Celtic Ragas

Amazon.com
Although it's not quite the fusion of reel and raga suggested by the title, Celtic Ragas features sarod player Chinmaya Dunster and guitarist Vidroha Jamie finding a surprisingly fertile common ground between Irish and Indian music. Dunster and Jamie, along with a group of musicians who play violin, percussion, flute, bass, and tanpura, create gentle soundscapes that range from the playful rhythms of "A Gypsy Tale" to the haunting, almost spooky beauty of "The Mists of Ruantallain." The arrangements are focused, and even on slow, meditative tracks like "Mere Hamsafar," the tempo never drags and the melodies don't meander. The mix of Indian and Irish elements works particularly well on "Tara," on which the buzzing, microtonal sound of the sarod meshes with the rhythms of a courtly dance and creates a sonic dream where the musicians of Ireland and India play in the castle of an ancient Celtic king. Dunster and Jamie describe Celtic Ragas as "Indo-Celtic chill-out music," a too-trendy term that nonetheless captures the essence of their soothing sound. --Michael Simmons

Product Description
Celtic Ragas is a musical love affair between Celtic and Indian instrumentation. The strings of Dunster's sarod and Jamie's guitar eloquently meld into rich, flowing melodies making the similarities between the musical traditions of these two cultures apparent.

Celtic Ragas

Celtic Ragas,Chinmaya Dunster,Vidroha Jamie,New Earth Records,Celtic/Irish,Ethnic Fusion,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Relaxation

Average customer rating: Hauntingly beautiful

Celtic Ragas Chinmaya Dunster , and Vidroha Jamie Manufacturer: New Earth Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Relaxation | New Age | Styles | Music Celtic | Europe | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Feng Shui Sacred Temples of India Karma Circles Yoga: On Sacred Ground Fragrance of the East: Live in India ASIN: B0000253WV Release Date: 2002-07-02

Tracks:

1. Chance Meeting
2. The Mists Of Ruantallain
3. At The Edge Of The Known World
4. Mere Hamsafar
5. Tara
6. The Goddess
7. Wandering Way
8. A Gypsy Tale
9. Dorset

Amazon.com

Although it's not quite the fusion of reel and raga suggested by the title, Celtic Ragas features sarod player Chinmaya Dunster and guitarist Vidroha Jamie finding a surprisingly fertile common ground between Irish and Indian music. Dunster and Jamie, along with a group of musicians who play violin, percussion, flute, bass, and tanpura, create gentle soundscapes that range from the playful rhythms of "A Gypsy Tale" to the haunting, almost spooky beauty of "The Mists of Ruantallain." The arrangements are focused, and even on slow, meditative tracks like "Mere Hamsafar," the tempo never drags and the melodies don't meander. The mix of Indian and Irish elements works particularly well on "Tara," on which the buzzing, microtonal sound of the sarod meshes with the rhythms of a courtly dance and creates a sonic dream where the musicians of Ireland and India play in the castle of an ancient Celtic king. Dunster and Jamie describe Celtic Ragas as "Indo-Celtic chill-out music," a too-trendy term that nonetheless captures the essence of their soothing sound. --Michael Simmons

Album Description

Celtic Ragas is a musical love affair between Celtic and Indian instrumentation. The strings of Dunster's sarod and Jamie's guitar eloquently meld into rich, flowing melodies making the similarities between the musical traditions of these two cultures apparent.

Customer Reviews:

Hauntingly beautiful.......2002-08-01

This engaging and often startingly beautiful instrumental CD speaks of an ancient kinship that links the Celts and the peoples of southern Asia. To be sure, it isn't easy to reconcile two very different musical traditions -- Celtic music emphasizes harmony, while Indian music emphasizes melody -- but these two very talented musicians (and an equally talented backup ensemble) explore the possible intersections in a number of intriguing ways. A wonderful CD to share for late-night snuggling, reflection or meditation, or serious listening with fellow musicians who wish to explore nuanced intersections between vastly different musical genres.

Average customer rating: FASCINATING INDIAN JOURNEY What a Wonderful CD? A delicious blend of India and Irish/Celtic

Fragrance of the East: Live in India Chinmaya Dunster & the Celtic Ragas Band Manufacturer: New Earth Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Relaxation | New Age | Styles | Music Similar Items: Yoga Lounge Sacred Temples of India Yoga: On Sacred Ground Karma Circles Celtic Ragas ASIN: B00069MQ6G Release Date: 2005-02-01

Tracks:

1. Chance Finding
2. Sarvane Rute Aye
3. Moonsong
4. Bhattiyali
5. Manipuri Megh
6. Circlemakers
7. Mausam Ayenge
8. Changes
9. Rag Shivranjani

Album Description

Expert East/West fusion musician Chinmaya Dunster returns with beautiful musical and spiritual soundscapes of Celtic meets East Indian sound. Chinmaya Dunster and the Celtic Raga's band united to perform this live concert at the Bharatiya Vidapeeth Institute of Environmental Education and Research (BVIEER) in Pune, India. BVIEER is an institute that emphasizes environmental awareness and conservation. It was a meeting between this program's director Dr. Erach Bharucha and Chinmaya that inspired this benefit concert as a tribute to India's rich beauty and unspoiled nature. Dunster, born in Britain, has spent most of his adult life in India. His Celtic Ragas Band is from Gujurat, Scotland, Germany, Morocco, Manipur, and the United States. Included with this CD are QuickTime video clips from the concert. TRACK LISTING

Customer Reviews:

FASCINATING INDIAN JOURNEY.......2005-07-14

This is a superb album, some of the best Indian I've ever heard. It is so well done, each song intriguing as it builds up with wonderful instrumentation.

What a Wonderful CD?.......2005-06-09

This is the first live cd I heard from chinmaya dunster.with the Celtic Ragas Band,the taste of india is filled of my house.smooth touch my heart and purify my mind,make me peace with happiness.the felling like after yoga prastice.I trust this super star cd is useful to everyone.I don't want to miss a thing since I got the perfect music now!

A delicious blend of India and Irish/Celtic.......2005-02-11

This is a delightfully different sound for those accustomed to hearing Indian Raga bands. This is a delicious mix of very traditional Indian music with some very Celtic influences. This is unlike anything you may have heard before, and it is expertly executed and very pleasurable to listen to.

This CD is the bands live concert performance at the Bharatiya Vidapeeth Institute of Environmental Education and Research (BVEER) in Pune, India from January of 2004. The CD includes three "Quicktime" video clips from the concert. The BVEER is a facility for training teachers in environmental awareness, and the clips include some overdubbing of facts and information on the environmental issues that this institute addresses on some beautiful panoramas of Indian landscapes, students and teachers addressing their part in the programs and video footage of the band in concert. This is a wonderful addition to this CD and worth watching.

But it's the music you came here for. And you are in for a most delightful time.

C. Dunster has blended traditional Indian music with the melodies of the Irish/Celts and produced a most wonderful product that has even caught the ear of Paul McCartney.

Do not let the fact that this is a live performance throw you off. The production quality of this CD will never let on this is a live performance. The auditorium that this was recorded in is a "state-of-the-art" facility completed in 2002 and it shows in the first rate recording and sound on this CD.

The CD has a total of 9 tracks running from four minutes to about seven and a half minutes, making a total of just over fifty-two minutes of delightful music.

The tracks are mostly compositions by C. Dunster and sometimes a co-author, but there is the inclusion of two "traditional" pieces. Sarvane Rute Aye and Mausam Ayenge both feature the lovely and expert vocals of Shruti Banu, as well as exhibiting the unique flavor of C. Dunster's arrangements.

Focusing on the compositions of C. Dunster, the opening track of Chance Findings leads you right into what this band is all about. While presenting you with the sounds of traditional Indian music, the melodies played by the violin and keyboards and at time even the beats are most defiantly of Irish/Celtic origins, and you are lead into a mix that is both as unexpected as it is appetizing.

Moonstone focuses on guitar and keyboards, a very slow and deliberate composition, which changes over to sarod (a classic Indian string instrument) and includes some violin and flute and then goes back to guitar and keyboards throughout the piece. The instruments play well against each other, forming a very moving and inspiring piece, Irish in flavor with just a hint of Indian spices.

Bhattigali returns to the very unique Indian/Celtic flavor of the band, another subtle work that features the artistry of the musicians as they highlight their mastery of the traditional Indian instruments with their unique sound. This piece is a little more upbeat, while still being very deliberately paced.

The track Manipuri Megh is best described as "mystic India meets the mournful soul of Ireland". This composition is a mix of flute, guitar, base, keyboards and santoor that causes a pause for reflection and contemplation.

Circlemakers takes off in a very Irish/Celtic direction, with accordion, pipes, guitar and violin in a very light and dancing mood. This is a very different piece for this collection, almost missing the Indian influence all together, but it feels right at home here without missing a beat.

The track Changes brings us back to the mix of Indian and Irish/Celtic with the sarod and the santoor and guitar. Chinmaya Dunster displays in this piece the expertise he has achieved with the sarod and this composition displays the unique flavor this band has become famous for.

The final track Rag Shivranjani starts off with traditional Indian sounds, the sitar, the sarod, the drone of the tanpura and some great Indian drumming. The pace changes and is picked up about three quarters of the way through to change quickly back again and bring this piece to a very traditional ending for a very transitional concert.

Overall, this is an excellent performance of the unique blend of sounds this band has to offer. It is easy to see why they have caught the ear of some very interesting musical folks.

And not to be forgotten is the focus of this CD, the environmental issues that have to be faced by India. This CD is an educational tool as well as being entertaining.

If you have heard the other works by Chinmaya Dunster, you will want to add this to your collection. If this is your first introduction to this group, you are in for a very pleasant and different experience as this CD serves as a perfect platform for this group. And if you are a fan of Indian music, and you like Celtic flavors, this would be a good exploration of the expert blending of these two musical cultures. mafoster

Average customer rating: everything I hoped Rather nice blend of Indian Classical style and Irish music

Celtic Ragas Chinmaya Dunster , and Vidroha Jamie Manufacturer: New Earth Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Relaxation | New Age | Styles | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Yoga: On Sacred Ground ASIN: B00000G435 Release Date: 1998-11-24

Tracks:

1. Chance Meeting
2. The Mists Of Ruantallain
3. At The Edge Of The Known World - Chinmaya Dunster/Vidroha Jamie C
4. Mere Hamsafar
5. Tara
6. The Goddess
7. Wandering Way
8. A Gypsy Tale
9. Dorset

Customer Reviews:

everything I hoped.......2000-01-24

I love international music that fuses divergent styles, but often it comes out noisy, unharmonious or off balance. This is a perfect blend of two of my favorite types of music. Tends toward the quiet and meditative, rather than rowdy or danceable, but it's not bland wallpaper music, either.

Rather nice blend of Indian Classical style and Irish music.......1999-10-27

Its a bit wierd in thinking about it but it sounds very nice. The main instruments are the Sarod and the Guitar.

The best tracks are #2 (Mists of Ruantallain), #6 The Goddess, and #7 Wandering Way (very very lovely).

In general the temptation to "over produce" the music by adding too many instruments has been avoided (with a couple of exceptions).

The individual tracks are actually quite short (in comparison to most Indian Ragas which can last from an hour to three hours). I'd say this record is 70% Celtic and 30% Indian classical. It works for me...

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