Customer Reviews

Rough Guide to the Music of India

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's too much Indian music to represent on one album, but the rough guide does a good job. There are some suprises here, even for those familiar to Indian music - brass band, saxophone and guitar reworked into classical music, a "raga on drums," and a modern-sounding Baul folk song. An excellent and compelling duet on sarangi and sitar is the album's centerpiece. Recommended, but not if you don't already love traditional Indian music.

Ravi Shankarr, Ali Akbar Khan, Bismillah Khan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ram Narayan, Alla Rakha, Ustad Vilayat Khan and other masters are all absent. But it seems to focus on younger artists, and those keeping the tradition alive. It even gives a reasonable introduction to Indian Bolywood film music style to someone like me who is new to it. So I recommend it, but it's limited, because Indian music is so vast, and varied.

I probably would share the less than favorable opinion of some of the other reviewers if one day I had not listened to the CD while googling the artists and then the various forms. This album's intent is primarily to teach - not entertain - although learning is ideally a form of entertainment. I learned a lot and in learning came to appreciate the album more and more. Taking the time to find out about Asha Bhosle (She and her husband are Bollywood legends), Zakir Hussain and the fractal beauty of tabla, and all the rest of these artists is what this album is about. Do it... then dive into the pool of Indian music at the point that appeals.

Having grown up with India in my heart and mind, not to mention my stomach as well, this cd is perfect for either "getting you in the mood" or for settling down to sleep...(despite the giggles when it came time to hear the 'question and answer' periods in several pieces herein!)

Light some real good Indian incense and maybe take a soak in a candle-lit bath, relax on the patio in the early evening, or fall alseep to it. Have some Indian food for take-out!!

I only gave it a 4 because I didn't care for the first track, but I think you will be pleased by the "other Indian talents" out there other than just the beloved Ravi Shankar....

Its okay but there is other CD's that are better like the one Ry Cooder did with this type of music. I am not listening to it that much

the songs that i like on this cd (about half) are scattered all over the place. the overall feel just doesn't flow. like i said, the songs i like, i really like, but the rest just don't do it for me. i really wanted a compilation that represents a specific kind of music from india, but even the sitar solo songs sound alike. i wasn't looking for another bollywood or bellydance cd, but at least those evoke a feeling and stay with it.