Raga Guide: A Survey Of 74 Hindustani Ragas. CD

Performers include Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar, Vidyadhar Vyas (vocals); Anant Krishnaji Kunte (sarangi); Hariprasad Chaurasia (flute); Buddhadev DasGupta (sarod); Sandip Bhattacharya, Devendra Kanti Chakrabarty, Ted De Jong, Madhukar Kothare, Shib Shankar Ray (tabla).

In music-speak, ragas are essentially scalar melody forms -- something like scales or melodic modes in Western music. However, North Indian ragas do differ from Western modes and scales in several important ways: ragas often take on different ascending and descending forms, act as melodic armatures for vocal and/or instrumental improvisation, are frequently believed to have divine origins and characteristics, and are commonly associated with a certain season or time of the day. The Raga Guide acts an impressive introduction to the sophisticated sonic world of Hindustani ragas. In conjunction with its 184-page booklet, The Raga Guide offers narrative descriptions, musical notation, and -- most importantly -- audio examples of 74 distinct ragas. The CD's tracks are presented by four illustrious soloists: flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia, sarod player Buddhadev Das Gupta, and vocalists Vidyadhar Vyas and Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar. In short, The Raga Guide is an excellent resource for both dabblers and devotees of Hindustani music. ~ John Vallier

Includes 196-page book.

Recorded in England and The Netherlands between 1991 & 1996.

Full title: The Raga Guide: A Survey Of 74 Hindustani Ragas.

Producers: Robin Broadbank, Joep Bor.

Personnel: Vidyadhar Vyas, Shruti Sadolikar (vocals); Buddhadev Das Gupta (sarod); Hariprasad Chaurasia (flute).

Recording information: England (1991-1996); The Netherlands (1991-1996).

Authors: Wim Van Der Meer; Suvarnalata Rao; Jane Harvey.

Editor: Joep Bor.

IndiaThe Wire (2/00, p.34) - "...Indispensable....a kind of Michelin guide to the 74 most performed Hindustani ragas....A superior reference work..."
Down Beat (2/00, p.74) - 4 out of 5 - "...this collection of 74 ragas comes with transcriptions, historical and theoretical explanations and colorful reproductions of 17th-century paintings....belongs in every music library, and should inspire any devotee of improvisation."