FESTIVAL OF INDIA PRESENTS
THE GREAT TRADITION
MASTERS OF MUSIC
HMV, 1986, EALP-1453/54
Festival of India was a body which organised three exhibitions of painting, sculpture as well as series of concerts to international audiences until 1986. This double album is a compilation of the best singers and players in Hindustani and Karnatak musics. The aim was to allow young Indian people to rediscover that fantastic musical heritage.
There are 16 vocalists, among them Abdul Karim Khan, Gangubai Hangal or D.K. Pattammal and 9 instrumentists like Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan or T.R. Mahalingam. The period covered goes from 1911 with Zohra Bai to 1982 with Doreswamy Iyengar. All the 78RPM are complete while recordings from the 1960s are excerpts of longer pieces. Some musicians were a discovery for me like the sarangi player Bundu khan (A2) or vocalist Krishnarao Shankar Pandit (A/6). One of the best tracks is the raag Nat Kamod sung by Kesar Bai Kerkar in 1946 (A5).
So this is an excellent way to discover old masters of the great Indian tradition.
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