Tibet2Timbuk2 is a trio consisting of Tenzin Choegyal (vocals, dranyen, flute), Marcello Milani (vocals, guitar, keyboard) and Shen Flindell (tabla and percussion). On the nine track CD, “music is life”, they are assisted by Peter Hunt (trumpet), Lansana Camara (vocal, kora) and Taro Terahara (bansuri).
One of the most astonishing things about “music is life” is the fundamental simplicity of the parts played by, in particular, the guitar and dranyen. Mostly uncomplicated and repeated phrases, they nevertheless combine with the tabla to produce an extraordinarily interesting and detailed sound that is intensely hypnotic and enchanting. This is a combination of Africa, India and Tibet, that, for all its unlikeliness, has resulted in a musical masterpiece.
The CD was recorded by trio member Marcello, and reveals his mastery of the technical as well as the musical. This is a clean, spacious and tasteful recording, capturing the essence of the instruments while using the technology to elevate the drama and interest of each.
From the opening sparse and seductive notes of the first track (“Beautiful Girl/Bhumo Zhema”) this CD had me ensnared, and I’ve played it almost non-stop since. It is relaxed, yet energising; ambient yet vigorous. There is something of interest in every bar, and even after having played it many times, I keep finding something new to listen to. Included on this CD is the “Crane Song” (“Ngagpey Sungkey”) which was the 2008 Qsong BMEC Music Award winning piece. It lopes along easily in a slow seven-four, and features the highly acclaimed bansuri player, Taro Terahara.
But my personal favourite is “Lotus Born”, a ten minute tonal landscape that looms through the mist with haunting flute; in which other instruments insinuate themselves almost unnoticed until you bump into them. After about four minutes we hear Peter Hunt’s trumpet: just a long C before it fades, to reappear a little while later. I often clatter away on the keyboard while I am listening to the CD I’m reviewing, but this is a track that stills my fingers and draws me into the music; I have to pay attention, and it won’t let me be distracted, specially by something as mundane as a review.
“Little Things” follows “Lotus Born”, and is lively track that takes you straight to dusky dancers on the Serengeti, with “Dawey Wola” following in similar vein. Featuring Lansana Camara on kora and vocals, the CD is rounded off with the anthemic mantra, “Music is Life”. This track summarises everything that has gone before; there is a particularly special life breathed into this CD by these gifted musicians. Like any self-respecting mantra, it is reversible: “music is life”, but “life is music” for Tibet2Timbuk2.
Mike Raine for indie-cds.com 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Cows at the Beach - Indo-Jazz with Toby Wren
I had a really nice 1 hour gig with jazz guitarist Toby Wren and harmonium player Sean Foran (of Misinterpretato) at Ric's Bar in Fortitude Valley on Sunday afternoon. For non-Brisbane people, the Valley is the main nightclub and entertainment district in Brisbane. I haven't had a gig there in years! (or it feels like that.... actually I played there twice last year.)
This Sunday afternoon Ric's thing is Toby's new weekly gig, entitled "cows at the beach", and was my first chance to play with him. We played 3 of Toby's compositions and I really really enjoyed learning and playing them. Toby has spent time in South India studying Carnatic music and incorporates a lot of those rhythms into his music. I hope we can play together many times more!
Toby can't make the show on Sunday July 26, so I'll be covering him with the band formerly known as Jaadu - Robert Welsh (piano), Ravi Welsh (guitar), Cieavash Arean (Persian instruments/vocals), Shen (tabla). As Robert wants to use that name for another project, we're looking for a new name - any suggestions most welcome, please click the comments link below.
This Sunday afternoon Ric's thing is Toby's new weekly gig, entitled "cows at the beach", and was my first chance to play with him. We played 3 of Toby's compositions and I really really enjoyed learning and playing them. Toby has spent time in South India studying Carnatic music and incorporates a lot of those rhythms into his music. I hope we can play together many times more!
Toby can't make the show on Sunday July 26, so I'll be covering him with the band formerly known as Jaadu - Robert Welsh (piano), Ravi Welsh (guitar), Cieavash Arean (Persian instruments/vocals), Shen (tabla). As Robert wants to use that name for another project, we're looking for a new name - any suggestions most welcome, please click the comments link below.
Shen Flindell (tabla), Toby Wren (guitar), Sean Foran (harmonium)Wednesday, July 08, 2009
2nd Annual Ashu Babu Memorial Tabla School Concert
Last Saturday I had one of my yearly highlights - the 2nd Annual Ashu Babu Memorial Tabla School Concert. Last year's inaugural concert was a wonderful event, and this year's lived up to the promise with all the students making good progress over the year, and the night being as full of love and devotion as could be. Unfortunately this year a few students had to pull out at the last minute but all the students, whether they performed at the concert or not, really put in a great effort and improved their tabla immensely. Imagine if they practised like that all year round! :-)
The concert was held a couple of days before the July full moon (this year July 7), known as "Guru Purnima" or "Guru's full moon", and was dedicated to my guru-ji of tabla, Late Pandit Kaviraj Ashutosh Bhattacharya also known as "Ashu Babu". He was a great teacher, great tabla player and great man and I was so lucky to have had the chance to learn from him for 10 years until his passing in 2004.
At this year's concert I introduced a friendly competitive element with some prizes for the top three performances. Big thanks to sitar player Saikat Bhattacharya and Kathak dancer Namita Debroy for judging the performances. First prize winner Arka Basu wins a full tabla overhaul with new skins, second prize winner Sanjeyan Sivaananthan will get one drum reskinned, and third prize winner Jesinthan Ketheeswaran gets a couple of free lessons. Thanks to Brisbane Indian Times for sponsoring the prizes.
Many thanks to all the students and families for all their support, especially to Rob, Liz, and Param for the sweets and drinks, the Middle Park mothers for all their food and decorations, Sulagna Basu and Yuki Taniguchi for wonderful mantra and bhajans to open the evening, and to my sister Jacki for coming up from Victoria to sit on the door (and to attend a medical conference over the weekend).
Finally, big thanks to Joseph Nand who gave very beautiful and patient harmonium accompaniment all night, as well as providing and setting up the sound system with Mohit whose sound engineering was brilliant. Thanks guys!
Sulagna Basu presented some devotional bhajans, accompanied on tabla by her son Arka and on harmonium by Joseph Nand, who accompanied all the following tabla performances as well.
Rob Sri Nath Wallis got the tabla solos going
Indveer Singh (11)
Shayne Prakash (13)
Arka Basu (13) - 1st prize winner
Tabla Lehri - "garland of tablas" - a tradition at my Guru-ji's tabla school concerts, and very well-received by the audience
Thejan Elankayer (9)
Sanjeyan Sivaananthan (13) - 2nd prize
Jesinthan Ketheeswaran (15) - 3rd prize
The students were all presented with certificates by judges Saikat Bhattacharya and Namita Debroy. Down the left-hand side of the certificates, I placed pictures of the 7 generations of guru-student tradition (guru-shishya parampara) from the progenitor of the Benares Gharana, Pt Ram Sahai (1780-1824) down to myself. (Thanks to Shawn Mativetsky for the great photos and info on his website about our great Varanasi tabla tradition.)
After presentation of certificates I gave a 40 minute tabla solo, very enjoyable. I used my G# tabla which I've just reskinned and are sounding absolutely fantastic!
I have to thank Sulagna Basu also for the lovely green kurta.
Thanks again to Joseph for beautiful lehera on harmonium, and to Mohit for great sound.
The concert was held a couple of days before the July full moon (this year July 7), known as "Guru Purnima" or "Guru's full moon", and was dedicated to my guru-ji of tabla, Late Pandit Kaviraj Ashutosh Bhattacharya also known as "Ashu Babu". He was a great teacher, great tabla player and great man and I was so lucky to have had the chance to learn from him for 10 years until his passing in 2004.
At this year's concert I introduced a friendly competitive element with some prizes for the top three performances. Big thanks to sitar player Saikat Bhattacharya and Kathak dancer Namita Debroy for judging the performances. First prize winner Arka Basu wins a full tabla overhaul with new skins, second prize winner Sanjeyan Sivaananthan will get one drum reskinned, and third prize winner Jesinthan Ketheeswaran gets a couple of free lessons. Thanks to Brisbane Indian Times for sponsoring the prizes.
Many thanks to all the students and families for all their support, especially to Rob, Liz, and Param for the sweets and drinks, the Middle Park mothers for all their food and decorations, Sulagna Basu and Yuki Taniguchi for wonderful mantra and bhajans to open the evening, and to my sister Jacki for coming up from Victoria to sit on the door (and to attend a medical conference over the weekend).
Finally, big thanks to Joseph Nand who gave very beautiful and patient harmonium accompaniment all night, as well as providing and setting up the sound system with Mohit whose sound engineering was brilliant. Thanks guys!
Sulagna Basu presented some devotional bhajans, accompanied on tabla by her son Arka and on harmonium by Joseph Nand, who accompanied all the following tabla performances as well.
Rob Sri Nath Wallis got the tabla solos going
Indveer Singh (11)
Shayne Prakash (13)
Arka Basu (13) - 1st prize winner
Tabla Lehri - "garland of tablas" - a tradition at my Guru-ji's tabla school concerts, and very well-received by the audience
Thejan Elankayer (9)
Sanjeyan Sivaananthan (13) - 2nd prize
Jesinthan Ketheeswaran (15) - 3rd prize
The students were all presented with certificates by judges Saikat Bhattacharya and Namita Debroy. Down the left-hand side of the certificates, I placed pictures of the 7 generations of guru-student tradition (guru-shishya parampara) from the progenitor of the Benares Gharana, Pt Ram Sahai (1780-1824) down to myself. (Thanks to Shawn Mativetsky for the great photos and info on his website about our great Varanasi tabla tradition.)
After presentation of certificates I gave a 40 minute tabla solo, very enjoyable. I used my G# tabla which I've just reskinned and are sounding absolutely fantastic!I have to thank Sulagna Basu also for the lovely green kurta.
Thanks again to Joseph for beautiful lehera on harmonium, and to Mohit for great sound.Tuesday, June 30, 2009
1st Annual Brisbane Indian Music Festival
On Saturday I took part in the 1st Annual Brisbane Indian Music Festival, organised by Rahim Zullah's SaReGaMa School of Indian Music in collaboration with Harmony Support Links of Ipswich. The event was held in Ahimsa House, West End, and brought together a number of acts ranging from Rahim's students to professional artists like sitar player Saikat Bhattacharya and tabla players Dheeraj Shrestha and myself.
In a sense the event was like an upgrade of last year's SaReGaMa School Concert, and to be a true Brisbane Indian Music Festival I would like to see some other of Brisbane's professional ICM artists and maybe even a touring artist. But that's my only criticism and I should focus on the great start Rahim and co have made to establishing an Indian Classical festival in Brisbane.
I was very lucky to perform 5 times on the night. I accompanied dhrupad singer Yuki Taniguchi in the afternoon section, then opened the evening session with my tabla solo (accompanied on harmonium by Yuki-chan). I met singer Hari Bhakti Dey for the first time and accompanied his bhajans impromptu, and at the end of the night accompanied main artist Saikat Bhattacharya (sitar) in his solo and a duet with vocalist Rahim Zullah. I had a ball!
Francis Gilfedder (bansuri) with Ravikesh Singh (tabla)
Vidushi Lal (vocal) with Ravikesh Singh (tabla) and Rahim Zullah (harmonium)
Yuki Taniguchi (Dhrupad vocal) with Shen Flindell (tabla)
(Thanks to Christelle Wehrmuller for the photo.)
Rahim Zullah (Sufi music) with Ravikesh Singh and Waheed Popil (tabla)
Shen Flindell (tabla solo) with Yuki Taniguchi (harmonium lehera)
Namita Debroy's Nritya Bharati School of Kathak Dance
Rinki Bala of Nritya Bharati School of Kathak Dance
Vivek Narottam (vocal) with Dheeraj Shrestha (tabla) and Rahim Zullah (harmonium)
Vivek is a very impressive singer, especially for his age!
Hari Bhakti Dey (bhajan) with Shen Flindell (tabla)
Indo-Irish Fusion with Bennadet Gill and Rahim Zullah
Asad Basit (vocal) with Rahim Zullah (harmonium), Ravi Welsh (jazz guitar) and Waheed Popil (tabla)
Yusuf Ali Khan (vocal) with Rahim Zullah (harmonium), Ravi Welsh (jazz guitar) and Ravikesh Singh (tabla)
Saikat Bhattacharya (sitar) and Rahim Zullah (vocal) with Shen Flindell (tabla)
The main item: Saikat Bhattacharya (sitar) with Shen Flindell (tabla)
The finale: Rahim Zullah (vocal, ghazal) with Saikat (sitar) and Dheeraj Shrestha (tabla)
In a sense the event was like an upgrade of last year's SaReGaMa School Concert, and to be a true Brisbane Indian Music Festival I would like to see some other of Brisbane's professional ICM artists and maybe even a touring artist. But that's my only criticism and I should focus on the great start Rahim and co have made to establishing an Indian Classical festival in Brisbane.
I was very lucky to perform 5 times on the night. I accompanied dhrupad singer Yuki Taniguchi in the afternoon section, then opened the evening session with my tabla solo (accompanied on harmonium by Yuki-chan). I met singer Hari Bhakti Dey for the first time and accompanied his bhajans impromptu, and at the end of the night accompanied main artist Saikat Bhattacharya (sitar) in his solo and a duet with vocalist Rahim Zullah. I had a ball!
Francis Gilfedder (bansuri) with Ravikesh Singh (tabla)
Vidushi Lal (vocal) with Ravikesh Singh (tabla) and Rahim Zullah (harmonium)
Yuki Taniguchi (Dhrupad vocal) with Shen Flindell (tabla)(Thanks to Christelle Wehrmuller for the photo.)
Rahim Zullah (Sufi music) with Ravikesh Singh and Waheed Popil (tabla)
Shen Flindell (tabla solo) with Yuki Taniguchi (harmonium lehera)
Namita Debroy's Nritya Bharati School of Kathak Dance
Rinki Bala of Nritya Bharati School of Kathak Dance
Vivek Narottam (vocal) with Dheeraj Shrestha (tabla) and Rahim Zullah (harmonium)Vivek is a very impressive singer, especially for his age!
Hari Bhakti Dey (bhajan) with Shen Flindell (tabla)
Indo-Irish Fusion with Bennadet Gill and Rahim Zullah
Asad Basit (vocal) with Rahim Zullah (harmonium), Ravi Welsh (jazz guitar) and Waheed Popil (tabla)
Yusuf Ali Khan (vocal) with Rahim Zullah (harmonium), Ravi Welsh (jazz guitar) and Ravikesh Singh (tabla)
Saikat Bhattacharya (sitar) and Rahim Zullah (vocal) with Shen Flindell (tabla)
The main item: Saikat Bhattacharya (sitar) with Shen Flindell (tabla)
The finale: Rahim Zullah (vocal, ghazal) with Saikat (sitar) and Dheeraj Shrestha (tabla)Feridun's Sunday afternoon world music sessions
My good friend Feridun Avar, a talented Turkish singer and instrumentalist, has been having world music sessions at Cafe Checocho in West End on Sunday afternoons lately.
Winter Solstice Festival
Just a couple of quick snaps from the Winter Solstice Festival at Northey St Community Farm, June 20. They had 2 stages set up from afternoon til night with a variety of bands, and lots of food grown on the farm (in the middle of Brisbane). At 10pm the stages closed and my friend Elliott and his African drumming band Spankinhide led the whole crowd to another area around a bonfire which was lit with a small ceremony and then danced around gleefully.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Night/Morning double header with Gauri Pathare
I had the honour and pleasure of accompanying Mumbai singer Gauri Pathare in two concerts last weekend - "Night Ragas" on Saturday night and then "Morning Ragas" the next morning. Just like my guru-ji used to tell me, I met the artist for the first time on the stage. In the opening piece, Raga Yaman, I had the chance to play vilambit jhoomra taal (a very slow 14 beat taal), which I think I last played in Japan two years ago, with Tim Hoffman. As usual I'm terrible at keeping track of which ragas were performed - they included Jogkauns and Bhairavi in the night concert and Ahir Bhairav in the morning - but of course I kept track of all the taals - vilambit jhoomra, a wide range of speeds of teentaal, vilambit and drut rupak, drut ektaal and various kehervas. Harmonium accompaniment was given by Joseph Abhay Nand. Thanks to Swara Mohini for organising the concerts.
Night Ragas
Morning Ragas
Night Ragas
Morning RagasThursday, May 14, 2009
Taro & Sangeet tour - set lists
Here's what Taro, Sangeet and I performed on our recently completed tour, courtesy of Taro's Mixi blog...
＜1st leg - QLD stage＞
・4/16(Thu) home concert on the Gold Coast.
Raga Vachaspati : alap, gat in vilambit & drut tintal
＜intermission＞
Thumri Kirwani in Ektal (request from Mahendraji)
Dhun Khamaj in dadra & Kaharwa
Raga Darbari Kanara(short...request from Mahendraji)
・4/17(Fri) Temple of Melodious Sound, Ocean Shore
Raga Rageshri : alap, gat in vilambit & drut tintal (Taro)
＜intermission＞
Raga Kirwani : alap, gat in vilambit, maddhya & drut tintal (Sangeet)
Dhun Khamaj ~ Ragamala
special thanks to Matthew Weekes on tanpura
・4/18(Sat) Sri Saileshwara Sai Baba Temple, Brisbane
Raga Puriya Kaliyan : alap, gat in drut tintal (Taro)
Raga Latangi : alap, gat in drut tintal (Sangeet)
＜intermission＞
Raga Jog : alap, gat in VIlambit & drut tintal (Jugalbandi)
Kirtan
・4/19(Sun) Home concert in St Lucia, Brisbane.
Raga Charukeshi : alap, gat in v&d tintal
＜intermission＞
Dhun Khamaj
Raga Marwa (request)
Dhun Mishra Shivranjani (request)
NB Recordings of Charukeshi and Mishra Shivranjani are available for download here!
＜2nd leg - VIC stage＞
・4/23(Thu) Wangaratta Exhibitions Gallery
Raga Hansadhwani : alap (Taro)
Tabla solo in tintal (Shen, Taro)
Raga Puriya Dhanashri : short alap, gat in drut tintal (Sangeet, Shen)
＜intermission＞
Raga Kirwani : alap, gat in v&d tintal (all)
special thanks to Jacki on tanpura
・4/24(Fri) Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Raga Megh : alap, gat in jhaptal, drut tintal
＜intermission＞
Dhun Pahadi in deepchandi
Dadra Khamaj
Dhun Bhairavi with Philip Cheek(t.sax)
・4/25(Sat) Prana House, Melbourne
Raga Puriya Kalyan : alap, gat in v&d tintal
Dhun Mand
W tabla : Shen & Glen Kniebeiss
・4/26(Sun) W bansuri×W tabla @Magpie House, Melbourne
Raga Purvi : alap, maddhya tintal (Taro+Shen)
Raga Yaman : alap, maddhya & drut tintal (Vinod+Glen)
＜intermission＞
Raga Kirwani : alap~jod~jhala, gat in rupaktal, drut tintal
Aarti
・4/29(Wed) lecture/demonstration @Box Hill TAFE Music School, Melbourne
Raga Charukeshi : alap, gat in drut tintal
Dhun Bhairavi with Jonathan Dimond(fretless bass)
＜3rd leg - ACT,NSW stage＞
・4/30(Thu) Australian National University's School of Music, Canberra
Raga Hemavati : alap, gat in drut tintal
・5/1(Fri) Belconnen Theatre, Canberra
Raga Yaman : alap, gat in v&d tintal
＜intermission＞
Afghani dhun
Khamaj dhun
Varanasi Thumri
Pilu dhun
Bhairavi dhun
・5/2(Sat) home concert in Sydney
Raga Khamaj (Sunanda Sharma, Surinder Jeet Singh)
Raga Puriya Dhanashri : alap, gat in v&d tintal
＜intermission＞
Khamaj Dhun
Bhairavi Thumri
・5/3(Sun) Yogaways, Terrigal
Raga Bihag : alap, gat in vilambit ektal(!), m&d tintal
Dhun Pahadi
Dhun Bhairavi
＜1st leg - QLD stage＞
・4/16(Thu) home concert on the Gold Coast.
Raga Vachaspati : alap, gat in vilambit & drut tintal
＜intermission＞
Thumri Kirwani in Ektal (request from Mahendraji)
Dhun Khamaj in dadra & Kaharwa
Raga Darbari Kanara(short...request from Mahendraji)
・4/17(Fri) Temple of Melodious Sound, Ocean Shore
Raga Rageshri : alap, gat in vilambit & drut tintal (Taro)
＜intermission＞
Raga Kirwani : alap, gat in vilambit, maddhya & drut tintal (Sangeet)
Dhun Khamaj ~ Ragamala
special thanks to Matthew Weekes on tanpura
・4/18(Sat) Sri Saileshwara Sai Baba Temple, Brisbane
Raga Puriya Kaliyan : alap, gat in drut tintal (Taro)
Raga Latangi : alap, gat in drut tintal (Sangeet)
＜intermission＞
Raga Jog : alap, gat in VIlambit & drut tintal (Jugalbandi)
Kirtan
・4/19(Sun) Home concert in St Lucia, Brisbane.
Raga Charukeshi : alap, gat in v&d tintal
＜intermission＞
Dhun Khamaj
Raga Marwa (request)
Dhun Mishra Shivranjani (request)
NB Recordings of Charukeshi and Mishra Shivranjani are available for download here!
＜2nd leg - VIC stage＞
・4/23(Thu) Wangaratta Exhibitions Gallery
Raga Hansadhwani : alap (Taro)
Tabla solo in tintal (Shen, Taro)
Raga Puriya Dhanashri : short alap, gat in drut tintal (Sangeet, Shen)
＜intermission＞
Raga Kirwani : alap, gat in v&d tintal (all)
special thanks to Jacki on tanpura
・4/24(Fri) Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Raga Megh : alap, gat in jhaptal, drut tintal
＜intermission＞
Dhun Pahadi in deepchandi
Dadra Khamaj
Dhun Bhairavi with Philip Cheek(t.sax)
・4/25(Sat) Prana House, Melbourne
Raga Puriya Kalyan : alap, gat in v&d tintal
Dhun Mand
W tabla : Shen & Glen Kniebeiss
・4/26(Sun) W bansuri×W tabla @Magpie House, Melbourne
Raga Purvi : alap, maddhya tintal (Taro+Shen)
Raga Yaman : alap, maddhya & drut tintal (Vinod+Glen)
＜intermission＞
Raga Kirwani : alap~jod~jhala, gat in rupaktal, drut tintal
Aarti
・4/29(Wed) lecture/demonstration @Box Hill TAFE Music School, Melbourne
Raga Charukeshi : alap, gat in drut tintal
Dhun Bhairavi with Jonathan Dimond(fretless bass)
＜3rd leg - ACT,NSW stage＞
・4/30(Thu) Australian National University's School of Music, Canberra
Raga Hemavati : alap, gat in drut tintal
・5/1(Fri) Belconnen Theatre, Canberra
Raga Yaman : alap, gat in v&d tintal
＜intermission＞
Afghani dhun
Khamaj dhun
Varanasi Thumri
Pilu dhun
Bhairavi dhun
・5/2(Sat) home concert in Sydney
Raga Khamaj (Sunanda Sharma, Surinder Jeet Singh)
Raga Puriya Dhanashri : alap, gat in v&d tintal
＜intermission＞
Khamaj Dhun
Bhairavi Thumri
・5/3(Sun) Yogaways, Terrigal
Raga Bihag : alap, gat in vilambit ektal(!), m&d tintal
Dhun Pahadi
Dhun Bhairavi
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Taro + Sangeet 2009 part 1 - BrisByron (with video)
I've just completed my first "national" tour (in Australia, national usually means "at least a few states"), with sarangi player Sangeet Mishra and bansuri player Taro Terahara. We drove 4500km and did 13 gigs in 18 days, starting in Brisbane and Byron and then after a big drive through central NSW to Wangaratta, Castlemaine and Melbourne, then through Canberra and Sydney back home to Brisbane again. What an experience! I'm going to let the pictures do the talking, starting in this post with the BrisByron sector, the First Test...
Practice on first day - Taro and Sangeet had never met before. The good chemistry was evident from the start though.
An impromptu home concert on the Gold Coast. Thanks to Gerry Rosanove for hosting us.
Our first chance for a group publicity shot.
Home concert at the "Temple of Melodious Sound" in Ocean Shores, near Byron Bay. This was the biggest concert of the tour - I love home concerts! The tamboura player here is Matthew Weekes, with whom I have a sitar-tabla CD recorded several years ago.
The view from Ocean Shores. We also had a beautiful ocean swim that day - Sangeet's first!
Concert at Sri Saileshwara Sai Baba Temple in Brisbane
Sangeet at Sai Baba Temple
Home concert in St Lucia, Brisbane. This was an excellent concert, and the recording is available for download on my website. Coincidentally, this house was right next door to the place I lived in 1992 while studying at university.
Some video of the St Lucia home concert taken by concert attendee Craig.
Sangeet's first close-up meeting with a possum
Practice on first day - Taro and Sangeet had never met before. The good chemistry was evident from the start though.
An impromptu home concert on the Gold Coast. Thanks to Gerry Rosanove for hosting us.
Our first chance for a group publicity shot.
Home concert at the "Temple of Melodious Sound" in Ocean Shores, near Byron Bay. This was the biggest concert of the tour - I love home concerts! The tamboura player here is Matthew Weekes, with whom I have a sitar-tabla CD recorded several years ago.
The view from Ocean Shores. We also had a beautiful ocean swim that day - Sangeet's first!
Concert at Sri Saileshwara Sai Baba Temple in Brisbane
Sangeet at Sai Baba Temple
Home concert in St Lucia, Brisbane. This was an excellent concert, and the recording is available for download on my website. Coincidentally, this house was right next door to the place I lived in 1992 while studying at university.Some video of the St Lucia home concert taken by concert attendee Craig.
Sangeet's first close-up meeting with a possumT + S 2009 pt2 - The Big Drive
After our first 4 concerts in the Brisbane/Byron area, we undertook the 1600km drive from Brisbane to Wangaratta in north-east Victoria where my sister is living. Taro and I shared the driving, and Sangeet was designated passenger, waking up for petrol stops, meals and a spot of scenery including some emus and a kangaroo in the Warrumbungle National Park. We drove from 4am til 10.30pm, time-appropriate ragas playing for most of the day. Nikhil Banerjee's Marwa at sunset in southern NSW was perfect...
Sunrise between Toowoomba and Goondiwindi
The road was often straight...
... and the scenery often flat. Taro took loads of photos and videos all through the day. When I pointed out that they were all pretty much the same, he replied "Exactly!"
We intended to visit Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran, but unfortunately the road was closed. There is a scale model of the solar system for a couple of hundred kilometres around the observatory.
We couldn't visit Siding Spring but we were already on the scenic drive through Warrumbungle National Park. Lovely spot.
Sunrise between Toowoomba and Goondiwindi
The road was often straight...
... and the scenery often flat. Taro took loads of photos and videos all through the day. When I pointed out that they were all pretty much the same, he replied "Exactly!"
We intended to visit Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran, but unfortunately the road was closed. There is a scale model of the solar system for a couple of hundred kilometres around the observatory.
We couldn't visit Siding Spring but we were already on the scenic drive through Warrumbungle National Park. Lovely spot.
T + S 2009 pt3 - Beechworth/Wangaratta
Following our big drive we stayed a few days with my sister in Wangaratta, which included a lovely day-trip to historic Beechworth, an old gold-mining town in north-eastern Victoria.
Taro meditating in the forest
The gorge near Beechworth - thanks for taking us there Jacki and Darren!
Sangeet getting back to nature
Sangeet's first ever pie, from the famous Beechworth Bakery
We taught Taro how to play cricket. His batting resembled a golf swing though...
And he has a bit of the old Jeff Thomson bowling action
Our concert at Wangaratta Exhibitions Gallery was hosted by Wangaratta Arts Council. It was a really nice acoustic space. My sister Jacki is on tamboura here.
The audience were really nice - we were warmly invited to return. Many thanks to Margaret Brickhill of the Wangaratta Arts Council.
Taro meditating in the forest
The gorge near Beechworth - thanks for taking us there Jacki and Darren!
Sangeet getting back to nature
Sangeet's first ever pie, from the famous Beechworth Bakery
We taught Taro how to play cricket. His batting resembled a golf swing though...
And he has a bit of the old Jeff Thomson bowling action
Our concert at Wangaratta Exhibitions Gallery was hosted by Wangaratta Arts Council. It was a really nice acoustic space. My sister Jacki is on tamboura here.
The audience were really nice - we were warmly invited to return. Many thanks to Margaret Brickhill of the Wangaratta Arts Council.T + S 2009 pt4 - A Love Story?
As Taro and Sangeet had never met before the tour, I was interested to see how they would get along both personally and musically. They were a really fun combination to go on tour with, always joking and having fun. But do these three photos hint at something more...? :-)
Two koalas in Warrumbungle National Park
At Beechworth Gorge
Oh dear, that was a bit fast!
But seriously... Sangeet is a great cook. I think Taro put on 5kg during this 18 day tour!
Two koalas in Warrumbungle National Park
At Beechworth Gorge
Oh dear, that was a bit fast!But seriously... Sangeet is a great cook. I think Taro put on 5kg during this 18 day tour!
Next up on the Taro & Sangeet tour programme, the Theatre Royal in historic Castlemaine.
T + S 2009 pt5 - Castlemaine Theatre Royal
Next stop for the Taro and Sangeet show after Wangaratta, we were lucky enough to be hosted by the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine, another historic gold-mining town in country Victoria. The backstage bed and breakfast was particularly note-worthy!
What a classic old place!
Poster for Lola Montes in 1856, attended by 400 diggers according to Wikipedia.
"To conclude with the extraordinary Terpsichorean Achievement
THE SPIDER DANCE, BY LOLA MONTES.
Mrs Gill will preside at the Pianoforte."
We were joined for the final piece for a jam with Philip Cheek. Philip and I played a lot together in the early days of EthnoSuperLounge - you can hear him on this page (tracks 3 and 4).
A ghost in the backstage bed and breakfast.
The backstage bathroom
The Harry Potter room under the stairs. Taro ended up in here, something to do with feeling at home in a Tokyo-sized apartment...
Next stop on the Taro and Sangeet express, Melbourne...
What a classic old place!
Poster for Lola Montes in 1856, attended by 400 diggers according to Wikipedia."To conclude with the extraordinary Terpsichorean Achievement
THE SPIDER DANCE, BY LOLA MONTES.
Mrs Gill will preside at the Pianoforte."
We were joined for the final piece for a jam with Philip Cheek. Philip and I played a lot together in the early days of EthnoSuperLounge - you can hear him on this page (tracks 3 and 4).
A ghost in the backstage bed and breakfast.
The backstage bathroom
The Harry Potter room under the stairs. Taro ended up in here, something to do with feeling at home in a Tokyo-sized apartment...Next stop on the Taro and Sangeet express, Melbourne...
T + S 2009 pt 6 - Melbourne
After the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine, Taro, Sangeet and I stayed 5 days in Melbourne, starting with a concert at Prana House in Thornbury with tabla player Glen Kniebeiss. While in Melbourne we stayed at our friend Vinod Prasanna's place - thanks Vinod and Lisa! Vinod is a bansuri player from Varanasi who was in Munna House at the same time as me a couple of years ago.
Glen and I took turns accompanying on tabla at the concert.
Shen, Taro, Sangeet and Glen Kniebeiss at Prana House, Thornbury
Glen is playing really nicely and I'm always very happy to play with him. It's quite rare for tabla players to get along musically.
Glen, Taro, Vinod and Shen in a double bansuri, double tabla extravaganza on the coldest night of the tour.
Sangeet and Taro with Melbourne tabla player Sam Evans.
Sam had Sangeet accompany his tabla lessons for a couple of days. Taro and I had a couple of rest days so we went about town meeting a few Indian music folks.
Shen, Taro and Denis Phelan. Denis is currently learning sitar from Sugato Nag of Kolkata.
A beautiful sunset view of Melbourne from Vinod's place.
On our last day in Melbourne we gave a lecture/demonstration at Box Hill TAFE Music School - many thanks to Jonathan Dimond for having us!
We discussed the differences between Ragas Todi, Multani and Madhuwanti, then presented a few taals and a tabla solo in teentaal, then presented a 20 minute raga.
Finally we invited Jonathan to join us for Raga Bhairavi
Glen and I took turns accompanying on tabla at the concert.
Shen, Taro, Sangeet and Glen Kniebeiss at Prana House, ThornburyGlen is playing really nicely and I'm always very happy to play with him. It's quite rare for tabla players to get along musically.
Glen, Taro, Vinod and Shen in a double bansuri, double tabla extravaganza on the coldest night of the tour.
Sangeet and Taro with Melbourne tabla player Sam Evans.Sam had Sangeet accompany his tabla lessons for a couple of days. Taro and I had a couple of rest days so we went about town meeting a few Indian music folks.
Shen, Taro and Denis Phelan. Denis is currently learning sitar from Sugato Nag of Kolkata.
A beautiful sunset view of Melbourne from Vinod's place.
On our last day in Melbourne we gave a lecture/demonstration at Box Hill TAFE Music School - many thanks to Jonathan Dimond for having us!
We discussed the differences between Ragas Todi, Multani and Madhuwanti, then presented a few taals and a tabla solo in teentaal, then presented a 20 minute raga.
Finally we invited Jonathan to join us for Raga Bhairavi
T + S 2009 pt7 - Canberra/Sydney
After Taro, Sangeet and I completed our 5 days in Melbourne, we headed off to Canberra for a concert hosted by the India Australia Association of Canberra. We then wrapped up the tour with a home concert in Sydney hosted by Sydhwaney Sounds of Sydney and finally a concert at Yogaways in Terrigal, about 90 minutes north of Sydney. Many many thanks to all the organisers and hosts!
Autumn colours in Canberra - while the warm winters in Brisbane are really lovely, we don't get colours like these!
On the first day in Canberra we played in the Australian National University's School of Music for large audience of music students. No photos of the show though sorry.
We were absolutely blessed to be able to stay in my uncle's house about 45 minutes outside Canberra. This photo, though blurry, does capture quite a surreal view. The white lines in the distance are power generation windmills.
Taro and Sangeet practising at my uncle's house.
Our Sydney concert was opened by the host's daughter Sunanda Sharma on flute and Surinder Jeet Singh on tabla.
Shen, Sangeet and Taro performing at a home concert in Sydney. This was an excellent concert and I was very happy to have Sydney last on the tour schedule so we were well warmed up for the very knowledgeable audience there. This was my first Indian classical concert in Sydney! Hopefully we made a good impression....
Sydney city
Taro tells me that he invariably sees a rainbow at the end of a good tour
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The final concert in Yogaways, Terrigal
Next, the final stage of our journey.
Autumn colours in Canberra - while the warm winters in Brisbane are really lovely, we don't get colours like these!
On the first day in Canberra we played in the Australian National University's School of Music for large audience of music students. No photos of the show though sorry.
We were absolutely blessed to be able to stay in my uncle's house about 45 minutes outside Canberra. This photo, though blurry, does capture quite a surreal view. The white lines in the distance are power generation windmills.
Taro and Sangeet practising at my uncle's house.
Our Sydney concert was opened by the host's daughter Sunanda Sharma on flute and Surinder Jeet Singh on tabla.
Shen, Sangeet and Taro performing at a home concert in Sydney. This was an excellent concert and I was very happy to have Sydney last on the tour schedule so we were well warmed up for the very knowledgeable audience there. This was my first Indian classical concert in Sydney! Hopefully we made a good impression....
Sydney city
Taro tells me that he invariably sees a rainbow at the end of a good tour
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The final concert in Yogaways, TerrigalSangeet left us here to return to India via Sydney. Thanks very much for coming on this amazing journey with us Sangeet! We learnt a lot and had lots of great experiences, and made a lot of excellent connections for the future.
Next, the final stage of our journey.
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