I saw no thread on this great singer and decided to start by posting a couple of his renditions.

Pooriya
http://www.sendspace.com/file/rjsbyv

A divine Yaman:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3ja7el

This is music of the Gods. Meditative beginings, generally with an alap and extreme bhava laden exposition of the raga not indulging in too much of laya acrobatics is his style of singing. For he shares his name with a famous bollywood actor, his mention doesnt seem to instantly ring the bell , even amongst people intersted in classical music


There is also a documentary in the link below.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6380644069800831785

I have read elsewhere that he sang Malkauns and Jog like no other. Request you to please upload if you have any of his snippets.

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Thanks Coolji. Will wait for your uploads. Nikhil Banerjee aptly calls his music as that for the soul.
http://caferisko.ca/ak/music%20of%20the%20soul.html

I got the first taste of his great artistry at a friend's space on worldspace radio.Until then, neither of us had even knew of him.Got more of him only when i researched on the internet (and also on musicindiaonline). He was probably not celebrated to the extent he deserved to be, may be because he lived during a period where there were too many stalwarts or his untimely death in a car accident.

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Celebrated he indeed is. Considered one of the finest exponents in the 20th century along side the many greats of that era. Any book on Indian Classical Music would be incomplete without dwelling on his contribution.

Only problem, perhaps, has been, and even an expert like Kumar Prasad Mukherjee talks of it, were the very long renditions. But perhaps that was his unique style. I find his rendition of Lalit as peerless, others have only strived since to match him but only as much.

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Thoroughly enjoyed them coolji.. thanks for the uploads.
A friend of mine sent me this haunting Kalashree..

http://www.sendspace.com/file/d4wtej

This seems to be a valachi with a shudhda rishaba.

There is something unbearably poignant in this rendition of todi by this great man. Moves me to tears each time i listen!
http://www.sendspace.com/file/835dcz

thanks for the recording - made my day! khansaheb revels in the jhoomra taal-based "ja ja re pathikwaa" ..... the transition to "man ke panchhi" paves the way for another surprise - hearing him introduce his composition!! le jaa re pathikwaa...

I especially liked AK's slide from Ni to ni below sa around 5:30. That caught me by surprise.

Here's the question: where is the equivalent of this vilambit or chowka kAlam assaying of a ragam in CM? There are fleeting glimpses in some neravals but they are usually too short and usually meant as the interim phase waiting for the faster tempo section.

And the absolutely minimalist accompaniment! In CM we hardly ever hear an unobtrusive accompaniment like in this piece. Here you can just about hear the tabla and the harmonium is virtually silent and yet how the voice carries -- it fills the space! I am not blaming our CM accompanists -- it is our culture that is to blame. It is as if we are terrified of quiet beautiful music.

I have heard similarly wonderful renditions in CM jam sessions but never in a concert. I would challenge fellow forumites to find a similar quiet but sustained piece from a CM concert.

-Then Paanan

PS. I found amusing AK's saying "yeh wohi Amir Khusro hain jinhone khayAl invent kiya thA" (this is the same Amir Khusro who invented khayal) as if saying anything more than "Khusro" is necessary.

30/3/12

matterwaves,

I tried the sendspace links - but, obviously, they are old, and hence, don't work now.

Would it be possible for you to re-upload the links :

Post 1 : Pooriya

Post 1 : Yaman

Post 10 : KalAShri

Post 11 : Todi

Thanks in Advance (TIA)

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You may also refer to my query on Jhoomra TALam in Post # 39 in :
f=8&t=10006&start=25

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http://www.mediafire.com/?01yyftxgb4hcc65

Yaman
Thenpanans post 13 makes such apt reading as I go through this one hour track again .

1/4/12

varsha and matterwaves,

Thanks for the Yaman Song Upload.

Request for other 3 Ragams too :

Post 1 : Pooriya

Post 10 : KalAShri

Post 11 : Todi

TIA

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Thanks varsha for uploading the 3 Ragams.

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Dear All,
I want to share my personal encounter with this great Ustad. I used to go to Zamir Ahmed's ( well known tabla player from Delhi Gharana) house to learn tabla. Zamir Ahmed is son of Munir Khan , a renowned sarangi player from Delhi AIR. Those days my awareness of Hindustani music was abysmal to the best. I simply had the passion of a beginner and did not imbibe any culture as to how to respect and react with musicians . One day when I went to my teachers house, I found a tall person in a lungi and a baniyan sitting on the diwan in the first room . I found my teacher has gone out and I thought I will wait there . This person gestured to me to sit. Then I noticed he was singing and started listening to his music. He was facing the window and was looking out and was singing soulfully. Occasionally he will look at me and smile and go back to his singing. In between he asked me the reason for my coming to the house. I replied ' I have come to learn tabla from Zamir' . I told this as a matter of fact without any feeling of respect. I was listening to him very intently and I really do not know why, suddenly I developed a courage to ask him whether he is singing Bhairavi ( at that time that was all I could ask). He simply looked at me with affection and told me that it was ' Kafi'. I was reasonably sobered and went on listening to him for some more time. Somehow, I got the instinct that this person is a very great soul and I should not disturb him again. After some time he gestured me to come the next day in the morning at 10.00 am again. I left and came back the next day at the time told by this person. My teacher was there and this person now dressed in a pant and simple half shirt was sitting on a small moda . He saw me and smiled and asked me to sit in another moda and saw my teacher and all the other members of the household were standing . That was the time I recognized this person . He was none other than the great Ustad Amir Khan Saheb. Then I had a sudden rush of reverence and touched his feet. He smiled and asked for a glass of Lassi for me and then changed his request to a simple glass. He took the glass from my teacher and poured lassi from his own flask and gave me with his own hand and with affection asked me to take the glass filled with lassi. With great inner reverence I took the glass and drank the lassi . Then he stood up and I pranamed him once more. He just touched me and said ' beta bahut acha sunte ho and koob sunna' and after blessing he went away. His blessing is etched in my mind. Beautifully his presence filled me with the reverence and respect not only for him but also for other musicians. I always cherish this blessings of this great Ustad.

With warm regards

You are a lucky person indeed , And a blessed one too .
Thanks for the fine story

What an experience akriti53 !
Thanks for sharing