Simla House
Barun Kumar Pal & Ray Spiegel : Ragas on Slide Guitar (IND,rec.199,pub.2003) ****°
Now, this is something special! First of all I was amazed how much this Indian slide guitar could sound such a perfect instrument to perform Indian classical music. Compared to the sitar, when changing finger positions, the sounds are only slightly different with a different harmonic easiness, with perhaps something extra of a kind of “Indian blue(s)” feeling when played slowly, and perhaps a bit more direct to the melodic strength itself.
Barun’s father was a senior sitar player, so he could be initiated in Indian classical music from the age of 5. But his fascination to the slide guitar made him already perform this instrument at early age, back in 1951. His experience made him develop the slide guitar into an instrument much closer to the sitar for raga-use. He added the extra –chikari- strings and sympathic –tarab- strings, to make it even more suitable for Indian classical music.
Performed here are, at first, “Raga Malkauns” in three parts, an introduction part, called the “Alap”, sliding into a mood, then developing to a sense of depth with a harmonic inner pulse, the devotional aspect of it, rising to some vivid controlled height, perhaps more adding to pathos and heroism aspect of it, like an achieved psychological background strength. This is followed by “Madha Gat”, accompanied by a 16 beat improvisation on tabla and bass tabla, in a medium and faster tempo. In this way the rhythm takes you into it with all your attention, inuiting the perceptive listener to participate in this feeling and achievement, in a natural way, without force, also concluding very calmly, confirming the natural feeling itself. For the listener this is something without the feeling of the ego-confirming idea. Something is achieved trough this experience. Last part, “Drut Gat” in a faster 16 beat mode, and this time, after the earlier conditions, (finally) will let the heartbeat reflection go faster, giving an opportunity to free the achieved feelings to a height of some kind of inevitable climax, which, for the western listener, who often seeks its psychotic relief in psychedelica or other similar effects, I think when you followed this core it will be inevitable that such a listener will not to be affected by it. A brilliant performance !
Last track is another raga, “Raga Piloo”, a romantic, slowly played mood, where you can hear the slide guitar use very well. But even when I try to focus on it more, when the bass drive notes come in, with tabla and bell, also here it is impossible not to go along with the, almost melancholic drive (because of the slow playing) towards the joyful climax. When the tabla finally concludes on the last seconds, with a more rapid accompaniment, any possible feeling of "melancholic" doubt towards any unachieved aspects, are resolved on that moment.
For those who like Indian classical music, this performance surely is one that will benefit the Western soul.
