Customer Reviews

Rise

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I've become quite a fan of Ravi and Anoushka Shankar in the last few years and have seen them perform a couple of times. I was slightly reticent about this album because of a skepticism towards "world music" in general (which is sometimes a cheesy fusion of the most plastic of western pop and the music of another culture). However, Anoushka exhibits taste with her considerable composition skills. She nicely integrates electronics with traditional instruments such as didgeridoo, South American vocal percussion, piano, cello, violin, and, of course, traditional Indian instruments. The release feels fresh because of its being informed by modern electronic music (Anoushka is a big fan of trance, for one), yet retains an organic feel that keeps it grounded.

I was in Sound Spectrum in Laguna Beach, California a couple of days ago where the owner Jim had Anoushka Shankar's album Rise playing. Wow, it sure got my attention. Anoushka is the daughter of legendary Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar and along with her famous half-sister Norah Jones is heir to one of the world's great musical legacies.

As one of only a handful of female sitar players in the world, Anoushka could well be thought to be trading on her uniqueness in the male-dominated culture of sitarists and on her father's famous name. But that's definitely not the case here. She's an accomplished sitarist, musician, composer and director in her own right with an impressive list of awards and credits for someone in her mid-twenties.

Rise is a luscious, evocative album that features Anoushka's traditional Indian sitar playing set amidst richly textured arrangements, instrumentations and vocalizations. The compositions and arrangements are hers and they float magically out there somewhere in the ethers between the ancient sounds of Indian music and rhythmic contemporary stylings. Anoushka's music on Rise is both haunting and liquid, beguiling us with a mystical magic carpet ride and then seducing us with its colorful gems along the way. (When was the last time you heard a sitar and a didjeridoo making music together?)

For those familiar with the music of Spain's Ojos de Brujo there's some vocalizing on Anoushka's song Red Sun that's highly reminiscent of the vocalizing on Brujo's Gypsy Party. I was excited to hear this unusual vocalizing again - it's electrifying stuff and makes me think that this is what a human voice would sound like if it morphed into a percussion instrument. Though Anoushka's music is truly Indian at its core and Ojos de Brujo's decidedly Spanish, both share a common thread in the way they blend traditional music with contemporary stylings and do it so well; a telling hint as to the evolution of music.

I like Anoushka Shankar's music on Rise a lot. It has a haunting, seductive quality to it that stirs the imagination and inspires a meditative, trance-like stream of consciousness that makes me want to dance and dream all at the same time.

I would suggest you don't drive a car while listening to this music, as some of the other reviewers suggest, unless you are banking on a good reincarnation.

This is a phenomenal result from Anushka Shankar, a musical follow-up to Ravi Shankar's Tana Mana and just as bold and beautiful. I get personally sometimes slightly annoyed by attempts to commercialise Indian classical music. As a genre it already has a far bigger audience than when it was played solely for the enjoyment of Indian kings. It is a music of our time more than of any other time. There is enough ancient love in Anushka Shankar's music and the music of many other Indian musicians that it does not need the blaring out of synthesizers to announce itself. Thankfully, this is one of the few Indian fusion recordings after Tana Mana that make use of synthesizers without allowing them to interfere too much with the music.

The music is like a drug. Here I am at 4 o'clock at night unable to stop listening to it. I have been listening to it for days and cannot get much work done. It would be impossible to fault Anushka Shankar - she has inherited directly what is at the very heart of Indian classical music, her father's teachings. But there is a bit more. I get a feeling that Anushka is developing Indian classical music slightly away from the typical trio - solo instrument, tabla, tanpura - to the level of a small ensemble. There was an example in the Concert for George where she conducted an orchestra of sitars. Here several instruments alternate or join together in building the melody: not just the sitar and tabla but flutes, a violin, piano, santoor and voice among much else classical or modern, sometimes all in a single piece.

Perhaps it is best not to try to describe the music, when it is as beautiful as this. I am sure I cannot do it justice. So perhaps you can stop reading here. If you insist - there are entrancing, mesmerising moments especially in Prayer in Passing, Naked and Solea. Sometimes there are jazzy echoes as if from Santana's "Caravanserai", Chick Corea's "Light as a Feather" or Al di Meola's atmospheric "the Grande Passion". The track Mahadeva, the Indian god of war, is fittingly menacing and warlike. Beloved and Sinister Grains develop into a kind of Indian Trance somewhat in the style of Prem Joshua. The tour de force is Voice of the Moon with a violin joining the sitar in a way that reminds of the time a long time ago when Jehudi Menuhin joined on the violin Ravi Shankar's sitar into melodic duets that can be found in some of Ravi Shankar's early recordings. Perhaps this is the perfect lunacy of ancient love, maybe even modern love, a mad love for beautiful music.

I picked up this album in a music store on a whim. I must admit that I was filled with a sense of trepidation. I am very, very skeptical of star children as a rule and I was afraid that this album would be another example of progeny cashing in on `illustrious lineage'.

I am happy to report that I was proved wrong. To begin with Anoushka demonstrates a good understanding of Indian Classical Music. Her `chops', as somebody here has said are impressive. This kind of music is very difficult to get right. Not handled well, it can end up becoming a complete mishmash. Like a lot of the lounge music out there - completely soulless and absolute wallpaper. But not here.


The blend of ambient atmospherics and Indian Classical is just so. Neither overpowers the other. The other treat in this album is the impressive list of master musicians - Vishwa Mohan Bhatt of `Meeting by the River' fame, Bikram Ghosh, that hyper percussionist, Ritesh and Rajesh Mishra, sons of Rajan Mishra...

This is intelligent, sensitive Indian Music for the Global Age. Recommended.

My name is Sam Fresni and I am 16 years old. I go to Santana High school in California. I never really had the opportunity to grasp Indian classical music, although my parents are huge fans. Growing up in the US, I was having a hard time appreciating and understanding it. However, my family and I both really enjoy Anoushka's new album RISE. It is something that we can all agree on at home and in the car. It has a little something for everyone.

For the fans of this type of music, she is an absolutely delight. For the neophytes like me, this is a great introduction to the culture and music of India. Her ability to play this intricate instrument is incredible, she makes it sound so easy. A couple of songs are her father's but with a new twist and emotion. It is certainly a great CD.

Rise is one of those albums that gets better and better the more you listen to it. On the surface it's a mellow, atmospheric, mysterious selection of tracks, with pieces like Mahadeva and Red Sun moving the energy level up a little bit. The more you listen however, Anoushka's compositional skills come to the forefront. Not simply an "Indian album with electronics" or "a collection of world music sounds" as some people have written, it is a mature and giant leap for an artist who has previously recorded music composed for her by her father. Anoushka seems to be trying to show listeners who she is on this album, as opposed to trying to prove herself to the people who seem to need to criticize her every move. And I like what she shows.

Tracks like Prayer in Passing, Solea (where she duets with pianist Ricardo Mino to create one of the most fresh yet organic melodies I have heard in a long time) and Ancient Love are incredibly meditative and wisely simplistic. While Prayer in Passing brings together such diverse sounds as the Indian sitar, middle eastern duduk in flamenco-style piano over a melody straightforward enough that the various styles come together peacefully, Ancient Love is a heartbreakingly beautiful, epic piece of music which showcases sparse Indian instruments and vocals over surprisingly well produced, lush electronics. Mid-point in the piece it takes a turn towards a very different direction and in place as the last track of the album, seems to be an intruiguing nod to where things could go in the future.

Red Sun features simply the best vocal rhythmic percusion (bol, or konnokol) I have ever heard, over a bed of driving bass guitars, amazing drumming (in seven beats!) and psychedelic-trance-style electronics. When the flute comes in, playing the powerful rag Bairagi, it is, quite simply, soul food. Similarly, Mahadeva seems to hit me in all the right places with it's deep vocals, jazzy sitar and more wonderful drumming from Jesse Charnow. Sinister Grains is a funky little track, on top a floating and haunting Indian melody on vocals and shehnai, and on bottom a dark, moody assortment of electronics, didgeridoo, and the strangest, most catchy bassline I have ever heard, and which several bass players I know are going crazy for.

Anoushka brings an element of lightness to her deep, sometimes brooding sounds with tracks like Beloved and Naked. Beloved features gorgeous vocals by Swarnima Gusain and has hints of old classic Indian love songs. However, her unprecented inclusion of drums and a bass guitar to a song of this style keep it feeling contemporary, while still, amazingly, retaining the melodic integrity she seems to work hard for throughout the album. On Naked Anoushka plays alone, and if anyone would take the time to listen to this short piece they would realize just how Anoushka has grown as a sitarist over the years. Not showing off in any way but playing simply and from the heart, she moved me in a way she could not on her earlier albums, even though she showed a lot of promise and skill at a younger age.

Overall I appreciate and applaud the bravery of her compositions on this album, because she steers clear of showing off and comes to this album with the tag of "composer" more that "sitarist," and the result is a stunning and evocative album full of subtle surprises. Calling it simply fusion or an attempt to crossover by an Indian artist does no justice to the level of insight and maturity Anoushka displays in relation to every sound on the album. What amazes me further is that she also produced and arranged Rise herself; at the age of twenty-four, Anoushka is truly going to be a force to be reckoned with.

On a side note, there are some truly disturbing reviews listed here. While some people do not like Rise and some do as is perfectly natural, what business to people have low-rating an album and using space to give vent to their snide or jealous feelings, without even mentioning one thing about the album itself? One reviewer amazed me with how much he seemed to want to criticize Anoushka with the most ridiculous insinuations! It almost seems like he has something personal against her. He of course mentions (among far too many other things about himself) that he is an amateur musician himself....perhaps that is where the problem lies? There seem to be a lot of people in India and abroad who resent Anoushka's success, mostly because she has gone about receiving it in a non-traditional way. However, when will people realize that her father's name has only gotten her so far, and that after a ten-year career, no one would be paying her any attention if she wasn't fascinating, successful, and (god forbid) extremely talented, herself?

This girl is just phenomenal!! Someone gifted me this CD Rise about a month ago and I thought, well another one of these world music crap. Yesterday I was going on a long drive and just picked it up for the journey and my was I in for a shock. Anoushka's music is nothing like what is around. This is a genuine new work worth recognizing by any standard.

Five INCENSE FILLED Stars!! Anoushka Shankar, the daughter of Sitar guru Ravi Shankar (who burst onto the 'world music' scene coincidentally wilth the rise of jazz' multicultural fusion movement AND the Woodstock "rock expansion" era) is now rising to sitar fame in her own right. As one of only three female sitarist (and according to her, the only one who is touring), she has learned her lessons well at the feet of her awesome father. And this CD shows she is AWESOME! The torch has been passed and she is a wonderful ambassador to bring new fans to the world of the sitar and indian music in general. From the Beatles to the Byrds to John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Joe Harriott, Indian music has had a huge impact on popular, rock and jazz music starting in the 60's and continuing to this very moment.

I first heard Ms. Shankar during an extensive musical appearance she had on A&E's "Breakfast With The Arts", which had her playing two very different selections from the CD. It was TRANSCENDENTAL and MARVELOUS. I literally sat mesmerized at the incredible music she was making with her trio of sitar, tabla, and tamboura. It was heavy on beauty, overtones, drones, and improvisation (things which made her dad a favorite among jazz men, and fueled the careers of super Indian musicians like tabla player/percussionist Badal Roy and the late Indian violinist and classical fusionist John Mayer).

Since purchasing the CD, I can report "Rise" is much more expansive than her TV appearance. The use of the piano was a mild surprise, but in Pedro Ricardo Mi'o's hands it fits nicely in her musical world. And yes, her music is both ethereal and harmonically dense, with those dazzling internal rhythms that are transmitted back and forth between the sitarist and the her musical group. And voices chanting wonderfully. And she's a great composer. Whew! My favorite Pieces D'Resistance are: the peace of "Prayer in Passing" (with the amazing 'mohan veena' instrument of Grammy winner Vishwa Mohan Bhatt), the haunting chants on "Red Sun", "Naked" (Anoushka's solo "show stopper" on multitracked sitar and piano without any other personnel support: "Naked", indeed), and "Ancient Love" (again with the slide wizardry of Vishwa Mohan Bhatt). But "Voice of the Moon" is a Tour De Force Par Excellence with it's mesmerizing multiple tempos and moods surging towards a wild climax. Wonderful music, Anoushka!! Five Big Stars !!!!

(Note: Truth be told, the AMAZING Anoushka Shankar is the half sister of the AMAZING jazz/pop singer, Norah Jones. And what a double blessing to the music world are these two fantastic women. It will be a really great pleasure to add the daughter's individual CDs alongside the father's in my music collection. Peace!)

Anoushka Shankar has done it again, and this time it's even more creative and fun. If you haven't heard RISE yet, you're missing out. A personal favorite of mine is when Anoushka plays naked. ;) But honestly, this new album is bursting with young talent, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.