Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty's voice conveys the spiritual and peaceful message of Indian
Raga music, the music of the human soul, the abode of the divine.
Vocal - Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty
Tabla accompanist - Shiv Shankar Roy
Harmonium accompanist - Chiranjib Chakraborty
Tanpura accompanists - Ranjana and Chandra
'A Chapel or any place of worship is a house of God. People assemble there for a blissful awareness of their relation to the Creator and Preserver. This awareness is a pressing need of the present, as violence and destruction of a global magnitude imperil human civilization and culture.' Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty.
Vocal music remains at the heart of classical music in India, where the human voice is considered a divine musical instrument, expressing the most intimate secrets of the soul.
Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty is one of the most popular and influential vocal musicians from the Indian sub-continent today. It is said that the young Ajoy could sing before he could talk. At a time when a career in music was not looked at favourably in the aspiring social circles of Calcutta, his father Mr Ajit Chakrabarty recognised the potential of a musical genius in the making, enduring hardship rather than sacrificing his son's music training.
Initially, Ajoy was sent to study with Pandit Gnan Prakash Ghosh, the most influential Bengali music teacher of the twentieth century. His rigorous training with Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, introduced him to the distinctive Patiala style of singing made famous by the legendary Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. The Patiala gharana, developed in the state of Punjab in the nineteenth century, is characterised by the use of a full-bodied, resonant voice over three octaves.
This cd features a full-length live performance recorded at Union Chapel, London on 25th May 2002. It demonstrates Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty's consummate vocal skills and his command of several genres of Indian music including Khayal, Thumri, Bhajan and Bengali light music, capturing the true spirit of both the ancient and the modern. Shib Shankar Ray is the most sought after UK based tabla accompanist, and a fellow disciple of Gnan Prakash Ghosh.
CD 1
Raga Shudh Kalyan - Khayal (track 1-2)
Composition: Gnan Prakash Ghosh
Lyric (Hindi)
Ajki ghadi subha ho
Sakala karam ho suphala sukhadai
Guni yo ke guni jiyo sau barasa
badhe dina dina tihari adhikai
Translation:
May the day and the hour be auspicious
May all efforts be crowned with success
May the learned and servant live one hunderd years
May he prosper evermore
Khayal is the most popular vocal style in Indian classical music offering the artist great flexibility for improvisation. India's classical music seeks to establish a close correlation with natural cycles and phenomena and evoke the emotions associated with them. Ragas are classified according to the times of the day and the seasons of the year, and are rendered according to the moods that are considered aesthetically compatible to them. Raga Shudh Kalyan is associated with the early evening, and strives to induce a serene and devotional state of mind.
The performance begins with a short alap, introspective in nature, gently introducing the notes and characteristic phrases of the raga.
The composition is accompanied by a slow tempo rhythmic cycle of twelve beats (ektaal). Through this part of the performance the soloist explores the raga in depth, initially creating combinations centred on the lower notes of the octave, gradually incorporating higher notes. After establishing the mood, the singer develops more complex and demanding permutations, exploring limitless musical possibilities using the syllables (Sa,Re,Ga,Ma,Pa,Dha,Ni,Sa) with apparent ease.
Track 2 is a traditional composition in the faster tempo 'tintaal', comprising of sixteen beats.
Lyrics (track2)
Bajore bajo mandilara
Sughara sughara nara nari mila karahu
Ananda rahasa rasa gave hu mangalara
Ika sama dhana sanga caunka puravo
Ika sama dhana gara darohi harava
Ikahasa hasa ghisa lavo sandalara
Translation:
'Now is the moment of rejoicing as our beloved and god is now in our midst. Beat the drums and cymbals, garland him, anoint him with sandal paste'.
Raga Jog -Tarana (track 3-4)
'This raga expresses and evokes a joyful albeit quiet perception of the union with the Absolute'
Tarana incorporates nonsensical syllables and phrases like 'na, ta, dhum, tirakita and dhiredhire', borrowed from the repertoire of the tabla and pakhawaj drums, and the kathak dance rhythms. Track 3 features a Tarana composed by Gnan Prakash Ghosh set to Jhaptaal, a ten beat rhythmic cycle. Raga Jog is a relatively recent raga, which has become increasingly popular in latter part of the twentieth century.
lyric (track 4)
composed by Gnan Prakash Ghosh
Dhana Jovana nadi nao sanjoga
Kahata guni gyani jagame saba karata apani
Apani karani ka bhoga
Ae hasen saba jaye to roye
Inuhi bhugata saba loga
Translation:
'The relation of youth and wealth are like that between the river and the boat. The sages say that people suffer and enjoy according to their deserts. Coming into being and passing away bring joy and sorrow respectively'.
CD 2
'Paiyan Padu Tore Shyam'- Thumri. (track 1)
Thumri in Raga Desh composed by Darasha Piya alias Mehboob Khan
'Desh is generally considered a Raga of the rainy season, but ideally it expresses and evokes emotions caused by the separation and distance from the beloved. The beloved one may be God Himself.'
The composition is sung in a rhythmic cycle of eight beats called Yat (or Jat), which is used mostly to accompany Thumri. This musical style often portrays the various romantic episodes from the lives of the divine lovers Lord Krishna and Radha.
Lyric:
Paiyan padu tore Shyam
Kaheko chalbhaliya karata
Darasa piya se vinati karata
Manata nahi hama vatiya
Kahe satao dina ratiya
Kabhi to ao hamare dham
Translation:
I fall on your feet in prayer
Why are you playing fast and loose?
Darasha Piya entreats you, but you are not
Paying heed to his entreaties
Why do you give me pain day and night?
Thumri (track 2)
'Ke Sang Kheloon Mein Bhag' (trans. 'Who should I play with')
This a thumri based on Raga Sohini made famous by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Sohini is traditionally a popular raga in the Punjab area of India and Pakistan. This track features two compositions, the second 'Aur Mari Abir Gulal' is a celebration of the throwing of colours at the Festival of Holi.
'Aye Na Balam' (track 3)
Dadra composed by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (taal - Keherva 8 beats)
The rendition of this song reveals elements of Arabian music along with those of Jazz music. Moreover, elements of a number of Indian Ragas have been happily synthesized here to express and evoke the urge for union with the supreme object of love and devotion.
Lyric:
Ka karu sajani aye na balam
Tadapata viti mori unavina ratiya
Sajana tuma mat jani o ke tuma bichude ham caina
Jaise vanki gili lakdi sulagata dina raina
Rovata rovata kala nahi aye
Tadapa tadapa mohe kala nahi aye
Nisadina mohe viraha satave
Yad avata jab unaki vatiya
Translation:
What shall I do, my beloved has not come
My nights are spent yearning for him
The pangs of his seperation is ever burning my heart
like fire in wet logs of wood
Incessant weeping does not let me sleep
Pining gives me pain night and day
Whenever his thoughts occur to my mind
'Ghum Ashey na' (track 4)
A Bengali modern song composed by Shri Amalendu Bikash Kar Chowdhury. The song is not predominated by any Raga. There are elements of folk music in it.
Lyrics:
Ghum ase na du cokhe amar
Acho kena nayana jude
Ami kamone katai e rat jani na
Kata katha bhid kore ase mone
Kata chabini dhara du nayane
Smritir buke kena kate santar
Andhare balo na
Translation:
'Sleep does not visit my eyes as you are constantly in my vision. I do not know how shall I spend this night.
Memories crowd in my mind, visions of days gone by throng in my sleepless eyes. In the dark they swim in the stream of memory'.
Bhajan (track 5)
Bhajan is a popular Hindu devotional song type. This composition was written by Kabir, a saint of India.
Lyric:
Moko kahan dhundo re vande
Mai to tere pasame
Na tiratha me na muratame
Na ekanta nivasa me
Na mandira me na masjid me
Na kashi kailas me
Mai to tere pasa me
Na mai jap me na mai tapa me
Namai vrata upavasa me
Na mai kriya karma me rahata
Na mai yag sannyasa me
Khonji hoye to turata mil jaun
Expalahi ki talas me
Kahe Kabir suno bhai sadho
Mai to hun visvasa me
Meaning: Where are you seeking me, O devotee,
I am always with you.
I do not live in a temple or mosque
Neither in pilgrimage nor in idols do I live.
Neither in Kashi (Benares) nor in Kailash.
I am always with you.
'You will not find me by turning rosaries nor by penance, nor by sacred vows, nor through fasting, you will not get me through rituals and sacrifices, nor through renunciation'.
If your quest is sincere then you will find me in a moment. Kabir says " Oh saints hear me" - God is to be found only in the unwavering faith in Him.
The song ends with incantation of Sanskrit verses signifying the unity of all religions truths and the most vital role of preceptors including one's mother in leading the aspirant from darkness to light.
Kabir here stresses the syncretic spirit of Indian religion. There are many sects and cults, but God is One. Therefore, religious difference which is the cause of so much violence should not blur the truly spiritual vision of man.'
Notes: John Ball
Quotes and Translations: Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.senseworldmusic.com
Track List:
1. Raga Shudh Kalyan (Khayal - Ektaal)
2. Raga Shudh Kalyan (Khayal - Tintaal)
3. Raga Jog (Tarana)
4. Raga Jog (Khayal - Tintaal)
5. Thumri (Paiyan padu tore shyam)
6. Thumri (Ke Sang Kheloon Mein Bhag)
7. Dadra (Aye na Balam)
8. Bengali song (Ghum ase na)
9. Bhajan (Moko kahan dhundo re vande)
Suggested CDs:
Raga music, the music of the human soul, the abode of the divine.
Vocal - Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty
Tabla accompanist - Shiv Shankar Roy
Harmonium accompanist - Chiranjib Chakraborty
Tanpura accompanists - Ranjana and Chandra
'A Chapel or any place of worship is a house of God. People assemble there for a blissful awareness of their relation to the Creator and Preserver. This awareness is a pressing need of the present, as violence and destruction of a global magnitude imperil human civilization and culture.' Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty.
Vocal music remains at the heart of classical music in India, where the human voice is considered a divine musical instrument, expressing the most intimate secrets of the soul.
Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty is one of the most popular and influential vocal musicians from the Indian sub-continent today. It is said that the young Ajoy could sing before he could talk. At a time when a career in music was not looked at favourably in the aspiring social circles of Calcutta, his father Mr Ajit Chakrabarty recognised the potential of a musical genius in the making, enduring hardship rather than sacrificing his son's music training.
Initially, Ajoy was sent to study with Pandit Gnan Prakash Ghosh, the most influential Bengali music teacher of the twentieth century. His rigorous training with Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, introduced him to the distinctive Patiala style of singing made famous by the legendary Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. The Patiala gharana, developed in the state of Punjab in the nineteenth century, is characterised by the use of a full-bodied, resonant voice over three octaves.
This cd features a full-length live performance recorded at Union Chapel, London on 25th May 2002. It demonstrates Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty's consummate vocal skills and his command of several genres of Indian music including Khayal, Thumri, Bhajan and Bengali light music, capturing the true spirit of both the ancient and the modern. Shib Shankar Ray is the most sought after UK based tabla accompanist, and a fellow disciple of Gnan Prakash Ghosh.
CD 1
Raga Shudh Kalyan - Khayal (track 1-2)
Composition: Gnan Prakash Ghosh
Lyric (Hindi)
Ajki ghadi subha ho
Sakala karam ho suphala sukhadai
Guni yo ke guni jiyo sau barasa
badhe dina dina tihari adhikai
Translation:
May the day and the hour be auspicious
May all efforts be crowned with success
May the learned and servant live one hunderd years
May he prosper evermore
Khayal is the most popular vocal style in Indian classical music offering the artist great flexibility for improvisation. India's classical music seeks to establish a close correlation with natural cycles and phenomena and evoke the emotions associated with them. Ragas are classified according to the times of the day and the seasons of the year, and are rendered according to the moods that are considered aesthetically compatible to them. Raga Shudh Kalyan is associated with the early evening, and strives to induce a serene and devotional state of mind.
The performance begins with a short alap, introspective in nature, gently introducing the notes and characteristic phrases of the raga.
The composition is accompanied by a slow tempo rhythmic cycle of twelve beats (ektaal). Through this part of the performance the soloist explores the raga in depth, initially creating combinations centred on the lower notes of the octave, gradually incorporating higher notes. After establishing the mood, the singer develops more complex and demanding permutations, exploring limitless musical possibilities using the syllables (Sa,Re,Ga,Ma,Pa,Dha,Ni,Sa) with apparent ease.
Track 2 is a traditional composition in the faster tempo 'tintaal', comprising of sixteen beats.
Lyrics (track2)
Bajore bajo mandilara
Sughara sughara nara nari mila karahu
Ananda rahasa rasa gave hu mangalara
Ika sama dhana sanga caunka puravo
Ika sama dhana gara darohi harava
Ikahasa hasa ghisa lavo sandalara
Translation:
'Now is the moment of rejoicing as our beloved and god is now in our midst. Beat the drums and cymbals, garland him, anoint him with sandal paste'.
Raga Jog -Tarana (track 3-4)
'This raga expresses and evokes a joyful albeit quiet perception of the union with the Absolute'
Tarana incorporates nonsensical syllables and phrases like 'na, ta, dhum, tirakita and dhiredhire', borrowed from the repertoire of the tabla and pakhawaj drums, and the kathak dance rhythms. Track 3 features a Tarana composed by Gnan Prakash Ghosh set to Jhaptaal, a ten beat rhythmic cycle. Raga Jog is a relatively recent raga, which has become increasingly popular in latter part of the twentieth century.
lyric (track 4)
composed by Gnan Prakash Ghosh
Dhana Jovana nadi nao sanjoga
Kahata guni gyani jagame saba karata apani
Apani karani ka bhoga
Ae hasen saba jaye to roye
Inuhi bhugata saba loga
Translation:
'The relation of youth and wealth are like that between the river and the boat. The sages say that people suffer and enjoy according to their deserts. Coming into being and passing away bring joy and sorrow respectively'.
CD 2
'Paiyan Padu Tore Shyam'- Thumri. (track 1)
Thumri in Raga Desh composed by Darasha Piya alias Mehboob Khan
'Desh is generally considered a Raga of the rainy season, but ideally it expresses and evokes emotions caused by the separation and distance from the beloved. The beloved one may be God Himself.'
The composition is sung in a rhythmic cycle of eight beats called Yat (or Jat), which is used mostly to accompany Thumri. This musical style often portrays the various romantic episodes from the lives of the divine lovers Lord Krishna and Radha.
Lyric:
Paiyan padu tore Shyam
Kaheko chalbhaliya karata
Darasa piya se vinati karata
Manata nahi hama vatiya
Kahe satao dina ratiya
Kabhi to ao hamare dham
Translation:
I fall on your feet in prayer
Why are you playing fast and loose?
Darasha Piya entreats you, but you are not
Paying heed to his entreaties
Why do you give me pain day and night?
Thumri (track 2)
'Ke Sang Kheloon Mein Bhag' (trans. 'Who should I play with')
This a thumri based on Raga Sohini made famous by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Sohini is traditionally a popular raga in the Punjab area of India and Pakistan. This track features two compositions, the second 'Aur Mari Abir Gulal' is a celebration of the throwing of colours at the Festival of Holi.
'Aye Na Balam' (track 3)
Dadra composed by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (taal - Keherva 8 beats)
The rendition of this song reveals elements of Arabian music along with those of Jazz music. Moreover, elements of a number of Indian Ragas have been happily synthesized here to express and evoke the urge for union with the supreme object of love and devotion.
Lyric:
Ka karu sajani aye na balam
Tadapata viti mori unavina ratiya
Sajana tuma mat jani o ke tuma bichude ham caina
Jaise vanki gili lakdi sulagata dina raina
Rovata rovata kala nahi aye
Tadapa tadapa mohe kala nahi aye
Nisadina mohe viraha satave
Yad avata jab unaki vatiya
Translation:
What shall I do, my beloved has not come
My nights are spent yearning for him
The pangs of his seperation is ever burning my heart
like fire in wet logs of wood
Incessant weeping does not let me sleep
Pining gives me pain night and day
Whenever his thoughts occur to my mind
'Ghum Ashey na' (track 4)
A Bengali modern song composed by Shri Amalendu Bikash Kar Chowdhury. The song is not predominated by any Raga. There are elements of folk music in it.
Lyrics:
Ghum ase na du cokhe amar
Acho kena nayana jude
Ami kamone katai e rat jani na
Kata katha bhid kore ase mone
Kata chabini dhara du nayane
Smritir buke kena kate santar
Andhare balo na
Translation:
'Sleep does not visit my eyes as you are constantly in my vision. I do not know how shall I spend this night.
Memories crowd in my mind, visions of days gone by throng in my sleepless eyes. In the dark they swim in the stream of memory'.
Bhajan (track 5)
Bhajan is a popular Hindu devotional song type. This composition was written by Kabir, a saint of India.
Lyric:
Moko kahan dhundo re vande
Mai to tere pasame
Na tiratha me na muratame
Na ekanta nivasa me
Na mandira me na masjid me
Na kashi kailas me
Mai to tere pasa me
Na mai jap me na mai tapa me
Namai vrata upavasa me
Na mai kriya karma me rahata
Na mai yag sannyasa me
Khonji hoye to turata mil jaun
Expalahi ki talas me
Kahe Kabir suno bhai sadho
Mai to hun visvasa me
Meaning: Where are you seeking me, O devotee,
I am always with you.
I do not live in a temple or mosque
Neither in pilgrimage nor in idols do I live.
Neither in Kashi (Benares) nor in Kailash.
I am always with you.
'You will not find me by turning rosaries nor by penance, nor by sacred vows, nor through fasting, you will not get me through rituals and sacrifices, nor through renunciation'.
If your quest is sincere then you will find me in a moment. Kabir says " Oh saints hear me" - God is to be found only in the unwavering faith in Him.
The song ends with incantation of Sanskrit verses signifying the unity of all religions truths and the most vital role of preceptors including one's mother in leading the aspirant from darkness to light.
Kabir here stresses the syncretic spirit of Indian religion. There are many sects and cults, but God is One. Therefore, religious difference which is the cause of so much violence should not blur the truly spiritual vision of man.'
Notes: John Ball
Quotes and Translations: Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.senseworldmusic.com
Track List:
1. Raga Shudh Kalyan (Khayal - Ektaal)
2. Raga Shudh Kalyan (Khayal - Tintaal)
3. Raga Jog (Tarana)
4. Raga Jog (Khayal - Tintaal)
5. Thumri (Paiyan padu tore shyam)
6. Thumri (Ke Sang Kheloon Mein Bhag)
7. Dadra (Aye na Balam)
8. Bengali song (Ghum ase na)
9. Bhajan (Moko kahan dhundo re vande)
Suggested CDs:
- Hariprasad Chaurasia
- Pandit Sharda Sahai & Vishnu Sahia
- Purbayan Chatterjee
- Kala Ramnath
- Purbayan Chatterjee & Kala Ramnath
- Kala Ramnath
- WORLD: Asian
- WORLD: World Traditions
- TYPE: VOCAL