Search - Sheila Dhar :: Voyage Interieur-Inde Du

Kirana Style is more than Bhimsen Joshi

07/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If pressed to come up with something negative to say about this double CD, it is that the chosen ragas doesn't really make for back-to-back listening (two morning ragas, one midnight raga, and one for evenings or rainy days). Dhar's singing is splendidly laid-back; resourceful and restrained. The compositions are beautiful. The badas are long, yet not one of them is subjected to any needless "development" whatsoever. The tabla playing is especially recommended (Zamir Ahmed Khan, Dehli gharana): sparse in vilambit, subdued, absolutely free from biff-bang antics and even refraining completely from attempts at "music-making" (melodic playing) on the bayan. A model khyal album. The performances are short, fitting two on each disc, but Dhar and Ahmed make each beat count.There have been so many divine superstars and outright clowns in khyal singing that one can tend to forget that there are many not so well known but fine classical musicians, like Sheila Dhar."