Friday, 5 January 2018

Happy New Year


Dear visitors of this blog, I wish you all a very happy new year with good health, lots of good music and, most important, lots of love and peace in a world which gets crazier every day. It is a pleasure to share so much music dear to my heart with you. I have the intention and hope to be able to continue for a while. There is still so much beautiful and rare music I wish to share with you.
The next projects will be, God willing, first a series of Dhrupad recordings, then an introduction to some almost forgotten masters of the Delhi Gharana. Afterwards some recordings by other singers like Rajab Ali Khan etc. Then there will be a bigger project about LPs obtained from India, with some remarks on their shortcomings due to the climate in India, mostly by less known instrumental masters.

I would also like to share some interesting and astonishing points about the statistics of this blog:

First the 10 most visited posts of my blog: 

3. Mohamed Tahar Fergani - Ya Dalma - LP published in Algeria, posted 26 Sep 2013, 4 comments - visits: 2416
5. Music of Afghanistan - A gorgeous Box of 5 LPs published in Japan in 1975, posted 26 Dec 2017, 17 comments - visits: 1896
7. Pandit Pran Nath (1918-1996) - At WDR in Cologne on 8.12.1984, posted 16 Nov 2016, 12 comments  - visits: 1715
8. Annapurna Devi & Ravi Shankar - Some rare Surbahar recordings from the 1950s, posted 26 Aug 2014, 15 comments - visits: 1661
10. 2ème Festival Algérien de la Musique Andalouse 1969 - Vol. 7, posted 13 May 2012, 1 comment - visits: 1381

Some I understand, some I find extremely astonishing, especially the Shashmaqam on position 2 and the very recent post of a box of 5 LPs of Music of Afghanistan already on position 5 (in only 10 days). That there is an almost forgotten master of Dhrupad and Rudra Veena on position one is also quite unexpected. Positions 3 and 10 are probably due to the extreme popularity of these albums or musicians in their home country. 

The highest numbers of visitors come from these countries:

1. United States: 436954
2. India: 256288
3. Germany: 175788
4. France: 125747
5. Russia: 89438
6. United Kingdom: 66447
7. Canada: 19480
8. Italy: 18538
9. Spain: 12155
10. Japan: 11943

No big surprises here, though I hadn't expected such a big public from India and a bigger one from the United Kingdom.

The number of comments is quite low, if one takes into account the total number of visitors: just 2309.

Here I owe an excuse to the commentators. In most cases I don't respond to the comments, mostly because of lack of time, except when there are valuable contributions or questions or problems. But be sure: I appreciate them all and are often quite touched by their warmth and find them extremely encouraging. Thank you so much.

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25 comments:

  1. Rory5 January 2018 at 19:06

    Dear Tawfiq, I wish you an happy new year from France, hoping the world will be better in 2018. A bit of beauty, humanity, solidarity, peace and universalism would be my aim for this new year.

    And your blog is a real contribution to this aim: your offers present differents musics from over the world, therefore different cultures, and all those beautiful musics show that differences are a richness.

    Your blog is a way to bring closer cultures, open our minds, and in those dark times where we need spiritual unity, it's a treasure.

    "Music is the healing force of the Universe" said Albert Ayler. It's true. So let me thank you sincerely Tawfiq, and happy new year to all the readers.

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  2. Steve5 January 2018 at 20:31

    Then let me comment with simple gratitude for all you do to keep such great music accessible. A true service. Thank you.

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  3. koparkuk5 January 2018 at 21:03

    Happy new year Tawfiq and readers, from France too!
    And a huge thanks for your work and sharing, this is highly appreciated (I don't miss one).

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  4. Don6 January 2018 at 00:18

    I too am one of those visitors who downloads without leaving comments. I have great interest in Hindustani music and music from the former Persian empire. I personally prefer tracks that have no vocal, as some are unpleasant to my Western ears. But do not let that deter you from posting whatever you love. There is enough here to satisfy everyone.

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  5. Bill6 January 2018 at 01:08

    I have contributed to those statistics and too often neglected to thank you. Happy new year to you! I hope to come here and learn more new things in 2018.

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  6. DrKashyap6 January 2018 at 03:14

    Happy new year to you too dear Tawfiq, You are doing a great work unconditionally without any expectation. Requires a big heart. Let the coming time be most musical, most harmonious for the whole world.

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  7. Slava6 January 2018 at 03:44

    Happy New Year! Thanks for wonderful blog and beautiful music. Wish You excellent health and mant many years of sharing such magical music!

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  8. Kiran6 January 2018 at 04:33


    To me, this blog is
    A bridge that connects the internet generation to a bygone, but most wonderful, exotic world of classical music.
    A representation of a very broad mindset of an older generation of collectors who, unlike most, do not believe in hoarding their gems, but want to selflessly make them accessible to the world.
    A museum offering insight into almost every great Gharana (Institute), artists and their best pieces of work.
    A benchmark in quality & perseverance - Not only is the digitization of superb quality, but I doubt if there is a single broken link across the hundreds of posts, plus consistent posting over so many years

    Long live the blog, and its creators, who are probably some of the most generous people one would come across.

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  9. rev.b6 January 2018 at 06:43

    Thank you for sharing all the wonderful music. Regardless of the number of comments, obviously there are so many who appreciate your efforts, myself included. Looking forward for what's to come, especially the LPs from India.

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  10. Unknown6 January 2018 at 08:04

    Happy New Year Tawfiq. I have no words to express my gratitude,thanks for sharing all the gems. God bless.

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  11. Anonymous6 January 2018 at 08:30

    Hi Tawfiq,

    Wishing you & your family a Happy New Year 2018 !

    Many thanks for all the wonderful music you have been sharing (especially Hindustani Classical Music) on your blog !

    cheers,
    PS.

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  12. kkrka kr6 January 2018 at 10:19

    Happy New Year from Russia! Tawfiq, you're doing a fantastic job - not just the music you post, but especially your comments on the music and the performers, and the information you find: this is invaluable. Many have large collections of records (particularly now when they can download so much...), but few actually know what it is they have, and even fewer can teach others like you've been doing here.

    I wish all the best for you and your family in 2018!

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  13. Anonymous6 January 2018 at 12:03

    Tawfiq,

    I so much appreciate all the music you've posted - a lifetime that I'm not sure I have in front of me - to appreciate all your selections. I love the range from Central Asia to India/Pakistan. So much appreciated. Wondering what city you live in yourself?

    Again Happy and very Healthy 2018 from a fan in Czech Republic.

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  14. Anonymous6 January 2018 at 13:27

    Dear Tawfiq,

    A happy new year from Switzerland, along with my eternal gratitude for your most wonderful work here. There is no word expressing the service you give to the world. Thank you ever so much again and all the best with 2018!

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  15. delraich6 January 2018 at 15:16

    Happy New Year to you as well, and thank you for all of the wonderful recordings you have posted.

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  16. Mason Gibb7 January 2018 at 08:18

    Thank you for making this world a better place in 2017.
    In the next year, I hope you receive as much pleasure from sharing music as all of us receive from listening to it.


    "Without music, life would be a mistake." --Friedrich Nietzsche

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  17. Anonymous7 January 2018 at 11:00

    thanks Tawfiq for all good recordings i found on your blog ! Greetings from France and happy new year to all good people in the world.
    Peace, love & Music !

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  18. Anonymous7 January 2018 at 15:56

    greetings from cambodia - happy new year and all the best for you and your family! thanks a lot for all the wonderful music!

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  19. Troubled Water8 January 2018 at 04:28

    Thank You very much Tawfiq Saab, one of the rarest of the rarest blogs which truly believes in carrying forward the legacy that is Classical Music. The content and the quality is simply the best there is. Thank You for your generous gesture of sharing hard to find collectors gems and making time to share it with the world. May this year bring you peace, good health and prosperity. God Bless.

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  20. Coltra8 January 2018 at 11:18

    Happy 2018 Tawfiq and thank you for all your work. Muchas gracias.

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  21. Anonymous9 January 2018 at 05:04

    Happy new year and thank you for all you have shared and taught.

    K

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  22. Anonymous9 January 2018 at 08:37

    For many years I have been listening to and enjoying tremendously the Hindustani music you post, but never commented, I'm sorry to say. So let me very belatedly just echo the high praise expressed in the previous comments. You are doing a great service to music lovers everywhere, and you have earned far more gratitude than you perhaps realize! Thank you so much for this remarkable work, Tawfiq! All best wishes!

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  23. Anand11 January 2018 at 07:38

    Happy New year Tawfiq ! Heartfelt thank you for all the wonderful music you have been sharing over many years !

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  24. Anonymous17 January 2018 at 03:47

    looking for more Sr Dagar Bros stuff -- the Raga Records Calcutta recordings from 55 and 57 are up there now as an official "topic" https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX7UnneeoOwoYKm60lff4PQ -- but even more interesting, I found this next playlist, too. Thought you'd enjoy!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzZ-Fm7Q1x0&list=PLspw0meV6Wr4ce1fx6yQLhuysmXX2OYyQ&index=2

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  25. rajiv21 January 2018 at 07:46

    Dear Tawfiq,

    Thanks to your incredible blog I have discovered such amazing and timeless music. Thank you so much for all your hard work and passion. Wishing you a great new year.

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