Personnel: Ravi Shankar (sitar); Alla Rakha (tabla).
Producer: Richard Bock.
Reissue producer: Robert LaPorta.
Originally released on World Pacific WPS (21434).
Includes liner notes by Harihar Rao & Ravi Shankar.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
This is part of Angel's Ravi Shankar Collection series.
By far the most famous of all sitar players, Ravi Shankar has long been a beacon of light for Indian music worldwide. SOUND OF THE SITAR is made up of four compositions.
The first, "Raga Malkauns: Alap" is a slow, reflective piece. According to Shankar, the section of a raga known as the Alap is difficult to play because it is an invocation, a prayer meant to be performed with great humility. The second piece is, "Raga Malkauns: Jor." The Jor section of a raga is based on a rhythmic pulse and does not a have a strict rhythmic time cycle like the Alap. As this piece develops, much like Western music, it becomes more dense and climactic. The third piece, "Tala Sawari" includes a wonderful tabla solo by Alla Rakha. This piece also uses boles, vocal mnemonics that imitate the various tones produced on the drums. The final selection, "Pahar Dhun" is a cheerful improvisation based on the folk melodies of India. SOUND OF THE SITAR is one of Ravi Shankar's best early albums.
