Ustad Vilayat Khan Sitar Akram Khan - Tabla (Raga Shree)

Ustad Vilayat Khan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 14, 1999)
• Original Release Date: September 14, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: India Archives
• ASIN: B00000JYP8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,040 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Raga Shree: Alap (34:39) - Vilayat Khan

2. Raga Shree: Drut Gat in Tintal (40:55) - Vilayat Khan

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Restless energy recorded and preserved perfectly, October 29, 2001

By 

J. Book "music's biggest fan" (Pasco, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ustad Vilayat Khan Sitar Akram Khan - Tabla (Raga Shree) (Audio CD)

If you want a true virtuoso of the sitar, pick up this CD by Vilayat Khan. It was the first time I had heard him and heard of him, and I feel ashamed. If you have only limited yourself to Ravi Shankar's playing, it's time to expand your mind a bit. "Raga Shree" is described as a raga of restless energy, someone searching for inner peace, and he explores this through the 34 minute "alap". His style of playing is very unique, and while you can't compare him to anyone else, his approach to the sitar is very much like Jimi Hendrix, doing things that aren't of the norm, but sound perfect in his hands. The second half of "Raga Shree" explores all of the emotions, at times sounding like someone who has too much going on in his mind. In other words, not enough time in the world to do everything you want. But by the end, Vilayat Khan has explored all possible emotions and you feel elated once its over. It's a 75 minute raga where it's impossible to lose interest.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genius!, December 28, 2005

By 

Anton Dolinsky (Henderson, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ustad Vilayat Khan Sitar Akram Khan - Tabla (Raga Shree) (Audio CD)

The first track, the alap, does a great job laying out rather sweet melodic lines that are constantly jangled and displaced by the restless stabbing, over them, of the tonic and/or fifth of the raga (although the tonic and fifth are traditionally consonant intervals, Vilayat Khan's performance of raga Shree is dominated by notes in the intervals of the minor sixth and minor second from the tonic -- notes which sound dark and edgy against those in the intervals of the tonic and the fifth).

The alap really prepares one for the hallucinogenic second track, and does not get boring though it lasts for half an hour.

Ooh man, that second track! Wow!

While Akram Khan's tabla lay on a fast, continuous, rolling and almost martial beat, for thirty minutes Vilayat Khan launches raid after melodic raid upon his unseen adversary, playing blindingly fast and absolutely aggressive lines that often surprise your ears like a crash of thunder or a fist coming out of a dark alley to strike your cheek, yet always stay in rhythm. The aggressiveness and sheer ecstacy of it is surprising to hear coming from a man in his sixties.

And HE DOES NOT LET UP FOR ONE SECOND.

After listening to this, you feel pummelled. All of your violent passion has been exhumed from the depths of your soul, given room to play around in, and pacified.

All hail Vilayat Khan, the dark prince of sitar! This disk makes Jimi Hendrix's "Machine Gun" sound about as dangerous as reggae guitar.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, August 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ustad Vilayat Khan Sitar Akram Khan - Tabla (Raga Shree) (Audio CD)

This is probably the best among Khansahib's recent recordings. It has all the ingredients of this genius, leisurely alap with delicate minds and beautiful gat with exquisite tans. A very satisfying experience. A must buy for vilayat khan fans.