Monday 11 August 2008

CD: The Sabri Family - 5 Ragas (sarangi)

The Sabri Family

5 Ragas (ARC Music, 2008)

The sarangi is a beautiful Indian musical instrument. It is bowed and produces a spacey evocative sound that makes you dream and wonder. The liner notes on the CD 5 Ragas explain how a poet, inspired by the hypnotizing beauty of the sarangi's sound, said: "The Sarangi? No, because of its innumerable beautiful tone colours, it is verily the ‘Saurangi’– Meaning full of hundreds of colors".

On 5 Ragas, three generations of sarangi maestros perform together, accompanied by tabla. The four piece ensemble is formed by members of the Sabri Family: Ustad Sabri Khan (sarangi), Kamal Sabri (sarangi), Suhail Yusuf Khan (sarangi), Sarvar Sabri (tabla).

The Sabri Family selected a collection of ragas (also spelled raags) representing various moods and seasons. "Raag Megh" is played during the rainy monsoon season in India and has a romantic mood. "Raag Mian Ki Malhar" is an evening raga. On "Tabla Solo Shikhar Tala" Savar Sabri uses 17 beats, which is an unusual time cycle. "Raag Adana" is a night raga, and "Raag Pancham" is a rarely heard morning raga.

The CD comes with extensive liner notes, in four languages, about The Sabri Family and the sarangi.

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