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Indian Music?

Years ago I listened to Ravi Shankar occasionally and enjoyed a lot of what I heard. The other night I watched an interview Charlie Rose had with a very famous tabla player and his music was superb. I'm thinking that I should explore traditional Indian music a bit further but have little knowledge of the subject. Any suggestions on 2-6 CDs I should check out for starters? I prefer instrumental but would consider vocal as well. Thanks!
PS: If you're suggesting obscure titles, sources would also be appreciated.
128x128rja
issabre
120 posts
 
I second "Meeting by the River" on Water Lily Acoustics Label ....a collaboration between Ry Cooder and VM Bhatt. It is a facinating cross cultural dialogue between two diverse vituosos. Ry plays his steel guitar like a Sitar and Bhatt blues up his Sitar playing. Lots of soul on that recording

Also Nikhil Banerjee is amazing. One of the all time great Sitar players.
birdies
85 posts
 
The vocalists Parween Sultana and Dilshad Khan seem to defy what is humanly possible with their voices. Their music is virtuosic, emotionally compelling, and absolutely life-affirming. The master of the sarod, Ali Akbar Khan, is another artist very much worth exploring.

For a more interesting east/west collaboration than "Meeting By The River"---Cooder was very tired at that session and it shows---"Good People In Times Of Evil" by Jonas Hellborg, Shawn Lane, and V. Selvaganesh is a remarkably vital document.
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
Second looking at the records of Ali Akbar Khan.
xiekitchen
819 posts
 
A big SECOND to "Meeting by the River" Water Lily is an excellent label and sound is excellent on this...
check any SHAKTI recording with John Mclaughlin.. best ones are from late 70's "Natural Elements".
Second on anything Zakir Hussian.
kennyt
1,226 posts
 
A cardiologist I work with turned me onto Natacha Atlas, the album something Dangerous is really cool.

Indian with many world intonations added in. Not purely Ravi Shankar, but something to look into if you like the genre but want something a bit more contemporary as well.
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