New video: Bilaskhani Trippy!

Got 12 minutes?

The video for the Bilaskhani Todi alap and multi-speed Jhaptal Kaida from a couple posts ago is finally up:
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Cycles Part 7: Dance #2 from Ed Hanley on Vimeo.

Dancer-Joanie Audet

Raga Bilaskhani Todi, alapana and split-speed kaida in Jhaptal (10 beat rhythm cycle)

"It is said that this raga was created by Bilas Khan, son of Miyan Tansen. Bilas Khan is said to have created raga Bilaskhani Todi after Tansen's death; an interesting legend of this improvisation (it differs only in detail from Tansen's Todi), has it that Bilas composed it while grief-stricken at the wake itself, and that Tansen's corpse moved one hand in approval of the new melody."

Liner notes here: http://52kaidas.blogspot.ca/2013/05/a-pair-of-jhaptal-recordings-from.html

Justin Gray-bass veena
Ed Hanley-tabla, baya, didgeridoo
Larry Graves, Talia McGuire-gongs
Laurie Stevenson, Wendy Fisher, Lori Fox Rossi, Vicki Persig, Christine Hein & Suba Sankaran-singing bowls and bells

Audio & video recording, editing and mixing-Ed Hanley

http://www.cycles-film.com
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Not really sure what to say about it... other than layers and patterns, patterns and layers.

Ta,
E

Tisra Triputa Tala, Saraswati & Autorickshaw concert, Fri June 7

Hello again

ain't this a pretty poster?

I don't usually post gigs on here, but I'm excited about this one for a couple reasons:
1. Autorickshaw hasn't been playing a lot of late
2. there's no drumkit on this gig, so tabla gets to step out

BUT! Never fear...here comes an  Autorickshaw tune with a tabla solo in it...

But first, concert info:

Fri June 7, 8PM
Autorickshaw at Bohemian Palace
240 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto
$10 at the door

with
Suba Sankaran-voice
Ed Hanley-tabla
Dylan Bell-bass
Justin Abedin-guitar

bohemianpalace.com
autorickshaw.ca
fb event: https://www.facebook.com/events/113582332180502/

OK, since it's at a Yoga Studio, I think a Saraswati Slokam is somewhat appropriate (watch carefully at 4:00 for a surprise!):

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Song available on iTunes and here: http://autorickshaw.bandcamp.com/track/saraswati-2

Based on a Sanskrit slokam (prayer), this piece is an invocation to Saraswati, Hindu goddess of art, learning and creative inspiration. The notes used in the slokam were inspired by the three-tone Vedic Samika chant, the vocal improvisations based in the raga Megh, and the piece is set to an unusual 7-beat rhythmic cycle, tisra triputa tala.

lyrics:

yeah, the designer went to town..you should see the booklet!

Saraswati Namasthubyam
Varade Kaama Roopini
Vidya-rambam Karishyaami
Sidhir Bhavatu Mey Sadaa

Padma Patra Visalakshi
Padma Kesara Varnini
Nityam Padmaalayam Devi
Samaam Pathu Saraswati

Suba Sankaran-voice
Ed Hanley-tabla, big cymbals, jingle shaker
Rich Brown-bass
Debashis Sinha-multikit, bass drum
Kevin Fox, Tom Lillington-bass voices

from Four Higher, released 16 June 2004

So... that kaida I play in the middle:

Dha - Tetekredhete Dha Tetekredhete
Dha terekitetaketerekite DhatiDhagena Thunnakena

Which is an adaptation of a Tintal composition I learned from Pt Anindo Chatterjee (put a Dhinnagena at the end of that first line, and bingo, Tintal...)

Ok, all for now. I hope any Toronto folks will come out to the show (feel free to share!), and be sure to hook up on Facebook, Twitter on join the email list (Feedburner form on the right).

tata!
E

Pair of tintal micro-performances

Hello again.

Quick post with a quick video.

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First off, props to Romancha Pralapa for coining the term 'micro-performance' in the YT comments. Love it. Totally stealing it. Romancha's Youtube channel is a rich source of vitamin T, including a lot of educational stuff. Thums Up!

what's for dinner? a thali of different font sizes!

This is a sort-of promo video for a series of concerts Autorickshaw co-founder Suba Sankaran and I are doing at Kamasutra Indian Restaurant in Toronto. Nice place, great food, and cool owners who really want live music to be a part of the vibe. A restaurant isn't necessarily the ideal place to gig, but, it does have a stage and PA, plus it's a totally low pressure vessel for us to cook up new music, new arrangements and try risky stuff, which is always good.

Ok, so...what have we here.

The first thing I play is a bit of a wild improv ride on the bol:

Dha - tete gherenage gherenage terekite
Dha - tete gherenage Thun - na - kerenake

but eventually I make it into the following Farukhabad Kaida:

Dha - tete gherenage gherenage tet - - -
Dha - Dha - gherenage thun - na - kerenake

which I hadn't played in forever, hence almost derailing at one point.

That 'Tet - - -' really needs to pop out to make this one work. Tet!!!!

mmmm....garlic gharana....

All kinar, but I sometimes play the 'na' in the first 'gherenage' on sur. I think it was accidentally ergonomic originally, but now I like the sound of it.

This (w italic'd 'na' on sur):

Dha - tete gherenage gherenage
Dha - tete gherenage gherenage
Dha - tete gherenage

is a fav bol of mine.

Next up we have the classic Lucknow rela:

TakaDherenage TakaDherenage Dherenage
TeteTete GheGhetete Gherenage DheneTage

I could work on this forever and never ever get it to sound as good as Pt Swapan Chaudhuri's version.

Oh, and TeteTete GheGhetete Gherenage Dhenetage? AWESOME PRACTICE BOL. Run it 108 times x 108 times and you'll be a happy camper. Getting bored? make sure you can really hear the 'dhene' open sound. Feel the burn. Great baya practice. Especially the all closed version:

TeteTete KeKeTete Kerenake Thenetake

This was the first gig of the series, and we're ramping up to adding a small keyboard (for basslines and leharas) as well as, eventually, live looping with Abelton Live.

Here's the other mini-promo video, featuring a Tamil Folk song and a pair of south Indian classical pieces (detailed info in the Youtube description):


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Songs avail here: http://autorickshaw.bandcamp.com/
 
ok, all for now!
tata dinginatoms
E

PS: from this evening's post-gig trip to Gerrard Street (aka Little India) in Toronto.

a friend thought that said 'Rowdy Bathrobe', which is a pretty great band name, no?