indian project

[twang1]

Hi you all, lately a lot have been written here about mixing Indian music with western music, and so I thought about posting my little duo project “Calcutta Connection”.
It took quite a long time for me to meet a tabla maestro in Italy. I walked into many ethnic shops and placed adverts, talked to dozens of shop owners and at last I met Dilip, an indian immigrant and great player who has become my tabla teacher and music collaborator. What has been interesting is how music can open a lot of doors even in restricted circles like immigrants. During my specific search I happened to bump into a Syrian oud player, a Moroccan violinist, a Djembè player from Senegal and a great Darbouka player from Egypt!
So I guess the moral here must be: next time you walk into a kebab place, watch out, you never know who might be the guy handing you your favorite dish!
Hope youu'll enjoy, Frank

[thebluesbear( al)]

Hi

i found that quite interesting and enjoyed it lots thanks for that


al

[Wyzzy93]

Very interesting approach, I like it alot.

[Michael Messer]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for sharing these films with us. You and Dilip are making some great music together.

How long have you been playing Indian-style slide guitar and what or who inspired you to start playing?

A slide guitar player, Syrian oud player, Moroccan violinist, a Senegalese djembè player and an Egyptian darbouka player ......that would be a cool band!

Shine On
Michael

[Quarterquay]

Great stuff! I enjoyed it all but particularly the second video with the saz. I have one hanging on my wall that I keep meaning to find strings for and tune up. Not a particularly high quality one but good enough for something I found in a skip in Tottenham when I lived there.
You've inspired me to get it sorted out with some strings.Thanks for that Frank!

[mikenewport]

I love tablas, really enjoyed your music and doesn't it just show how versatile a triplate can be. Great, thank you.

Mike

[twang1]

Thanks very much for your kind words, fellow forumites!
I started getting into Indian music not long ago, about 6-7 years ago. Then I spent a few months in India studying Indian rhythm under the guidance of a great percussionist and started also tabla lessons while I was there. It all came from my interest in rhythm. I make my living playing blues guitar and flamenco percussions but Indian music gives me so much joy, even though I know I’m just scraping the surface.
So I‘ve been studying tabla in the traditional way, taking regular lessons. On the other hand as far as indian slide guitar goes I’m completely self taught, listening to a few selected CDs for hundreds of times and tryin’ to absorb and extrapolate what is goin’ on. I find sarangi players very useful to listen to for my growth and I absolutely love Debashish Bhattacharya. I know Michael you got to meet him! How was it?
I would like to take a year off, move to Calcutta and study with him… That would be something!
My interest in slide Indian music came also from many years of trying to incorporate slide guitar in flamenco music. Imitating flamenco singers with a slide opened me up to a whole world of microtones.
Frank

Quaterquay, wow, you found a saz in a skip!!! I keep my saz tuned in fifth (Bb, F, C) but many tune in the easiest D, A, D. Have fun with your saz.

[Michael Messer]

Hi Frank,

You are doing really well with only a few years experience of studying Indian music. You and Dilip have a good thing going, keep doing it!

I remember hearing some of your Flamenco slide playing, it was lovely too.

I have spent time with Debashish Bhattacharya on a few occasions. He is an incredible musician, a great man and a lot of fun to hang out with.

Shine On
Michael

[twang1]

Thanks Michael, your words mean a lot to me. And any good constructive criticism from any of you is welcome.
For the ones interested this is a software that I just bought 3 weeks ago to help with my practice. I'm quite old style, footstomping for decades, ma this is very good. It gives you some great sounding tabla rhythms to use as a backin' track and also some backin' melodic tracks to play percussions over them: www.saathsangeet.com/
Frank

[richardstaines]

Very good. I need to listen to this some more.