Raga Miyan Ki Todi

USTAD ASAD ALI KHAN– “Raga Miyan Ki Todi”
India Archive, 2005

INDIA – North Indian classical in the relaxed, “rounded” dhrupad style. Asad Ali Khan is a renowned master of the rudra veena, a string instrument related to the sitar, but with two large resonating gourds that create deep, meditative tones. He is accompanied by Mohan Shyam Sharma on pakhawaj (a two-headed percussion instrument).

1. 49:31 – Solo veena track: slow & low bent tones with staccato strumming, very gradually growing higher in pitch for the first 25 minutes or so, then dropping back down. Then it gets really bendy! The pace starts to gradually pick up here, and it takes off suddenly near the 35 minute mark. It rolls in gradual waves from here until the end.

2. 25:31 – Starts very quiet. Pakhawaj drifts in after 1 minute, then slow interplay. They crank it up after 5 minutes or so, then pull back, but the dialogue gets really tight. They continue to bob & weave as the tempo rises and falls. From the 13-minute mark on it’s all fairly uptempo, and at 18 minutes the drum has fallen into more of a timekeeping role. Quick, pounding end.

[Fo] 12/30/05