Born to parents with roots in Punjab and Rajasthan, I develop an instant connect with the food, music or culture of these regions, especially music. About three years ago, I was in Jaipur for a conference. The evening was relatively free and I was lounging around at the Jai Mahal Palace sipping on a large Old Monk when I first heard them in the lobby.
The manager said they were Rajasthan Roots.
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| The Band |
I tried searching for their album but failed.
Two years back, in a similar search on the world wide web, I came across the videos of Jaipur-based Morchang Studios, of which, Rajasthan Roots were an integral part.
The two dozen odd videos onYoutube were marijuana.
I played them on and on. The rendition of Bulleh Shah's "Antbahardi" and the haunting "Kesariya Balam" composed in "Raag Mand" by Munshi Khan kept on playing in my head long after I had shut the system.
The roots had firmly clasped my heart.
I also introduced these videos to more than a 100 of my friends who had similar auditory preferences. The impact was similar if not the same.
Two years back, in a similar search on the world wide web, I came across the videos of Jaipur-based Morchang Studios, of which, Rajasthan Roots were an integral part.
The two dozen odd videos onYoutube were marijuana.
I played them on and on. The rendition of Bulleh Shah's "Antbahardi" and the haunting "Kesariya Balam" composed in "Raag Mand" by Munshi Khan kept on playing in my head long after I had shut the system.
The roots had firmly clasped my heart.
I also introduced these videos to more than a 100 of my friends who had similar auditory preferences. The impact was similar if not the same.
Last night, after a three-year long wait, I finally heard Rajasthan Roots at The Comedy Store. A band of six bunched together on a stage fit for stand-up comics. The 300-seater auditorium was about half full (the optimist in me as you can see.)
Before they strum the first chord, let me just rewind a bit. The event promos said - "A high energy performance of Sufi poetry, vocal harmonies and percussion, combining the eclectic Sufi traditions of the desert with electronic rhythms and Soundscapes.
A tribute to Saint Bulleh Shah, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen."
To someone who has spent thousands of hours immersing himself in music, the word "Sufi" is bound to strike a chord. Sufism for us, who, from dawn to dusk, are strapped to our chairs peering into flickering computer screens, is like that oasis. The undoing of the soul is such an unachievable feat that we would continue to dream about it, knowing all the time that the Sufi way indeed is the highway.
Rajasthan Roots had christened the performance as Sufi-tronics. The mind said beware, the heart said go for it...remember the lovely melody playing in Jaipur? So heart ruled over the mind and I landed up at the venue.
So Rajasthan Roots live! Hey hold on...where is Munshi Khan?
The concert began with a blues-style presentation of Nanak's bhajan " Vaari Jaon Re". The rendition progressed and I was left agape.
With every passing minute, I was moving further away from the Sufism of the soul.
The vocal "disharmonies" of the high-pitched off-key voice of Adi and the rustic scales of Kutle Khan was jarring.
The second composition "Antebahardi" written by Bulleh Shah was overpowered by a loud drum roll.
Dear Adi, you have a voice which fits only a certain type of songs. The longing and the loneliness which stirs the soul of an office-going Sufi-aspirant like me, please excuse, was totally absent.
The concert began with a blues-style presentation of Nanak's bhajan " Vaari Jaon Re". The rendition progressed and I was left agape.
With every passing minute, I was moving further away from the Sufism of the soul.
The vocal "disharmonies" of the high-pitched off-key voice of Adi and the rustic scales of Kutle Khan was jarring.
The second composition "Antebahardi" written by Bulleh Shah was overpowered by a loud drum roll.
Dear Adi, you have a voice which fits only a certain type of songs. The longing and the loneliness which stirs the soul of an office-going Sufi-aspirant like me, please excuse, was totally absent.
My dilemma was that Adi, the lead of the band, your fingers were working up the strings in an awesome manner but the voice defied the gravity of songs like that demanded.
The songs about a dancing peacock and Diggipuri Ka Raja, despite being very well arranged, were cacophony.
The discordant notes put me off.
It is only in the second half, when judging the restless mood of the audience, you unleashed Kutle Khan. It was a welcome relief. In the first half he just waited for your cues to go ballistic on all barrels. And he lived up to it at the first opportunity.
The songs about a dancing peacock and Diggipuri Ka Raja, despite being very well arranged, were cacophony.
The discordant notes put me off.
It is only in the second half, when judging the restless mood of the audience, you unleashed Kutle Khan. It was a welcome relief. In the first half he just waited for your cues to go ballistic on all barrels. And he lived up to it at the first opportunity.
His was an awesome jugalbandi with the wind-instrument Algoza followed by a lovely solo on Khartal and Bhapang.
The crowd cheered up when he sang Dam Must Kalandar and Dama Dum Mast Kalandar. But please rewind to the videos of Morchang Studio where Kutle is displaying his excellent command over instruments.
The crowd cheered up when he sang Dam Must Kalandar and Dama Dum Mast Kalandar. But please rewind to the videos of Morchang Studio where Kutle is displaying his excellent command over instruments.
Kutle Khan is an awesome bhapang and khartal player. He is not...repeat NOT a lead vocalist. His voice does not have the call of sand dunes of Jaisalmer, though he hails from the same land.
He could be a fantastic supporting vocal but NEVER the lead. An awesome percussionist but not the vocals. But the crowd had to settle for him with no better options.
Anyone who has experienced Sufi music and has grown up on those canonball aalaps of Nusrat and Abida, will know that the voice of the Sufi emerges from his navel, pulls your heart strings and reverberates the sky above or the roof in this case.
The kharaj and laraz, the intricate murkiyans are such copyrighted stuff of the tribes of Langas and Manganiars, that only a few could even dream of replicating it.
Kutle's performance was good but the bar is still higher.
The kharaj and laraz, the intricate murkiyans are such copyrighted stuff of the tribes of Langas and Manganiars, that only a few could even dream of replicating it.
Kutle's performance was good but the bar is still higher.
The greatest piece in your six-member band was the saxophone player. He had the most soulful contribution to the otherwise a damp performance.
Live has to be livewire nothing less.
Live has to be livewire nothing less.
The Roots have to be well grounded. Offshoots don't work. The greater disappointment is that your efforts were well intended. There was never once a doubt in my mind that you sincerely wish to be that cult rooted band to help evolve Rajasthani music from its cliches of always playing to the gallery.
It is when noble efforts like these fail it hurts the most.
Like Bulleh Shah said in his song, made immortal by your idol Sain Zahoor....Basi Kari Oo Yaar, Ilam Basi Kari Oo Yaar...Ek Alif Tere Darkar (Hold on your search for knowledge. It is only Alif the letter that you need to know to remember Allah). May your music find its roots where they belong.Maybe too much effort has gone into it. Sufism is so simple to understand that the intelligent can never fathom it. Maybe a simpleton voice, a khartal player, your supporting guitar and a dholak would have easily served the purpose.
5 comments:
Agree in toto.... Apart from the rants on Adi taking centre stage with his eye makeup and peacock feather act, I wish he's stick to playing whatever he played with his mouth taped. Jokes apart, there is potential there, but what I didn't get as a non-sufi secular listener, was a sense of the whole thing coming together as a sound. The instruments by themselves are obviously unique but if Rajasthan Roots wants to have crossover appeal (going by its attempts to blend the drums, a bass guitar and the saxophone), it really has to come together.
Dude, just stick to Nusrat and Abida. You are starting out to be disappointed to begin with; no one has or will ever be able to replace of replicate them I dare say!
Or then at least go with an open mind, and not try to get the same experience out of them.
I totally agree with you Cynic that there is a full stop after Nusrat and Abida. I never went with expectations of getting the same experience. The hope, however, was a musical rendition of those immortal Sufi Kalams. Not cacophony. When one has an open mind, it is only then that he/she tried out other artistes. Every musician has its own standing. A Sain Zahoor or a Munshi Khan too are great performers of Sufiyana Kalam. All of these are simply incomparable. Many thanks for taking out time to read the post.
There is interesting development in me after the music evening. I though didn't like the way Adi sang, when I got back home and listened to the song Vari jaun, mora angna sadgurua ayo, I was stunned. And now it is now stuck in my head and is becoming a part of my most loved numbers. And one thing Nupur you write really well do write more often.
The YT videos *are* addictive.
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