Search - Sulochana Brahaspati, Girija Devi, Sadolikar :: Hindustani Classical Vocal

Excellent Hypnotic

zphage | 01/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great set, a real value. This is from Nimbus, the Uk Classical label that also did the excellent 4cd Raga Guide. This is a great companion.



Three excellent vocalists, one each cd, beautifully recorded. All three have a droney hypnotic feel, hazy almost spacey psychedelic.



If you are fan of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan you will find much to love here. This is the touchstone music from which he derived his tradition. The feel is a little more formal with a slow building intensity. Very very masterful you are in the presence of real beauty and power with these performances. They work for atmosphere quietly in the background or much louder for active listening."

Three Classical Indian Vocal Journeys in One

Eileen Corder | West Coast | 08/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Classical Hindustani music dates back to the vedic chant tradition (c. 1000 BCE) and even now this music is centered on vocal performance. Singers often start at a young age and are strictly trained in one or several forms. All three vocalists represented on this astonishing CD have trained since childhood and are music scholars as well as performers. Girija Devi, born in 1927, is by far the best known. She has toured worldwide and has several CDs available. Her voice is sweet and in the range of mezzo-soprano. Soulochana Brahaspati is a little younger than Ms Devi, but there are essentially no other CDs of her work easily available. Her voice is a contralto, full and mellow. Shruti Sadolikar is the youngest and also has several CDs. She is perhaps the most haunting of the three. With a higher pitch and slightly nasal style, her voice takes on a bewitching tone that is magnificent.



I must admit I took a chance on this three-disc set. Luckily, all three vocalists well surpassed my expectations, and having them together gave me the chance to compare their individual voices and styles. Set includes extensive liner notes on Hindustani classical music and the artists."