Music of the Himalayas [Live]

Amazon.com
Rahul Kumar is the son of Shivkumar Sharma (of Call of the Valley fame) and is a world-renowned poet of the santoor in his own right. In fact, the two masters often play together. Until recently, the santoor, a trapezoid-shaped hammered zither, with its hundred-plus strings and curved wooden mallets, was considered appropriate only for Kashmiri folk tunes. But over the past half-century (a blink of an eye along India's ancient timeline), its rippling, metallic glissandos and arpeggios have become accepted even in rarified Indian music circles. Like his father, the younger virtuoso has solved the problem of how to create rounded, soothing tones from an essentially staccato medium. Heard live before a nearly silent audience, Rahul's deceptively delicate touch strikes fire while his fervent improvisations breathe deep and blossom. The listener becomes blissfully passive, like a traveler so enchanted by the journey that she no longer cares about reaching her destination. --Christina Roden

Music of the Himalayas,Rahul Sharma,Real World,India,India / Pakistan,Indian,Indian Classical,Int'l & World Music,Pop,Raga,World Music

Average customer rating: A Himalayan Trek through Multifarious Musical Moods A great rough guide Unique Journey to a Forgotten World

Rough Guide to the Music of the Himalayas Various Artists Manufacturer: World Music Network ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD China | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music Tibet | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music Bhutan | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music India | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music General | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music China | Far East | Compilations | International | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Rough Guide to the Music of China The Rough Guide to the Music of Central Asia The Rough Guide to the Music of Indonesia The Rough Guide to the Music of Egypt Rough Guide to the Music of India ASIN: B0000668LN Release Date: 2002-07-01

Tracks:

1. Ngani Troma Part 1 (Tibet) - Steve Tibbetts
2. Pahadi (India) - Hariprasad Chaurasia
3. Gurans Ko Phool Siuri (Nepal) - Krishna Das & The Modern Light Music Brass Band
4. Gaden Lhagya (Tibet) - Nuns From Jangchub Cheling Nunnery
5. Kyamdro Semkye (Tibet) - Choying Drolma
6. Lekdri Ma (Tibet) - Monks From Drete Dhargon At Drepung Monastery
7. Fire Channels. Me (Tibet) - Hooked Light Rays
8. Dar Tson Nanga (Tibet) - Petso
9. Music For Archery (Ladakh) - Ladakhi Musicians
10. Ling Sho La (Bhutan) - Jigme Drukpa
11. Mew Dyahlhaygu (Nepal) - Nepali Musicians
12. Dong Lim (Tibet) - Do-Pe
13. Himalayas (China) - Joji Hirota

Customer Reviews:

A Himalayan Trek through Multifarious Musical Moods.......2007-01-27

The good ol' Rough Guide series, reliable as ever, and they've proven it again with this fine CD. The music on this album is incredible and wide-ranging: from subtle and refined Buddhist chants to exuberant and percussive festival tunes, from folkish flute airs in isolated valleys to streamlined studio collaborations with Western musicians, with hints of many different musical cultures converging and swirling in this mountainous region. Don't expect uniformity from this CD. Just sit back and allow yourself to be taken on a far-flung musical tour of the Himalayan Mountains' wonderful variety of sounds and moods.

Ken Hunt's liner notes are nicely written and do a wonderful job of contextualizing each track in a clear, succinct fashion. His style manages to get in just the right amount of detail for the listener's music appreciation without getting bogged down and ponderous; the tone shows the same sense of balance, enthusiastic but not gushy, reverent but with little flashes of wit. And, unlike some of the newer Rough Guide CDs coming out, the descriptions are clearly subdivided and arranged in the same order as the tracks on the CD, so one can follow along with ease (except that tracks 1 and 5 are by the same artists, which threw me for just a second). And that's the point after all, to allow the listener to better enjoy and appreciate the excellent music on this fine CD.

A great rough guide.......2004-02-20

I am a big fan of the Rough Guide series and this brand of music CDs has been invaluable in introducing me to various folk music traditions from around the world.

The Rough Guide to the Music of the Himalayas is no exception. The music spans the length and breadth of the Himalayan mountain range.

Buy this CD if you are looking for a starting place to explore the music of this region. I cannot think of a better place to start!

Unique Journey to a Forgotten World.......2002-10-15

This CD blew my breath away. The music on hear comes from many different people, languages, religions and cultures, all united by the vast Himalayan mountains. Traitional and contemporary music is featured on this CD, ranging from monastic traditions in Tibet to Ladakhi tribesmen to classical Indian music and more contemporary Chinese numbers. It really amazes me that so many different musical traditions could exist high in the mountains. If you are a fan of pan-Asian music, in particular Nepalese, Tibetan, Chinese, Indian, Ladakhi and so forth, then you will certainly appreciate this music. There is a definate slant towards more traditional forms of music, especially emphasizing the religious aspects of the music (for instance, Indian classical, tribal Ladakhi and Tibetan Buddhist monks). It may not be remixed or westernized, but it is still amazing. It reaches out and touches the spirit.

Average customer rating: Sacred sounds from Manose & Friends Beautiful Inspiring and Relaxing Flute from Nepal

Dhyana Aman: Meditation Of No Mind Dhyana Aman Manufacturer: White Swan ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Yoga Ragas Suskera: Solo Bamboo Flute Loveland/Music for Dreaming and Awakening Seven Metals Singing Bowls of Tibet Quiet Mind: The Musical Journey of a Tibetan Nomad ASIN: B00005S6BL Release Date: 2001-10-15

Tracks:

1. Sacred Vibrations
2. Auspicious Flute
3. Eternal Chant
4. Tibetan Chant
5. Tengpoche Monastery
6. Ohm
7. Compassion
8. Release

Album Description

For ages, spiritual seekers have looked East for the key to cutting through material illusion in their search for the divine space we all share, a temple accessed only via the inner travels of the quiet mind.

Recorded in Kathmandu,Nepal, DHYANA AMAN: MEDITATION OF NO MIND evokes the boundless expanse and reverberating stillness of the Himalayas, paving the listener's path to this elusive, mist-shrouded sanctuary of true realization. Timeless chants beckon from the towering quiet, floating on bamboo dreamscapes and the singing bowls' eternal ring. Manose's flute threads through the music like drifting incense vapors, a gentle reminder of a steadily burning ember. Radiant chanting by Tibetan nun Choying Drolma and monk Dorje Lama lend a transcendent, otherworldly feel to a recording that is breathtakingly beautiful in its simplicity.

Ideal for relaxation, meditation and bodywork, DHYANA AMAN: MEDITATION OF NO MIND reveals a new petal in the lotus bloom of Tibetan/Nepali meditation music—a vehicle for introspective journeys imbued with the healing aspects of an age-old tradition.

Customer Reviews:

Sacred sounds from Manose & Friends.......2007-01-22

I bought this CD along with two others after hearing Manose play with Deva Premal & Miten (he did backing on a recent world tour). In one song Deva & Miten sang they brought Manose in to play along with them - fully improvised... what a challenge and the result was breathtaking... I'm sure he sold dozens of CDs that night on that performance alone! Manose hails from Nepal, although he's travelled the world and has worked with Jai Uttal and Peter Rowan and many other talented musicians. He has a beautiful life story that you can read on the web if you desire.

Manose plays the bamboo flute and has trained in Raga music. He is very gifted. I really love the work of Riley Lee and am always keen to pick something up new on the flute, so was grateful to be introduced to his music.

Dhyana Aman is a very beautiful CD! It has tracks wonderful chants (male and female), chimes and bells, drums, a little overtoning, and others with Manose's hauntingly beautiful bamboo flute playing in the foreground. All leading to a feeling of the creation of a very sacred space. I'd think it's best for massage or healing arts if you have problems with chants etc. distracting you in your meditation.

Manose is a great player and a beautiful human being. I encourage you to check out his work, including Suskera. This is an excellent place to start.

Beautiful.......2007-01-09

The sounds in this CD are moving and relaxing at the same time. Love it.

Inspiring and Relaxing Flute from Nepal.......2002-03-10

This CD is really wonderful for meditation and massage. It's better than a lot of other music sold for "healing" and "relaxation" because it is acoustic and based and ancient traditions from Nepal. It feels a lot deeper to me.

The bamboo flute, which is on about half the tracks, is really beautiful. The player, Manose, is clearly very skilled and the sound he creates is so moving. The tone of the flute he plays is very different from silver flute. It is much deeper and more soulfull.

I really like this CD!!

Average customer rating: Fantastic Music An excellent recording innocent of all charges... Praise for Great Mantra Kirtan: Great mantra from the Himalayas 1 Beautiful Chanting

Kirtan: The Great Mantra from the Himalayas, Vol. 1 Various Artists Manufacturer: Karuna ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD India | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music General | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Soul | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: Greatest Hits of the Kali Yuga Kirtan: The Art and Practice of Ecstatic Chant All One Best of Both Worlds; Yoga Chant Kirtan Music A Drop of the Ocean ASIN: B0001CNQOY Release Date: 2004-03-23

Tracks:

1. Maha Mantra 1
2. Maha Mantra 2
3. Maha Mantra 3
4. Maha Mantra 4

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Music.......2005-12-23

This Kirtan album lifts the heart and mind to God, challenging the ego to relinquish some of its control. Thanks to those who made such a great album!

An excellent recording innocent of all charges..........2004-08-23

I was challenged by the serious charges leveled by a reviewer below. So much so, that I wrote to Krishna Das himself before purchasing this recording. Much to my relief, KD answered each of them, which I quote here (without KD's permission or knowledge):

"First of all, the singers in the recordings
are not 'obviously very poor mountain people', they are or
were, since most of them are dead, Sadhakas, spiritual
practicioners, whose practice is the chanting of the
divine Name. This was the practice that they were
initiated by their Gurus and they spend their lives
singing it whenever and wherever they can.

"Second of all, he writes, 'what about the temple where
these chants were recorded? Surely they could use an
infusion of American dollars.' What does he know? Wrong
again. The temple where I recorded these chants is my
Guru's temple and they don't want or need any American
dollars. They don't accept money from us no matter how
may times we offer. My Guru would have the Kirtan-walas
come to His temple in the hills and spend the entire
summer and rainy season chanting the Name there. They
were compensated for their service to the Divine by the
temple and I recorded them with their full gracious
permission and loving blessings and encouragement as a
way of learning the chants. They were also given gifts
as was appropriate in THEIR eyes and in harmony with their
own spiritual goals in life. There was no thought at all
about ever releasing the poorly recorded Kirtan. It was
only recently that we thought to make it available to
people as chanting is becoming so popular. We wanted to
share the sweetness and simplicity and depth of emotion
with anyone who wanted to hear it.

"The reason that I am collecting the royalties is to
accomplish EXACTLY what our 'music fan' is accusing me
of NOT DOING. There is no one to do it except me. The
money will be distributed to needy children widows and
sadhakas in Brindavan as it comes in and some portion will
go to the Temple in Taos to further the very goals that
the chanters themselves honored and respected and
encouraged...the chanting of the Holy Name."

I can now say that I have purchased and thoroughly enjoyed this recording. Although the sound is not pristine, it has been lovingly restored and sounds just great to me. Plus, the spiritual power of these chants is truly heartfelt. This disc is heartily and without reservation recommended to all interested in chant.

Praise for Great Mantra.......2004-08-03

Anyone old or new to chanting should hear this CD - chanting of this mantra has been inspirational to many over 100s of years. In reference to an earlier 'review' the slanderer is incorrect in all his statements and hasn't done his research well. As Krishna Das credits when he writes about the singers in his liner notes: "sitting and singing with these Kirtan Walas was one of the most inspiring and uplifting experiences of my life". Nowhere does he take credit for composing, only for recording the chants and producing the CD. As for supporting the temples and the kirtan walas, the reviewer is making assumptions with no basis.

Kirtan: Great mantra from the Himalayas 1.......2004-07-31

This CD is beautiful and uplifting. A must for your collection.
A previous rviewer has slandered the label that produces this CD
and I'm amazed that Amazon.com allows such utter rubbish to be published.

Beautiful Chanting.......2004-06-15

These chants sound beautiful to me. I don't think Krishna Das would exploit these musicians, but he can speak for himself if he chooses. The Hanuman Foundation is a worthwhile charitable organization. Don't be so quick to judge. As I said the chants are beautiful- that's what counts.

Average customer rating: Excellent Music Amazing album! Music from the Muslim Himalayas Outstanding Poetry

Music of the Himalayas Rahul Sharma Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD India | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music General | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music China | Far East | Compilations | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Confluence: Santoor & Piano Call of the Valley ASIN: B000066BNJ Release Date: 2002-07-30

Tracks:

1. Maqam-E-Navaa (Sufyana Musiqi)
2. Melody Of Kashmir
3. Melody Of Jammu & Kashmir
4. Melody OF Kashmir In Contemporary Music

Amazon.com

Rahul Kumar is the son of Shivkumar Sharma (of Call of the Valley fame) and is a world-renowned poet of the santoor in his own right. In fact, the two masters often play together. Until recently, the santoor, a trapezoid-shaped hammered zither, with its hundred-plus strings and curved wooden mallets, was considered appropriate only for Kashmiri folk tunes. But over the past half-century (a blink of an eye along India's ancient timeline), its rippling, metallic glissandos and arpeggios have become accepted even in rarified Indian music circles. Like his father, the younger virtuoso has solved the problem of how to create rounded, soothing tones from an essentially staccato medium. Heard live before a nearly silent audience, Rahul's deceptively delicate touch strikes fire while his fervent improvisations breathe deep and blossom. The listener becomes blissfully passive, like a traveler so enchanted by the journey that she no longer cares about reaching her destination. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Music.......2007-02-02

You cann't believe how fast santoor and tabla can play till you listen to the thrid track.
It's a very soothing, enticing and addicting music. My colleague borrowed it and someone was talking to her, when she was playing it in the background. Needless to say, they both got hooked.
Pakhawaj adds bass and weight to fine rythm and melody.
Must have it...!

Amazing album!.......2003-12-05

Rahul Sharma has definitely proven himself as an artist, apart from his illustrious father Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. He is able to take the listener to unbelievable levels through the smooth trickling sounds of the santoor. The mind is calmed and images of the mountains and rivers come forward to bring the listener to a state of peacefulness. The melodies are based off of Sufi music from the valleys of Jammu and Kashmir, some composed by Rahul Sharma himself. These Indian sounds remind us that amidst all the terror and hatred that surfaces in the region, the arts originating from that region bring about the beauty and oneness which is humankind.

Music from the Muslim Himalayas.......2003-11-16

If you just skim through this disc at your local record store, you could get bored with it at first. But if you really sit back and listen to it closely, I guarantee you'll grow pretty addicted to it. On an especially brain-dead day last week, I crashed out on the carpet, hit the replay button several times, and listened to the whole thing again.

Rahul Sharma is a well-known Kashmiri musician performing on a traditional zither-related North Indian/Middle Eastern instrument known as the "santoor". (Anthony Quinn performed on a Greek variant, the "santouri", in "Zorba the Greek" and anybody who has ever stood beneath the Acropolis in Athens and listened to one of those old-time Macedonian santouri players will know how fascinating an instrument it is). Sharma's music is essentially inspired by the Muslim Sufi (mystic) tradition and, like Sufism, is predominately Persian in origin, but you'll definitely be able to hear the rich influence of the Indian subcontinent on this disc. Like Sufism's dances and other meditative practices, Sharma's music is fundamentally celebratory of God, not mournful. It's also intentionally entrancing, prefering to explore the "poetry" of spontaneous musical reflection instead of straight-forward melody. Sharma's masterful playing on the extremely difficult santoor is complimented by two folk percussionists playing a number of tinkling instruments whose names I don't know, as well as on that strange, rippling Indian drum that sounds like a huge bubble popping.

End verdict: fantastic recording. This is a live performance in Turin, but the audience kindly keeps all coughing and hiccuping down to a very tolerable minimum. 5 stars.

Outstanding Poetry.......2002-08-22

People equate the Himalayas with Tibet, but in fact the foothills are in India. This poetic live performance is not energetic, but it is powerful in its subtlety and movement with fine fingerwork of Rahul Sharma coupled with the gentle rippling percussions in the background. A slow melodious journey in classical North Indian music.

Average customer rating:

Native Music of Nepal: From Mount Everest & The Himalayas Various Artists Manufacturer: Legacy ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | Far East | Compilations | International | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | International General | International | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | International General | International | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Far East & Asia | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 International | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Air Mail Music: Himalaya and Nepal Himalaya Roots: Traditional Music of Nepal Images of Nepal Festivals of Nepal Everest: Soundtrack From The IMAX Film Experience ASIN: B000002NUA Release Date: 1997-12-24

Tracks:

1. Himalaya Trekking Song - Resamm Phiriry
2. Mountain Song - Assaraimasko Dabdabehlio
3. Spring Season - Basanta
4. April Flower - Ghatu
5. Flure Song - Hatalemukachopi
6. Spinning Wheel - Sissayta Heyku
7. Morning Song (Part One) - Byanchuli
8. Newari Love Song - Rajamati Kumati
9. Morning Song (Part Two) - Byanchuli
10. Sentimental Flute - Yaman

Average customer rating: Uplifting, Refreshing, Relaxing - Simple Beautiful!

Surfing the Himalayas: A Musical Inspiration Various Artists Manufacturer: Miramar ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Environmental | New Age | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music General | Compilations | New Age | Styles | Music Nature | New Age | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Cayman Blue Ecologie ASIN: B000003IPH Release Date: 1996-02-27

Tracks:

1. Rain
2. Bandelier
3. Night Shadows
4. Joshua Tree
5. Desert Wind
6. Ecologie
7. Canyons Of Light
8. In The Upper Atmosphere
9. Waves Of Light
10. Himalayan Sunset

Customer Reviews:

Uplifting, Refreshing, Relaxing - Simple Beautiful!.......2002-05-21

After reading the book "Surfing the Himalayas:, this CD brought me to the tops of the Himalayas where I felt refreshed and uplifted. Put it in your CD and leave it there...

Average customer rating:

Tranquil World: The Himalayas on the Roof of the W Various Artists Manufacturer: Delta ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Environmental | New Age | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Nature | New Age | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B00016XNHU Release Date: 2004-01-20

Tracks:

1. Awakening -- Waking Call
2. At the Sources of the Ganges: Gangotri, Kedernata, Badrinath
3. Zojila: The Mystical Four-Demon Pass
4. Neon -- Colored Early Morning Light
5. Journeys of the Yak-Drawn Caravans
6. Rearing Glacier Formations
7. BSecluded Territory
8. Kali Gandaki Gorge
9. Dance -- Trance of the Oracle
10. Still of the Evening -- Flaming Mountains of the Trans-Himalayas

Average customer rating:

World Flavours: Impressions of Himalayas Various Artists Manufacturer: Disky Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000066RXO Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

1. Tibetan Dawn
2. Ulaanbaatar
3. Sera Tse
4. Roof Of The World
5. Shangri-La
6. Origins
7. Tesi Lapcha
8. Kasubason
9. Khatmandu
10. Xijang

Average customer rating:

Sacred Bowls Manufacturer: Airetight ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Relaxation | New Age | Styles | Music ASIN: B000CAH5DI Release Date: 2004-08-17

Tracks:

1. Sacred Bowls Part 1
2. Sacred Bowls Part 2

Average customer rating:

Bards of Himalayas Various Artists Manufacturer: Le Chant Du Monde ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD India | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music General | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000B8HP Release Date: 1997-09-09

Tracks:

1. Chant aux DivinitPrincipales du Panth Branique
2. Chant de Louange la Dse des Crscles
3. opde Malusahi et Rajuli - Mohan Singh
4. Danse Choliya
5. Cacari
6. opde Narsidhauni
7. Musique de Temple
8. Phag de Gopichand
9. Chant de Possession Gorya
10. Naumat
11. Sandhya
12. Bharau
13. Jagar et Consultation

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