Mynta

Sweden and India find a common place in music through the ears and imagination of the group Mynta. Founded in 1979, the group has created their own genre of music, while preserving the integrity and traditions of their root sounds. The Swedish-Indian fusionists define world music, by extracting the organic elements that runs through the vein of centuries-old musical histories.
MYNTA is led by the Indian musicians Fazal Qureshi (tabla) and Shankar Mahadevan (vocal). These virtuosos within the classic Indian musical tradition have performed all over the world with such musicians as Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivkumar Sharma, and Zakir Hussain. Fazal is the younger brother of Zakir Hussain, who belonged to John McLaughlin's famous group Shakti, one of the earliest fusion bands in Europe.

Performers
SANTIAGO JIMENEZ - Violin, Keyboard
DALLAS SMITH - Indian flute, Soprano, Clarinet
CHRISTIAN PAULIN - Electric Bass
FAZAL QURESHI - Tabla, Kanjira
MAX ÅHMAN - Acoustic Guitar
OLA BOTHZÉN - Percussion
SHANKAR MAHADEVAN - Vocal

Ustad Zakir Hussain & Ustad Sultan Khan

Sarangi:Ustad Sultan Khan
Raag: Nat-Bhairav

Khansahib

Maestro Ali Akbar Khan passed away peacefully on June 18, 2009, 12 days after my previous post about he.
Khansahib (as he was affectionately and respectfully addressed)was admired and loved, and will be greatly missed.

Karsh Kale

Karsh Kale's realize crew have created an important recording in the world of asian music. This might be the first real melding of classical traditional hindustani music and DnB--so much so that the combination aspect of it disssappears. There is a new synthesis brewing here, and it's an updated form of classical music. Kale weaves both traditional Indian instrumentations, indian vocals, and varying breakbeats.

Shastriya Syndicate

This inspired band is set to win the hearts of established listeners and a new world music audience with its heady mix of absolutely authentic Indian classical music presented in an exciting format.
The Musicians:
Purbayan Chatterjee, Sitar; Veenai Jayanthi, Veena; Subhankar Banerjee, Tabla; Rakesh Chaurasia, Bamboo Flute; Murad Ali, Sarangi; Pramath Kiran, Percussion;Satish Patri, Mridangam

Alla Rakha Khan

Ustad Alla Rakha (April 29, 1919 - February 3, 2000) was a master of the tabla, a classical Hindustani percussion instrument. He is considered one of the greatest tabla players of the 20th century.
Mickey Hart,a published authority on percussion in world music, said
"Allarakha is the Einstein, the Picasso; he is the highest form of rhythmic development on this planet"

Ustad Allah Rakha & his son,Zakir Hussain, Tabla Solo Teental

The Global Drum Project

The GLOBAL DRUM PROJECT Tour brings Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju, and Giovanni Hidalgo together again in a reunion sparked by the 15th anniversary of the ground-breaking album Planet Drum.
"This is a deep drumming groove. We're taking the archaic rhythm worlds into outer space. The Global Drum Project explores rhythm and noise; it's a sound yoga of processed acoustic percussion headed straight for the trance zone that becomes a dance of ancient and modern worlds. Deep drumming is a skeleton key into these realms." -Mickey Hart

Spoken Hand

North Indian tabla, Afro Cuban bata, Brazilian samba and West African djembe - it's a Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra.
The performance left everyone pleasantly overpowered by the collective mastering of such soul-stirring, complex compositions. It was as if I was standing simultaneously on different parts of the world, but everyone was moving to the singular rhythm of the earth.

Ronu Majumdar

Pandit Ranendranath Majumdar, popularly known as Ronu Majumdar, is considered one of our leading flautists. Ronu Majumdar is a master of the bansuri, a North Indian side-blown flute. Relaxed command over the breathy bamboo instrument allows Majumdar to elicit peaceful sentiments and levitated melodies. Without a doubt, this is pure meditation all the way.

Pt Ronu Majumdar & Ustad Zakir Hussain & Taufiq Qureshi performing a piece in raga hansdhwani:

"Shakti" is Shakti)

John McLaughlin's Shakti was (and still is) a musical marvel like no other, blending Indian elements with the finest in-the-moment spontaneity of true jazz. Having been a disciple of a famous Indian yogi Shri Chinmoy and delving into Indian philosophy for years, John did what any genius would do: he mastered the classical Indian style. Along with virtuoso tabla player Zakir Hussain, gifted L. Shankar, and master ghatam player T.H. Vinyakaram, John gave life to a style of music that had basked in virtuosity and intensity secretly for centuries. All said and done the whole concept behind Shakti is Indian. If one would explore Indian classical music more it would become apparent that there is hardly any other music on the face of this earth that is so evolved in its present form. Sadly few musicians from the west have delved enough into that music form. Hats off to John Mc laughlin who has.

Simply put, Shakti is one of the most originally brilliant and technically superior groups ever assembled.

"Joy", is incredible. John McLaughlin - guitar, Zakir Hussain - tabla, L.Shankar - violin, T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram - ghatam. Shakti, Montreux Jazz Festival, 1976, "Joy" -

Pt.1:



Pt 2:

Zakir Hussain

Ustad Zakir Hussain, born March 9, 1951, son of tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha, is the most famous classical tabla player in India today. He is appreciated both in the field of percussion and in the music world at large. Zakir has won many awards and recognitions for his contribution to the world of music. A classical tabla virtuoso, his performances have gained him worldwide fame. 
 
Live clips from 2004 Masters of Percussion Tour featuring the maestro with Ustad Sultan Khan:

Suphala

“This Indian-American beauty plays those two small drums like Bruce Lee in a fistfight - with fast hands and a furious beauty.” – St. Petersburg Times

Suphala is a artist, composer, producer...  and a rarity as a woman performer on the tabla. In Feb. 2005, Suphala made history when she became the first musician to play in public since the fall of the Taliban.Her music cuts across all classes and cultures.
"I was always aware of the fact that I had these two cultures, but the tabla has given me a deeper understanding more than anything. Oftentimes people who move here from India spend time with other Indians from their own communities. But music brings all sorts of communities together. All those types of musicians are playing together. So it has broadened my education of India."

Beautiful!

Maharaj

Pandit Birju Maharaj is a renowned and honoured personality in the field of Indian Classical Dance. The most renowned living exponent of Kathak, he conjures up Lord Krishna’s mesmerising magic the moment he appears on stage. And he has as many talents as the Blue God had wives—musician, drummer and choreographer par excellence, including for films like Ray’s Shatranj ke Khiladi.

It has 70 here. These are lessons at Carnegie Hall with Ustad Zakir Hussain on tabla. Great Duo!