From the mystic chill out of Buddha Bar, via Bollywood dance numbers, the ethereal sitar melodies of Ravi Shankar, and on to Vedic Chanting from Benares, the sounds of India are diverse and sublime. On a recent trip to Darjeeling, our intrepid reporter Kavesh Bhat took loaded his trusty Ipod with some favourite tracks to soothe his ears while he trekked up through the brilliant green plantations of tea into the foothills of the Himalayas. Here’s what he listened to:
A Rahman’s popular soundtrack to the film which put Bollywood onto the global map is full of ear titillating Eastern influenced tracks. From the overwhelming “O Saya” to the vibrant “Jai Ho”, it’s an album which deservedly won the ‘Best Original Score’ Category at the Golden Globes. This soundtrack buzzes with life, taking you through trepidation, adrenaline-fuelled optimism and tender romance. A.R. Rahman is a sensational composer and his co-artists on this album bring their unique skills to great effect. M.I.A’s Paper Planes comes as a bonus.
In addition to publishing their superb travel guides, Rough Guides know a thing or two about world music. In this excellent sampler, ‘The Rough Guide to Indian Lounge’ features some of India’s most seductive sounds combined with hypnotic grooves and exquisite chill out music. From the sublime Indian flute and voices of Bombay Dub Orchestra to the mesmerizing slide-guitars of BBC World Music Award winner Debashish Bhattacharya; this is incredible Indian music at its most alluring. Big names like the Bombay Dub Orchestra and Calcutta guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya should be familiar to anyone who has been following Asian music these days
It’s rare for one musician to so monopolise a particular instrument within an overall genre, but Hariprasad Chausuria has single handedly put the Indian bansuri, or wooden flute, on the map. Chaurasia is a classicist who has made a conscious effort to reach out and expand the audience for classical music — He has collaborated with several western musicians, including John McLaughlin and Jan Gabarek, and has also composed music for a number of Indian films — He has performed throughout the world winning acclaim from varied audiences and fellow musicians including Yehudi Menuhin and Jean Pierre Rampal — He serves as the Artistic Director of the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands.
India Revealed , by production music specialists ImagemPM, offers a superb, atmospheric mirage of India-inspired tunes. Tablas, Santur, strings and sitar offer a haunting mix of Eastern cinematic moods, and there’s some Indian chanting thrown in for good measure.
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