PRAN NATH, PANDIT - Ragas

Reissue of the 1971 Shandar LP, the first recording of Pran Nath released with his permission, according to La Monte Young. With liners by Young, who also plays tambura on the LP. Artwork by Marian Zazeela. Edition of 500.

"Ragas are the spiritual folkloristic way in India of playing music originating from the depths of your soul. Some of you may have heard albums by Ravi Shankar, the grand master of Indian raga, with long hypnotical tracks which do not really tell you if they are entirely improvised or strictly composed tunes when the swirling and tingling tanpura and madly spinning tabla drums get played like a maelstrom of sound. This kind of music is mostly instrumental to generate the ultimate experience of transcending flesh to spirit but in case of Pandit Pran Nath (1918 _¢‚Ǩ‚Äú 1996), classical Indian singer and musical teacher, you will get an ongoing captivating chanting on a base of droning tanpura and rather relaxed percussion patterns. The instruments underline the spiritual statement given by the mid ranged, slightly darker voice of Pandit Pran Nath. This is a fine release of classical Hindustani music and should appeal to all fans of Ravi or Ananda Shankar along other prototypical representatives of Indian music but there is a major difference and that is the intonation of Pandit Pran Nath. His voice is unique and its raucous beauty captures your perception. The whole album is droning and haunting, so you should be in the right mood to enter the musical world of Pandit Pran Nath." - Far East Sunshine.