The Ravi Shankar Quartet

December 24, 2021 11:11 AM

Always having thought I disliked sitar music, I recently listened to side 1 of The Concert for Bangladesh featuring Ravi Shankar. Something about it really resonated, it felt more like a jazz combo than the other south Asian music I'm familiar with. What can you recommend in a similar style?
posted by hwyengr to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

I wouldn't describe it as in a similar style exactly, but you may enjoy Alice Coltrane's Journey in Satchidananda.
posted by ssg at 12:47 PM on December 24, 2021 [4 favorites]

The dhun that Shankar performs there is a very much a traditional Hindustani classical piece. In addition to his LPs (this is a favorite), you might want to start by checking out recordings by his collaborator at the Concert for Bangladesh Ali Akbar Khan, and by his great sitar contemporary Nikhil Banerjee.

The Flat, Black, and Classical: Indian Classical Music on Vinyl and Cassette blog is a useful tool to explore a lot of other Indian classical music for free.
posted by ryanshepard at 12:55 PM on December 24, 2021 [3 favorites]

Disclaimer: the following is about a very specific instrument, the saraswati veena, in the Carnatic music tradition. I was introduced to Jayanthi Kumaresh by the excellent Musiques de Nulle Part a number of years back, and watching her play with her ensemble is literally breath-taking - such virtuosity and emotion and sensitivity of collaboration. Here are two of the videos that got me hooked:

Raga Kapi - Thillana (Pt. 2)
Raga Shanmukhapriya

She has her own YouTube channel where she offers little lessons on music theory, and the track Varnam, from one of her studio albums, is one of my favorite pieces of music to listen to when I want to feel loving and loved.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 1:58 PM on December 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Shanta Nurullah from Chicago has a jazz-based band in which she plays sitar, called Sitarsys. Should be on Spotify.
posted by goatdog at 3:42 PM on December 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

I wouldn't be able to say whether it's the same style, I was never particularly attracted to (nor repelled from) this genre, but heard something that grabbed my ear when I was actually in India. Turns out it was Shiv Kumar Sharma (sometimes Shivkumar), a pair of songs or suites called "Raga Charukeshi" and "Raga Anthardhwani." They were spare and beautiful and sounded both familiar (more like classical guitar to me) and very different (the percussion).

It's probably not a particularly deep cut but it's certainly something that I've listened to regularly over the years and you might like it as well. I'll be monitoring this thread for recommendations myself!
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 11:02 PM on December 24, 2021

Turns out it was Shiv Kumar Sharma (sometimes Shivkumar), a pair of songs or suites called "Raga Charukeshi" and "Raga Anthardhwani." They were spare and beautiful and sounded both familiar (more like classical guitar to me) and very different (the percussion).

Sharma is a santoor player - the sublime LP he recorded for Radio France in the 70s is a great place to start.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:48 AM on December 25, 2021

i scoped out the 'morning ragas' and 'eveni g ragas' pandora stations to discover cool stuff.
posted by j_curiouser at 2:35 PM on December 25, 2021