Vedana

देख रहा है वो भीतर
वेदना में टूटते हुए
पल पल तुमको फूटते हुए

Ratan Mohan sharma and SHankar Mahadevan

I dont think much of Shankar Mahadevan. Barring a few songs like Man Udhan varyache(age bai agarcha) and his performances with Shakti-band, I have no great memories of him. So when I saw him teaming up with Pt. Ratan Mohan Sharma, one of the most acclaimed disciples of Pt. Jasraj(besides Pt. Sanjeev Abhayankar ofcourse) I was rather surprised.

They are singing a  Beautiful kritti - tarak brahma swarupini- a beautiful amalgamation of Hindustani/Carnatic sytles. The opening is heavenly too, very dhrupad style(to my ears that is!). Its so sweet and it moved me so much that if yours truly had any power I would confer the title of Pt./Vidwan on Shankar Mahadevan. Anyway, does he need any title after singing like that? :) :) :)

Absolutely thrilling, do watch and enjoy. Raag is Yaman(sakhi e ri aali piya bina), I could catch the pakad easily. Do comment if you know more about kritti or this program in general where was this telecast/when etc.

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Part 1

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Part 2

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Hor vi nevaan Ho

This is a popish-folkish song by a Pakistani band called Noori. Vocals are by Ali Hamza. Has lots of good intrumental sounds, espcially the Veena which is being played by mother of Ali Hamza. I had no idea that veena is still being played in Pakistan. Even in hindustani classical, veena has sort of receded in the background and sitar maestros are ruling the scape thanks to Amir khusro(?). Mridang also has met a similar fate thanks to Tabla. Veena is still dominant in the carnatic though.

What I dont like is towards the end it becomes very pop-ish and noisy. Mebbe I am disconnected with this generation's music ;)

Burn

He doesnt care about the light anymore
All he knows is
That he is in darkness
and he is burning.

Dying

I might have wanted you
but, I have stopped trying

You are killing me,
But I am anyway dying. 

Ismaili poetry

Ismailism is a subsect of Shia islam. It has a deep mystical angle which I will describe sometime later. The Ismaili Pirs who travelled in the subcontinent created a unique poetry style called Ginan. The syncretic tendency of Pirs also allowed their identification with the Bhakti movement. Even in the poetry you find lots of elements of Vedic and Islamic tradition. You can find more about it on the web. Here is beautiful Ginan sung by Abida Parvin.




Note: The Ginan starts at 1.10, the beginning of clip is also a famous and beautiful quawwali, Ali Maula.

Thoughts

Not through thought
and no thought
is also a thought

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Mindfull I am
of the mind
and the no-mind
full of mind

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I hate to think
I love to think that I hate to think
I am damned to think

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Poem: Thinking

मस्जिद में कभी कभी जाता है
पर वो इबादत नहीं कर पाता है
पर नाहक नही वो सर झुकाता है
वो तो बस सर जमीन पर लगाता है
जब उसका सर थक जाता है

Ramadaan

Here is the famous composition.

This reminds of the Upanishad, brahmavid brahmaiv bhavati ;) lol

Poem: Vismay

खाये जा रहा है मुझे
हर समय
जीवन
और जीवन के प्रति विस्मय

Ustad shahid parvez - Khamaaj

Surah Fatiha

Faure nocturne 2

Deh devache mandir Tukaram

Now tulram is tricking us here ;) which one will you all trust ?
1. Deha devache mandir(body is god's temple) (in sanskrit..  Deho devalaya prokto)
OR
2. Shariiram vyaadhi mandiram (body is temple of dis-ease)

This reminds of this incident where someone goes to ramana and says shariiram vyadhi mandiram and Ramana quips, Body is not temple of disease, body itself is a disease.

Mahadeva Maheshwar

Hands of Benares

What joy it is to see, unarguably the best tabla player in the world, showing the sheer magic of "काशी के हाथ".
Enjoy.
 
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this was posted some time ago.

Raghuwar tumko meri laaj - Ankahee

Only a genius like Pt. Jaidev can select another genius like Pt. Bhimsen and turn a tulasidas bhajan into a memorable movie song. So much so, that this movie, fetched the national award for best music in 1985. Look at how it is sung by Bhimsenji, this is supposed to be a Bhakti song, devotional, emotional and filled with pathos....right?. Instead he transforms it into a shastriya master piece, with his taans and gamaks! What to do ? Call a "Pandit" to sing it and he is gonna leave the indelible mark of his "Paanditya" on it, Simple :) 

Some time ago, I was trying to find this song online on youtube, since I couldnt find any, I decided to upload it myself on youtube. I sent mp3's to my friend and asked him to do it for me. Thanks Pradyu, you rock.

Btw this is from the movie Ankahee. It is an extraordinary movie. Movie depicts a confused Amol Palekar, unable to choose between his heart which wants his sweet-heart, and his head which brings him to make an unreasonable choice.

The other song is also my fav. :) Thumak Thumak pag kumad kunj mag, chapal charan hari aaye. Hear this carefully, and tell me can ANYONE sing this song now, apart from Bhimsenji himself? ANYONE?

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Nirbhay nirgun gaaonga

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need to translate sometime. Kabir-Kumarji !

Wavin' Flag - K'naan

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When I'll get older
I'll be stronger
they'll call me freedom 
Just like a wavin flag
and then it goes back
and then it goes back

Born to a throne
stronger than Rome
but violent prone
poor people zone
but its my home
all I have known
where I got grown
streets we would roam

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Another version is here

Allah hoo

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Traditional sufi folk music from Punjab(pak). The instrument this artist is using is called Toomba, its a variation of ek-taara the one stringed instrument used by wandering sanyasis. The artist is Saieen Zahoor, who was singing at sufi shrines and was recently discovered(so to speak) by the connected(dis-connected) modern world. You can google and learn more about his interesting life story.

jin haq(truth) da raaj dikhaaya hai 
una jhoot mana farmaaya hai