Sunday 6 May 2012

Debabrata (Debu) Chaudhuri - Meditations in Indian Sitar Music - LP published 1968 in UK


Debabrata (Debu) Chaudhuri - Sitar 
Faiyaz Khan - Tabla

This LP was also published in India as "Sitar Nawaz Debu Chaudhuri"
EMI SMFP 2101 (1968)

Side 1:
Raga Maru-Behag (22:49)


Side 2:
Raga Aheer Bhairab (25:27)




"Adorned with the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest Civilian Govt. Awards, for his contributions in the field of music, from the President of India, Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri, a legendary figure in the domain of Indian Classical Music, popularly known as "DEBU", is one of India's most respected, leading and outstanding musicians of today.
Panditji received his early training from the late Shri. Panchu Gopal Datta for some time and later for 38 years from the veritable great master and the most traditional exponent of Sitar, SANGEET ACHARYA USTAD MUSHTAQ ALI KHAN of the "SENIA GHARANA", the traditional school of Indian Classical Music named after the great MIAN TANSEN, the father of Indian Music. Debuji is the foremost exponent and torch bearer of this Gharana."

His guru was from an illustrious lineage of the Jaipur Senia Gharana, being seventh in succession from the great Masit Sen, the inventor of the Masit Khani baaj of sitar. He excelled both in sitar and surbahar playing, using three mizrabs.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

cool cover, too. although the psychedelic influence also reminds me of how horrified Ravi Shankar was to have his music become a symbol of drug use. whenever i see an old Dragnet TV episode from the period, the hippie crash pad scene always has some sitar (or at least tambura) playing in the background.

Anonymous said...

omg, 3 mizrabs! and speaking of Ravi Shankar, in one of his books he mentioned Mushtaq Ali Khan as having a style which really was a link all the way back to the 1800's, so this is super cool to hear his disciple!

sf1984CG said...

this is fantastic. many thanks for sharing

geofpearson said...

I saw Debabrata Chaudhuri at Hull University, England on 4 October 1969. Besides giving a recital, he answered questions relating to Indian classical music. Asked what difference it would have made to the concert had his wife not been indisposed he replied ' my wife adds colour to the recital; she gets the same billing as me although I have been playing the sitar 25 years and still can't play whilst she plays the tanpura which anyone can play in two minutes !