obsessive love that displaces even the singer's religion and can only be compared to intoxication: "Your love and your bewitching eyes have induced me to become a drunkard." For the remaining three pieces, you're on our own lyricwise, but the music itself communicates plenty. Another very long piece begins with an extended slow section that makes the lashing rhythms and florid improvisations that come later still more powerful. The final piece offers a surprise, a traditional sarangi (violin) and qanun (zither) joining the standard tabla and harmonium accompaniment. The track begins in a peaceful, reflective mode but ultimately ascends to the highly charged energy level that Pakistani audiences demand from the greatest star qawwali music has ever produced. by Banning Eyre   

Tracklist :

1 Yeh Jo Halka Halka 23:00

2 Ruk Pe Rehmat Ka 24:00

3 Be Wafa 12:00

4 Meri Saqi Saqi Yeh 14:00

SHIVKUMAR SHARMA, BRIJBHUSHAN KABRA & HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA - Call Of The Valley (1968-1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Shivkumar Sharma, the guitarist Brijbhushan Kabra, and flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia were all aged about 30 when they made Call of the Valley. Shivkumar Sharma, who had made his first solo album in 1960, was responsible for establishing and popularizing the instrument in Hindustani classical circles. Kabra was also having to prove himself because of the guitar's Western and Indian popular music associations Chaurasia's problem was the wide popularity of the bansuri -- a bamboo transverse flute -- and his need to establish himself with the instrument. In 1967, the concept behind this album was as revolutionary as it was traditional. Conceived as a suite, they used their instruments to tell the story of a day in the life of a shepherd in Kashmir using ragas associated with various times of the day to advance the dram. by Ken Hunt

Tracklist

1 Ahir Bhairav Nat Bhairav 12:35

2 Rag Piloo 7:58

3 Bhoop 6:16

4 Rag Des 6:09

5 Rag Pahadi 6:48

Bonus Tracks

6 Ghara - Dadra 7:25

7 Dhun - Mishra Kirwani 12:58

8 Bageshwari 10:46

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN - En Concert À Paris (2000) 5CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

There is no single greatest singer of qawwalis, the ancient Sufi songs that have become central to popular religion and popular music in Pakistan. But if there were, his name would be Khan. He inherits a family tradition of qawwali singing going back several centuries, and in live performances like this concert he can be emotionally devastating.  by David L. Mayers

 En Concert À Paris Vol. 1

  Tracklist
1. Hamd 28:46
2. Naat 16:12
3. Manaqib Ali 16:28
4. Manaqib Khawaja Mueenuddin Chishti 9:52

Credits
Chorus – Abdul Sittar, Asad Ali, Naddem Amjad, Nafees Ahmad
Chorus, Conductor – Muhammad Iqbal Naqbi
Harmonium – Rehmat Ali
Leader, Voice [Second] – Farrukh Fateh
Tabla – Dildar Hussain
Voice [Second] – Ghulam Abbas Jaffri

En Concert À Paris Vol. 2

Tracklist
1. Mumudjoat 14:46
2. Mevsiye 13:10
3. Ghazal 1 14:55
4. Ghazal 2 13:16
5. Ghazal 3 13:09

Credits
Chorus – Abdul Sittar, Asad Ali, Muhammad Iqbal Naqbi*, Naddem Amjad, Nafees Ahmad
Harmonium – Rehmat Ali
Leader, Voice [Second] – Farrukh Fateh
Tabla – Dildar Hussain
Voice – Ghulam Abbas Jaffri

En Concert À Paris Vol. 3

Tracklist

1 Hamd (Ô Dieu Vivant Et Éternel) [O, Living And Eternal God] 29:33

2 Nat-i Sharif (Ô Mustafa, Lumière Du Droit Chemin) [O, Mustafa Light Of The Right Path] 33:07

Credits

Chorus [Choeur] – Asad Ali, Mohamad Idbal Naqbi, Kokab Ali, Mohamad Maskin, Nafees Ahmad

Lead Vocals [Uncredited] – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Tabla – Dildar Hussain

Vocals [Chante Soliste] – Attat Fareed, Mujahed Moubarak Ali Khan

Vocals [Chante Soliste], Harmonium – Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan

En Concert À Paris Vol. 4

Tracklist

1. Nat-i Sharif 32:19
2. Tarif 23:05
3. Je Ne Sais Où Je Vais 18:28

 En Concert À Paris Vol. 5

Tracklist
1 Kafi 17:06
2 Kafi 28:29
3 Haq Ali Maula 17:33

RAVI SHANKAR - Live At The Monterey International Pop Festival [1967] FLAC

Live: Ravi Shankar At The Monterey International Pop Festival is a 1967 album by Ravi Shankar. It is the full recording from the historic music festival in California on 18 June, 1967. He is joined by Alla Rakha on tabla and Kamala on tamboura. This is from the 1998 CD on Angel Records.

A rainstorm could have prevented Ravi Shankar from playing at the Monterey International Pop Festival. But in the afternoon of June 18, 1967, he, Alla Rakha, and Kamala walked on stage and for 45 minutes, the rainfall stopped. It was with this performance, and his appearance in the film, that gave him (at the age of 47) rock star and guru status, even though he rejected both notions.

1. Raga Bhimpalasi

2. Tabla Solo in Ektal

3. Dhun (Dadra and Fast Teental)

Credits

Sitar – Ravi Shankar

Tabla – Alla Rakha

Tambura – Kamala

O Púbis da Rosa