Anoushka

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
It's hard to imagine this record's release if Anoushka were not the sitar-playing daughter of superstar Ravi Shankar. The package emphasizes Anoushka's moneyed glamour, with everything from her instrument (one of Dad's) to the material--five relatively short ragas written by her guru father--a testament to her gene pool. Anoushka's not a horrible sitar player by any stretch; she's simply nowhere near as proficient, subtle, or exploratory as most of the younger generation of classical sitarists currently recording. Tabla virtuosos Bikram Ghosh and Arup Chattopadhyay keep things moving, and the album's most honest moments arrive during Shankar's steadfast accompaniment of their solos. Nevertheless, a world of promise lies in these tracks. Richard Gehr

Anoushka, Music, Anoushka Shankar, Classical, India, Indian, Indian Classical, Int'l & World Music, Raga, World Music
Healing the Divide: A Concert for Peace and Reconciliation
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Healing the Divide: A Concert for Peace and Reconciliation
    Dalai Lama , Tom Waits , Kronos Quartet , Philip Glass , Foday Musa Suso , Anoushka Shankar , Nawang Khechog , R. Carlos Nakai , and Gyuto Tantric Choir
    Manufacturer: Anti
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000F3AJTO
    Release Date: 2007-07-10

    Tracks:

    1. Special Address - His Holiness the Dalai Lama
    2. Invocation - The Gyuto Tantric Choir
    3. Nivedan - Anoushka Shankar
    4. Peace Chants - Nawang Khechog and R. Carlos Nakai
    5. The Gambia - Philip Glass and Foday Musa Suso
    6. Way Down In The Hole - Tom Waits and Kronos Quartet
    7. God's Away On Business - Tom Waits and Kronos Quartet
    8. Lost In The Harbor - Tom Waits and Kronos Quartet
    9. Diamond In Your Mind - Tom Waits and Kronos Quartet

    Album Description

    This once in a lifetime event gathered musicians from wildly different backgrounds in a benefit for Richard Gere's Healing The Divide Foundation. Recorded live at Lincoln Center in NY, this CD features transcendental performances from Tibet's Gyuto Choir, India's Anoushka Shankar, genre-bending duets from Tibetan avant-garde musician Nawang Kechong with Native American master R. Carlos Nakai, and maverick composer Philip Glass with Gambian virtuoso Foday Musa Suso. The concert closer is a unique collaboration between musicians who personify the spirit of adventure in contemporary music, as Tom Waits performs four of his classic songs accompanied by Grammy winners the Kronos Quartet. Add a moving opening address by the Dalai Lama and you have the perfect musical embodiment of the Foundation's mission: to bridge cultural gaps and forge revolutionary new bonds between people around the world. Proceeds from sales will be directly applied to projects benefiting the peoples of Tibet and the Himalayan region.
    Chants Of India: Ravi Shankar; George Harrison
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Authentic Hindu Chants
    • George and Ravi combine worship and melody for a one-of-akind experience
    • uplifting
    • Chants Of India: Ravi Shankar
    • Divine
    		 Chants Of India: Ravi Shankar; George Harrison
    Ravi Shankar , and George Harrison
    Manufacturer: Angel Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    1. The Sounds of India
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    5. Three Ragas

    ASIN: B000002SMC
    Release Date: 1997-05-06

    Tracks:

    1. Vandanaa Trayee
    2. Omkaaraaya Namaha
    3. Vedic Chanting (One)
    4. Asato Maa
    5. Sahanaa Vavatu
    6. Poornamadah
    7. Gaayatri
    8. Mahaa Mrityunjaya (Om Triambakam)
    9. Veenaa-Murali (Music Interlude)
    10. Geetaa (Karmanye Vadhikaraste)
    11. Mangalam (Tala Mantra)
    12. Hari Om (Music Interlude)
    13. Svara Mantra
    14. Vedic Chanting (Two)
    15. Prabhujee
    16. Sarve Shaam

    Amazon.com essential recording

    Mantram is Ravi Shankar's effort to set Sanskrit chants from ancient Hindu scriptures to music, and the result is a captivating mix of chant and music. Produced by George Harrison, this collection of mantras and prayers from the Vedas, Upanishads, and other scriptures powerfully transports the listener to a place of peace where it's possible to be one with the universe. It's as if a heavy, enveloping cloak of serenity falls from the dark, floating sounds of cello opening the CD. Shankar employs flute, tamboura, harp, and other instruments to accent the mighty "Om" thread that weaves itself through the cloth of this album, bringing together deep, ominous voices with delicate, earthly instruments. One looking for extensive Shankar sitar might be disappointed, but the beauty of this artist's creativity and spiritual vision sweeps one away into a larger, more meaningful listening experience. Highly recommended. --Karen Karleski

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Authentic Hindu Chants.......2007-06-14

    This is the perfect CD for the beginner who wants to learn Hindu chanting. The words to each song are included in the jacket. The words are easy to understand for the most part given the complexity of the language. And most importantly, the music is hauntingly beautiful. I knew this was a winner when I saw Harrison as producer.

    5 out of 5 stars George and Ravi combine worship and melody for a one-of-akind experience.......2007-05-04

    Ravi Shankar and George Harrison are two of this world's greatest composers and musicians, so it makes sense that a unified effort would be incredible. It is, but not just because of these two men... To backtrack a little, my Mom and Dad first bought this CD when I was about five; it had George Harrison's name under the word producer and (I think) they were beginning to be interested in the Hindu faith. In those days, and for many years, I had no idea what the words they were saying meant. I was simply captivated by the repeated, strange phrases and the beautiful music they were set to. The music is still one of my favorite parts of the CD and without it, the CD would barley be half of what it is, but now being much older I have had the opportunity to delve into the booklet inside the CD case. These words, whether traditional or written by Ravi Shankar are a beauty in and of themselves. Each one prays for spiritual enlightenment, better knowledge of a diety or knowledge and wisdom in general. The recurring theme of peace and safty/tranquility among all things is also welcome. An example of this earnest praying is "O,Lord lead me from the unreal to the real. Lead me from the darkness to the light [from ignorance to knowledge]. Lead me from death to immortality. May there be peace, peace and perfect peace" ( from track 4, Asato Maa.) Also to be carefully headed are those chants which dwell proper human action, such as "You have but the right to perform action; you have no hold on the results thereof. May you not seek the rewards of action and may you never engage in wrong action.[This is not an excuse for inaction!" ( track 9, Geetaa.) There are other varied but always interesting chants here: instructions by a guru or teacher for his students (track 3, Vedic Chanting One), chants praising certain gods, and most fascinating of all, chants wishing for peace and tranquility. These such as Mangalam (track 11) and Sarve Shaam (track 16 and a huge favorite), combined with beautiful instrumental interludes (those who have seen 'Concert for George' may be reminded of Arpan), and the exquisite instrumentation and production by George Harrison (rest in Son of Hari!) come together to make a sublime and deep, enlightening musical experience. This truly a gorgeous album, incredible to listen to (though to get it just for the beatiful instruments, or the name of the producer for that matter, would be to miss the point.) If I tried to list favorites I'd probably end up listing the whole album. Here are a few highlights: Vandanaa Trayee, the opening track and a beautiful combination of introductory music, three sepearte prayers and interludes, tracks 3 and 14, the two vedic chants, Mangalam, a prayor for peace, and the similar Sarve Shaam, Asato Maa, tracks 5, 7, and 8 (7/8 CAN get repetative after a while,12 and 13 ( atmospheric intstrumental trackss), Geetaa, and a Ravi Shankar original Prabhujee. This, track 15 of 16, is a wondefully melodic, well-produced and warming, beautiful prayer for divine enlightenment and is worth a good listen. Track 2 has an interesting concept to it as well. All in all, this album is a wonderful buy for those interested in Hindu chants, beatuiful music or just spritual enlightenment. Well produced, beautiful instruments, deep, depth-filled chants- what more can the open minded listen want!? 5/5. Om shaantih, Shaantih, Shaantih [Amen; May there be peace, peace and perfect peace.]

    5 out of 5 stars uplifting.......2007-04-06

    Very peaceful and relaxing music. I got it because I am a George Harrison fan and have seen both George and Ravi Shankar in concert. I also wanted to experience more indian religous music.

    5 out of 5 stars Chants Of India: Ravi Shankar.......2007-04-01

    This is one of my most cherished disks. I find the Sanskrit mantras rendered in Ravi Shankar's compositions, as well as the traditional Vedic chanting heard on this disk, definitive and powerfully moving. Additonally, the modern-style love song to God, "Prabhujee", features beautiful words and melody over George Harrison's acoustic guitar chording, evoking deep feeling, longing for the Divine.

    When I bought this disk years ago, it came with a booklet featuring extensive liner notes, including the Sanskrit portions written in the Devanagari script, with transliterations and translations by Panditjee himself. This disk has thereby proven itself a great resource in my studies of Sanskrit, enabling me to read - and therefore properly pronounce - these important verses. I hope this information is still provided in the disk, as a version I bought in India omitted these extensive texts.

    5 out of 5 stars Divine.......2007-01-10

    One of my favorite CD's...to sprinkle all over my home as well as gifting it to friends. Raviji is truly Divine and George's participation, as well as George himself, is a gift from the Gods.
    Concert For George
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • One of my favorite CDs! Amazing Rock and Roll!
    • Where's "HORSE TO WATER"?!?!?!
    • Tribute to George
    • Hard to beat!
    • Fabulous tribute - amazing songs
    		 Concert For George
    Original Soundtrack , and Various Artists
    Manufacturer: Warner Strat. Mkt.
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0000E6I1J
    Release Date: 2003-11-18

    Tracks:

    1. Sarve Sham
    2. Your Eyes (Sitar Solo) - Anoushka Shankar
    3. The Inner Light - Anoushka Shankar
    4. Arpan - Anoushka Shankar
    5. I Want To Tell You - Jeff Lynne
    6. If I Needed Someone - Eric Clapton
    7. Old Brown Shoe - Gary Brooker
    8. Give Me Love (Give Me Piece On Earth) - Jeff Lynne
    9. Beware Of Darkness - Eric Clapton
    10. Here Comes The Sun - Joe Brown
    11. That's The Way It Goes - Joe Brown
    12. Taxman - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
    13. I Need You - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
    14. Handle with Care - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison
    15. Isn't It A Pity - Billy Preston
    16. Photograph - Ringo Starr
    17. Honey Don't - Ringo Starr
    18. For You Blue - Paul McCartney
    19. Something - Paul McCartney & Eric Clapton
    20. All Things Must Pass - Paul McCartney
    21. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Paul McCartney & Eric Clapton
    22. My Sweet Lord - Billy Preston
    23. Wah Wah - Eric Clapton
    24. I'll See You In My Dreams - Joe Brown

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars One of my favorite CDs! Amazing Rock and Roll!.......2007-06-20

    Let me start by saying that I am totally obsessed with this album. I have owned it for several years now and I never get tired of listening to it. I even bought the DVD of the concert after being blown away by the CD! True, I am a Baby Boomer. True, I grew up with the Beatles and Eric Clapton. But, for me, that was a very long time ago in so many ways. I am not "A Fan". I am a normal woman who likes music but would certainly never (under most circumstances) take the time to rate it here on Amazon. The point is, I can't remember the last time I listened to a recording that literally made the hair stand up on the back of my neck! This is amazing Rock and Roll and I defy anyone who claims to be unmoved by the magnitude of this music and the musicians who wrote, and now perform it. I have a new, deep appreciation for the performing artists that Paul McCartny, Ringo Star (yes, even Ringo!) and Jeff Lynn have become; the enduring relevance of the music of George Harrison, the composer; and the deep abiding faith that Eric Clapton is indeed GOD. Eric Clapton was the music director for this concert and the results are extraordinary. Especially wonderful are "Something" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton and "My Sweet Lord" by Billy Preston. Two "negatives": a great performance of "Horse to Water" by Jools Holland and Sam Brown is omitted from the CD and it would have been great if Bob Dylan had been able to be at the concert. That said, this is a great, historic concert by giants of Rock and Roll. It belongs in your library.

    5 out of 5 stars Where's "HORSE TO WATER"?!?!?!.......2007-06-02

    Have the DVD, bought the "soundtrack" for "Horse To Water" and guess what? IT'S NOT ON IT!!! What kind of "soundtrack" would eliminate, what to me, was one of the highlights of the concert (not to mention, "I'll See You In My Dreams"!) VERY DISAPPOINTED!!! This has ruined what would have been a "Classic CD" to me. Should have named this CD, "SELECTIONS from the CONCERT FOR GEORGE"... STILL 5 stars!

    4 out of 5 stars Tribute to George.......2007-05-28

    Disc 2 is a fabulous collection of music by artists paying tribue to the music of George. It is wonderful music-I would recommend it to anyone who loves the Beatles work and the music that George loved.

    5 out of 5 stars Hard to beat!.......2007-03-09

    The collection of talent and the performances on this 2-disc piece of work are exceptional. A superb tribute to an extraordinary artist. Harrison's ability and range were a marvelous contribution to music. Disc 2 alone is worth the bucks.

    5 out of 5 stars Fabulous tribute - amazing songs.......2007-01-14

    So many people know GH that to add comment is hard, but this tribute concert reveals how Harrison affected the community of English players in his life - It's also great to hear versions of his songs that while true to form, come off in a new light as done by the Clapton-led band and remind us how prolific and original George was once he got out from under the shadow of John and Paul - he started humbly yet persisted with amazing discipline to create his own sound and style, which while not everyone's cup of tea, stands alone as significant work in the evolution of pop rock in the 20th century - may he rest in peace
    Rise
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Sitar please
    • Anoushka rise CD
    • Wonderful music...
    • Good choice!
    • Saw her live and then bought this....I can play it all day
    		 Rise
    Anoushka Shankar
    Manufacturer: Angel Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    5. Anoushka

    ASIN: B000AV2G6A
    Release Date: 2005-09-27

    Tracks:

    1. Prayer In Passing
    2. Red Sun
    3. Mahadeva
    4. Naked
    5. Solea
    6. Beloved
    7. Sinister Grains
    8. Voices Of The Moon
    9. Ancient Love

    Amazon.com

    There are prodigies and there is progeny. Anoushka Shankar is both. As the daughter of sitar legend Ravi Shankar, she's got bloodlines and a teacher who is one of the greatest to ever play sitar. While Anoushka has pretty good classical chops (not the best, but pretty good), Rise shows her versatility and growth as a composer, arranger, and producer. The nine-song album features her sitar along with a variety of traditional Indian and modern Western instruments. She orders the ragas logically, starting with morning and working toward the final one at the end of the night, each one capturing the mood of its particular time of day. For example, mellow opener "Prayer in Passing" would be the initial waking moments, while the mood soon gets more upbeat on "Red Sun" before the midday heat sets in for the middle tracks and brings down the tempo. Traditionalists will call it pop, but there is nothing light or disposable about Rise. --Tad Hendrickson

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Sitar please.......2007-05-12

    I loved the blend of Indian and western music. Anoushka is an amazing sitar master and certainly brings the inherited talent of her father plus her own interpertaion to this music. Great CD with ragas done on a slightly more western style.

    5 out of 5 stars Anoushka rise CD.......2007-05-10

    I ordered a standard delivery, but I was charged 3 times the amount for 2 day delivery.

    5 out of 5 stars Wonderful music..........2007-04-30

    Beautiful
    soul stirring
    soul awakening
    I highly recommend
    that you sit down and take the time
    to listen and enjoy.

    4 out of 5 stars Good choice!.......2007-03-26

    For the fans of this type of music, she is an absolutely delight. For the neophytes like me, this is a great introduction to the culture and music of India. Her ability to play this intricate instrument is incredible, she makes it sound so easy. A couple of songs are her father's but with a new twist and emotion. It is certainly a great CD.

    5 out of 5 stars Saw her live and then bought this....I can play it all day.......2007-01-03

    She is a genius and she's assembled world musicians that when combined, stretch out to a very modern sound (so not like her Dad what-so-ever.) Way lovely, mix of world music-flamenco-scat-jazz. I play it a long time, put it away and come back to it. I saw her live in Grant park in Chicago in August and watched little children all over the lawn spontaneously stand up and start to dance. I'll never forget it.
    Breathing Under Water
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Breathing Under Water

      Manufacturer: Manhattan Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B000RPCEV6
      Release Date: 2007-08-28

      Amazon.com

      Like her father before her, Anoushka Shankar is a musical eclectic experimenting with forms far beyond those of Indian classical music. Going even further than on her previous disc, Rise, Shankar, along with co-producer Karsh Kale, explores the meeting of electronica and India. "Burn" starts out as a romantic Bollywood theme before turning into a sultry soul tune with electronica beats, squiggly analog synths, and an impassioned vocal by Noah Lembersky. Shankar's sitar stutter glitches over a tabla-draped electronica rhythm on "Slither," courtesy of the Midival Punditz' Gaurav Raina. Guest singers appear on several tracks, including the ubiquitous Sting, who contributes his overly earnest voice to a power ballad called "Sea Dreamer." Shankar's sitar occasionally becomes a sidelight on her own album, leaping out for rock guitar-like breaks. She doesn't so much duet with Sting as accompany him. Her song for half-sister Norah Jones, on the other hand, integrates the singer's voice into a textural track of snaky sitar, as Jones mixes ethereal chorales and impassioned pleas. Much of Breathing Under Water recalls Bombay Dub Orchestra and their mixture of Bollywood strings, Indian musicians, and electronic grooves and textures. Both Kale and Shankar have writing credits on all but one composition, with their computer-concocted tracks often bridged by rhapsodic strings arranged by Bollywood composer Salim Merchant. His co-composition, "Little Glass Folk," brings an uncharacteristic Western classicism to the album, while the Anoushka and Ravi Shankar-composed work, "Oceanic," is the only piece aspiring to Indian classicism. Breathing Under Water is an ambitious album, although it has elements of pastiche, designed to expose Anoushka Shankar to a wider audience. --John Diliberto
      Live At Carnegie Hall
      Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
      • Anoushka Bashing Shows Ignorance of Hindustani Music
      • First Impressions
      • Brilliant!
      • A Generation of Sitar
      • anoushka's vocabular is larger than autonomous music
      		 Live At Carnegie Hall
      Anoushka Shankar
      Manufacturer: Angel Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B00005QD80
      Release Date: 2001-10-23

      Tracks:

      1. Introduction
      2. Raga Madhuvanti: Adap
      3. Raga Madhuvanti: Gat In Rupak (7-beat)
      4. Raga Desh
      5. Bhupali Tabla Duet
      6. Raga Mishra Piloo

      Amazon.com

      As daughter of the legendary Ravi Shankar, 20-year-old Anoushka Shankar has had some pretty big expectations put upon her. Obviously, the elder Shankar thought the then-18-year-old student was ready for the challenge of recording live at Carnegie Hall (he trained her and used her in his group), and he was right. Recorded in October 2000, Anoushka's third album displays her thrilling playing. The young Shankar covers a wealth of emotions, from highs fueled by rapid-fire plucking to mellow lows that float upon her hypnotic drone. Fortunately for non-meditating listeners, the younger Shankar tends to keep the songs (all composed by Ravi) fairly short by raga standards. She also shows herself to be a generous leader on "Bhupali Tabla Duet," letting tabla players Bikram Ghosh and Tanmoy Bose take the lead. The CD features an additional live track from England added for good measure, but even without it, this live performance is a stunning musical display from Indian music's next generation of Shankar. --Tad Hendrickson

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Anoushka Bashing Shows Ignorance of Hindustani Music.......2007-02-21

      I am frankly shocked at the number of negative reviews written by people who either admit they don't know much about Hindustani classical music or display their ignorance in the comments they make.

      Anoushka has 24 concert scheduled in the next 2 months; in addition, she will be by her father's side at each of the 8 concerts he has set in the same time period. Ample evidence that many thousands of Classical Indian Music fans in the US alone consider her a major talent - as do I.

      Anoushka is a professional recording and concert artist - yet several reveiws criticize her "commercialism". Concerts and CDs are commercial enterprises, my friends - duh! Some criticize her for trading on her family name while singing the praises of her father who became well known because of his famous brother, Uday Shankar.

      It is improper under any circumstances to refer to classical performances like these as "songs". Those who claim that these pieces are "verbatim" or "identical to" something on another of her CDs or played at a concert they attended simply have no idea what they are listening to and may have mistakenly assumed that this music, like virtually everything in the West, consists of composed pieces written in advance and played as such.

      Hindustani classical music is improvised within strict and complex rules that define and control each raga. The term "composition" most often refers to a short chorus or refrain which states the theme and to which one returns after a period of improvization. (In the Carnatic music of South India, the term is used for something much more akin to a Western song. This lends Carnatic music it's repetative and non-creative feel. And please note: Hindustani music is the most complex system of rhythm and melody in the world, substantially more developed than any other in South Asia - it is hardly waiting to blossom.)

      The use of two drummers is common in all Indian Classical Music. To suggest that these great tabla players tripped one another up in any way is simply foolish. If you cannot hear the tala, you may become confused. They played brilliantly together!

      This music is taught to students who imitate EXACTLY what their gurus sing or play. To preserve a tradition developed over centuries it is very important that a performer master the one style being handed down to her before hot-dogging and "doing her own thang" - something that may be valued among kids who last week learned a few chords on the guitar, but considered very dangerous in highly developed classical music systems of all kinds. Anoushka has a responsibility to preserve the entire classical traditon of her father, his guru the great Ustad Allaudin Khan, and indeed, the entire Maihar tradition. Once we are all fairly certain this has been acomplished, we will welcome more of her own individual expression. Until then it is with great humility and respect for her father that she doesn't try to show him up, act like she knows more than he does, or even suggest that she has something important to add that he missed in the last 60 years. This is not an Okie Stomp. Anoushka displays grace, modesty and deep respect for her culture, traditions and family honor. In addition, she is always dressed very tastefully in the typical outfits of India - to criticize this is to criticize India herself, something for which you should be ashamed!

      Michael Robinson is among those musicians who has retuned a piano using just intonation in order to play with the sitar. You can also chose pentatonic ragas that avoid a few sour notes.

      Finally, the tuning of sympathetic strings is a highly variable and personal matter. I can think of several situations in which I have tuned both 4ths for various reasons. Why Anoushka may have done so is really not any of your business. If you were Hindustani musicians you would have found it unremarkable and would not have made the mistake of assuming that there is any correct way to tune a sitar's tarafs.

      5 out of 5 stars First Impressions.......2005-07-07

      Anoushka was 16 when I saw her on stage at Boston's Symphony Hall with her Father. My first thought was "well if you're Ravi Shankar, I guess you can get away with putting your teenager on stage."

      Then she started playing.

      Her musical ability is far beyond what anyone's wildest expectations could have predicted. With only approx eight years of training at that time she was almost perfect. The only moments she appeared inferior to Ravi was in the interplay/imitation back and forth that is part of this musical style. But this can only be learned thru experience which at 16 she was _well_ on the way to perfecting.

      I've seen Ravi many, many times. Someday he will be gone, but I will not feel deprived if Anoushka continues his live performance tradition.

      - Jeff

      5 out of 5 stars Brilliant!.......2005-05-09

      I first became aware of Anouska Shankar after seeing her amazing performance on the "Concert for George" DVD..a tribute concert in honor of George Harrison..she is a remarkably talented young lady who obviously possesses her father's great talent and musicianship! This CD is a great example of her musical virtuosity and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The sound is excellent and you truly feel as if you are there listening to the performance live! A great recording!

      3 out of 5 stars A Generation of Sitar.......2005-02-20

      I picked this up at my library and listened to it several times. I'm a fairly early listener to Indian classical, being only 17. The music that Ravi's daughter plays on this album is very interesting and captivating yet it does not capture the heart of her father's playing. I could be wrong, but I think she's playing her father's songs right? I like the idea of such a reflection on her family and tribute to her father. However, they are not her compositions, she doesn't seem to add her own style to them (unless you consider simplicity in relation to her father's recording of the same songs). Its as if she's just trying to impress her father. However, do not doubt that Anoushka is a talented player and peraps underrated. I gave it three stars. If she performed her own compositions, it may have been more. Plus, I think her talking about the songs' rythmic patterns before each song loses her audience in a sea of mouth-breathers. Perhaps the stories behind the songs would have been more appropriate. However, the music is pretty good but loses its passion throughout. I'd consider getting it if you are a die-hard collector of Indian music. Just my opinion. :)

      4 out of 5 stars anoushka's vocabular is larger than autonomous music.......2003-12-17

      I have been listening intensively to indian classical music for four years now and I really like Kishori Amonkar(voice), Alaka Lahiri (voice), Gopal Krishan (vichitra veena), M.S. Subhalakshmi(voice), Buddhaditja Mukherjee(sitar), Gangubai Hangal(voice), Ustad Lateef Ahmed Khan (tabla), Nikkel Banerjee (sitar), Mahoudin Dagar(redru veena), Raganajaki Ragolopalam (veena).
      I know about the theory of indian classical music but that makes not difference when judgeing music. However it does make a diffence if you want to play it because it is the vocabulairy through wich you make music.

      All the comments I read in some way make some sense: It is true that Anoushka's music has a more lightness to it and it has not the depth of Ali Akbar Khan or Nickel Banerjee and it is true that she sounds refreshing and lively. To me it more has the depth of the Klavichord music by Louis Couperin wich trough it's lightness and elegance suggest an enormous depth. A same depth that is sometimes achieved even by very commercial R&B music with it's big range of effects.
      Anoushka is not that indian sitar player that has never perfomed and plays more like say Shahid Parvez and that why she does not sound like that.She is another person with a very well known dad wich results in (apart from the inherited tradition) other music.
      She also plays piano. Can you master two instruments? A purist would say but what is pure? Remember the greatest african art was not made as art but as tools, tools to deal with the direct phenomenology of the world from doing the dishes to communicating about the unknown. There was no cultivations of separate doctrines with their predefined aims and recipes here.
      This purity concept is a western shortcoming which we might have enhireted from the Plato-Kant tradition of evolving to a to be known true that doesn't exist. I would love to hear a duet with piano and sitar (But the piano is tempered in tuning and the sitar is naturally tuned! So what isn't that a great challenge)
      I am not saying that other instruments have to be used and old traditions have to be renewed (there are most terrible productions on the market of cross over projects terrible because they where intended to be multicultural and cross over)but please don't block ones development.
      If one can not draw that what he wants perhaps fotography or painting might work, or both.
      That also is like that with sound. If you feel you need two tablas use them both. The tablas indeed get a little confused with eachother and with the sitar but that what I like about it, why use two tablas if they do not do something together with the sitar. What they do might be unconventional but what Balarama Pathak was doing was also unconventional (using chords in sitar playing). I am not saying that Anouskhas music is flawless but it is fresh and that is exactly what is needed to keep a tradition alive. Listen to the best songs of John Lee hooker, he has created within the "not following the musical rules" an enormous space that has enriched musical rules enormously. Or look at the french composer Pierre Boulez in classical music. He is enormously conscious of the western classical music tradition and trough a whole new appraoch of the twelf tone system he is keeping the tradions alive, and what a monumentuos music. So anouska be glad you have the oppertunities you have, be glad you have a famous father. Be open minded and creative!
      And do not try to focus to much on trying to fully controll every note, your not alone there is the sitar too. This wil further develop the great open character of your music.
      It must be this openness which your father admires when he says you inspire him, it creates a future. Remember Pierre Boulez had many diffuculties with developing a new vocabular in a conservative classical doctrine, now he is one of the greatest composers of the 20th and 21th century.

      Bela Teeken
      Anoushka
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • Beautiful and Soothing
      • beware of darkness
      • Thank you reviewer.
      • Reviewers' Tough Love Words Missing the Mark
      • She could go places, someday
      		 Anoushka
      Anoushka Shankar
      Manufacturer: Angel Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      Similar Items:
      1. Rise
      2. Anourag
      3. Live At Carnegie Hall
      4. Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000
      5. The Sounds of India

      ASIN: B00000DCI0
      Release Date: 1998-10-20

      Tracks:

      1. Bairagi
      2. Tilak Shyam
      3. Kirwani
      4. Charukeshi
      5. First Love (Pratham Mix)

      Amazon.com

      It's hard to imagine this record's release if Anoushka were not the sitar-playing daughter of superstar Ravi Shankar. The package emphasizes Anoushka's moneyed glamour, with everything from her instrument (one of Dad's) to the material--five relatively short ragas written by her guru father--a testament to her gene pool. Anoushka's not a horrible sitar player by any stretch; she's simply nowhere near as proficient, subtle, or exploratory as most of the younger generation of classical sitarists currently recording. Tabla virtuosos Bikram Ghosh and Arup Chattopadhyay keep things moving, and the album's most honest moments arrive during Shankar's steadfast accompaniment of their solos. Nevertheless, a world of promise lies in these tracks. Richard Gehr

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Soothing.......2006-02-18

      There seems to be an ongoing battle here about Anoushka and whether or not she is talented. I have 3 of her albums and thoroughly enjoy each one. Rise is an outstanding combination of Indian and Western music that I use during therapy sessions. Her first album is grounded and solid to my ears. I have heard her father many times, in India and America, and suggest that he can be proud of both his daughter's work. If you like Indian Classical music you won't be disappointed with this album (unless perhaps you are an Indian who has a chip on your shoulder).

      4 out of 5 stars beware of darkness.......2005-09-26

      beware those who would dictate what Anoushka needs and doesn't need. The only thing she needs is to be herself and listen to the wisdom that grows inside of her. I find it pathetic, those who question the integrity of anyone who buys her music. Who cares what else I have on the shelf, or whether I know what a raga is (I do)? Anoushka is not cheating anyone here. Her music and talent are affecting and beautiful. She is beautiful as well, and certainly has experienced the West. Maybe she likes being beautiful. I first was exposed to her watching her performance on the DVD "Concert for George," in which she performs magnificently a piece her father Ravi (oops, wrote it the old Western way!) wrote for the event. She and the music were entrancing, and whether we know anything about what it was or who it compares to or not does not matter. What matters is whether we are moved, and if we are, then the music has done something vital. Anoushka should not mind her minders; she should rise above their demands and frustrations and opinions and try to find her place in the world. I miss the decency of George Harrison.

      5 out of 5 stars Thank you reviewer........2004-07-16

      I know this is not really a review of the CD but a thank you note for one of the reviewers to put the whole "Tough Love reviews" in the right perspective.

      I too feel guilty of having a harsh attitude towards artists like Anoushka, luckily I kept most of such thoughts to myself. I am glad I purchased the DVD released of Ravi Shankar where one could get a glimpse into the life of Raviji and his family.
      Most of us (those who show "tough Love syndrome" ) do that to almost all new artists. But we forget that greatness is achieved with a lot of dedication and work over time. This is precisely why there are only a few "playback singers" in BOLLYWOOD. But things are changing hopefully and newer artists are given a chance to prove themselves. If you watch the DVD, you will find that Raviji admits that he did not take Anoushka seriously earlier in her career.
      This also calles for a WWID ( What Would I Do if I was in her place ? ). If I had an amazing father like Raviji who loves me so much that he wants me to sit with him at concerts fully knowing of my capabilities? Should I say NO to the father who loves me so that my so called critics remain calm ? Hmmm...? I don't think so. I am sure it goes both ways, Raviji loves having her around too. Which father wouldn't want to see his child continue a tradition that he started or loved so much?
      Also, it must take a lot of guts for Anoushka to go through something like this knowingly.

      Musicians like Ravi Shankar play for themselves with their spirituality and hence produce beauty. If they record a few of such moments then it is our privilege to buy them at the store. I urge everyone to see that DVD, there is a shot of them sitting in a dance class, the Shankars look like such a happy family.

      3 out of 5 stars Reviewers' Tough Love Words Missing the Mark.......2004-02-02

      Your (collective) words are tough love, it's true... I think the reviewers here are correct that she has a world of growing up to do, but no need to be so harsh towards her. It is not her fault that her father is so famous, it is circumstance-- and it's not her fault that the big music corporations want to cash in on her legacy (much like sister Norah.)

      Both young women show promise, and over-exposure of an unmatured talent can negatively affect it... granted.

      But the hostility here is merely so that "others" stop giving Anoushka and her music good ratings without having greater understanding of the process behind the music.

      And yet... if the music moves someone who doesn't "understand"... well, then... it has still served its purpose, hasn't it? Music, like all art forms, like poetry and prose, cannot dictate who is allowed to enjoy or not enjoy. It is a two-way contract between giver and receiver. And if the receiver feels the magic, and has his or her emotions stirred, then the music (via the performer) has been true to its mission.

      Soon, Raviji will be gone, and if Anoushka is serious about her music and the sitar, it will be reflected in her career. For now, her "light" sound could be a blessing for those not so versed in classical Hindustani music; they could grow with her! I would urge anyone intrigued by Anoushka to continue to explore. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan or Pandit Nikhil Banerjee would be great places to continue your 'education.'

      It *should* be understood that young people cannot truly be "virtuosos" within this style of music... they simply lack the depth of experience and feeling to properly convey the nuances in the very complex musical forms. Perhaps this is why we see so many young stars in the West, where traditionally-popular music requires no such similar depth of expression.

      But with Indian classical music, even more so than western-style classical music, that depth is critical to a trained listener's ear. In this style of music, not only something so subtle as the weather or time of day affects the raga, but the very mood and character of the performer. It goes without saying that the more seasoned the human being, the greater gift they will have to give to the music in this case.

      I would say-- Do not be angry with her that she has been pushed by the machine. Be angry with her if someday she lets it ruin her chances to be a great sitar player. But wait... why be angry at all? It will have been her loss if she goes that road.

      And one cannot control what others will think of Indian classical music or Indian culture; if they are interested, they will begin that journey. But coming to a public place and harshly criticizing a young person's dress and face, etc. shows any reader something about the person who is so judgmental.

      Briefly: I won't hold it against one's *culture* if one chooses to be inflexibly unforgiving, or lacks tact and decent manners. However, I do hold the individual very responsible.

      Om Shanti

      3 out of 5 stars She could go places, someday.......2003-02-02

      Through this album, we can witness an age old Indian phenomenon-- students with great innate talent who are nurtured in music by master-musicians in their families (Raviji). Do not expect mastery, though, because she is not there yet.
      Anourag
      Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
      • Get Real!
      • No more "Beginner's Mind"
      • Disappointing!!
      • Bapi? I Got Yer Bapi Right Here.
      • Haven't heard it yet!
      		 Anourag
      Anoushka Shankar
      Manufacturer: Angel Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      5. Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000

      ASIN: B00004W47N
      Release Date: 2000-08-15

      Tracks:

      1. Shuddha Sarang
      2. Puriya Dhanashri
      3. Hamsadhwani Tabla Duet
      4. Yaman Kalyan
      5. Swarna Jayanti
      6. Pancham Se Gara

      Amazon.com

      In the two years since her debut, Anoushka, Anoushka Shankar's skills have increased greatly. She can take on these six pieces by her father, the great Ravi Shankar, which are based on traditional ragas, and make absolutely no concession to her youth. Her natural feel for the sitar and the depth of her ability are apparent from her introduction to the first tune, "Shuddha Sarang," where her runs and harmonics glide magically, leaving you wondering how one instrumentalist can produce such multilayered sounds. The spare, traditional accompaniment of tabla, tanpura (a stringed drone instrument), and mridangam (a two-headed wooden drum) leave the sitar very much in the spotlight, and Shankar's liquid, contemplative playing always shines. The highlight, however, has to be "Pancham Se Gara," on which Ravi and Anoushka duet. The master, without doubt, is still just that, but his pupil is coming along very quickly, and the joy of them making music together comes through clearly. A captivating experience. --Chris Nickson

      Customer Reviews:

      1 out of 5 stars Get Real!.......2002-12-07

      This is not good Indian classical music, this is a pretty woman with an effective PR machinery and an audience that doesn't understand the idiom. Do people who spangle five stars on this "item" collect Nikhil Banerjee and Mushtaq Ali Khan concerts? Do they have a well-stocked khyal shelf? Fat chance; probably they can't tell ragas apart, indeed don't know what a raga is.

      I don't mean Anoushka is worthless, but she's a young student, who wouldn't, and shouldn't, have been recording at all under other circumstances. Ravi is quite old; what will happen when he is gone? Will she go on and study under his more senior students? I don't think so - why should she? She has it all made already.

      Why is this a problem? Because with the publicity she gets she is held to represent an art form, a nation, a culture. It's embarassing when a schoolgirl's banalities are hailed as the pinnacle of my people's intellectual achievements. Please! To suggest this is the best we, the Indian people, can do borders on racism.

      3 out of 5 stars No more "Beginner's Mind".......2001-05-31

      This review will probably differ from the majority, but I hear something really important lost... call it "Beginner's Mind," or a certain openness to experimentation and freeform musicianship... I don't know what it is, only that Anoushka's first release seems so much 'better'. Here she tries getting fancy, this music has "attitude" and seems to have lost the simple groundedness of the original, although likely it will appeal to a much broader audience. Indeed, it seems to be *trying* to "appeal" and thereby loses all its appeal (to me). Perhaps it was inevitable -- "followups" are never the same as the original (most evident in films, but it can be noticed in music as well).

      I may be alone in this point of view, but this is an honest review from the heart, and after purchasing this CD I recommend it only if you consider 'fanciness', 'attitude' and 'mass appeal' to be 'improvements'. Otherwise, try the original!

      1 out of 5 stars Disappointing!!.......2001-04-26

      Disappointing recording!There is still a long ways to go before this artist can display any depth of Indian music!

      3 out of 5 stars Bapi? I Got Yer Bapi Right Here........2001-04-08

      This CD would be a great indroductory piece for anyone interested in Sitar/subcontinental music. The production is clear as a bell--I've been disapointed with the production on some Ravi Shankar records--and the ragas are not the 35-minute monoliths so popular on Indian records 1968-1980s. Don't get me wrong, I love Ravi's records and the full-length Indian-classical stuff. But, if you aren't sure if the music is for you, here's a great starting point.

      3 out of 5 stars Haven't heard it yet!.......2001-03-10

      I purchased "Anourag" today, but haven't opened it yet. I decided to read the reviews on this site first. The reviews are either highly favorable or very negative. It seems that the negative reviews have all been submitted by people with Indian names. I am wondering if their knowledge and understanding of the complexities of Indian music is really so much greater than that of anyone else listening to, and evaluating this music. I have heard Ravi and Anoushka Shankar play together, in person, on two occasions, and both concerts were wonderful.
      Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • Kaunshi Kanada is Outstanding!!!
      • Melodious and Mesmerizing
      • He is old.
      • An inspirational ageless wonder
      • Broad based appeal
      		 Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000
      Ravi Shankar
      Manufacturer: Angel Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      5. West Meets East: The Historic Shankar Menuhin Collection

      ASIN: B00005AKIG
      Release Date: 2001-03-27

      Tracks:

      1. Introduction
      2. Raga Kaushi Kanhara: Alap-Jor-Jhala
      3. Raga Kaushi Kanhara: Gat In Dhamar
      4. Introduction II
      5. Raga Mishra Gara: Aochar/Slow Gat & Fast Gat In Teental

      Amazon.com

      In 1938, 17-year-old Ravi Shankar made his first appearance at New York's famed Carnegie Hall as a dancer and musician in his brother Uday's troupe. After 62 years and countless performances and recordings later, the preeminent sitarist and composer could still wow a New York audience, now with his 19-year-old daughter and protégée Anoushka in tow. These performances of the nighttime raga "Kaushi Kanhara" and the light, romantic "Mishra Gara" indeed make for an evening to remember. Listening to Full Circle is a reminder of Shankar's many compositional innovations. While this is a classical recording, the master introduces elements from outside the Hindustani (i.e., North Indian) tradition--especially his widespread use of harmony in a style that, historically, is completely based on complex interplays of melody and rhythm. His unusual use of two tablas (played here deftly by Bikram Ghosh and Tanmoy Bose) builds additional excitement. And the sheer melodic inventiveness that he displays in these two ragas would be stunning from a performer half his age. Throughout, the honeyed tone and gentle spirit that pervade all of Shankar's recordings, classical or experimental, shine through brilliantly. Kudos to Angel's engineers, too, on making a remarkably full and bright recording that captures all the energy of this live concert. --Anastasia Tsioulcas

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Kaunshi Kanada is Outstanding!!!.......2006-02-28

      I am no music expert, only I listen a lot.
      The biggest reward from this particular recording is the performance of Kaushi Kanada. Ravi Shankar is always great. But he himself sometime surpasses his own high level to reach an astounding level. Yes, the Mishra Gara here is much better than Ravi Shankar's other recordings of Mishra Gara, with a lots of improvisations. But the Kaushi Kanada that he performs here... will keep you spellbound. Awesome works with the Sitar. It is astonishing how much improvisation can he make and the control he still posseses over the instrument at this age.

      A MUST for any Indian Classical Music lover.

      5 out of 5 stars Melodious and Mesmerizing.......2003-02-17

      "Because I improvise completely (of course observing all the complex discipline of the raga and tala forms) I feel constrained performing for an audience with the knowledge that it is being recorded for a DC. But luckily this time it worked!" -Ravi Shankar

      This was my introduction to Ravi Shankar, the famous sitar player born in Benares, India in 1920. He was the first Indian instrumentalist to attain an international reputation.

      It is interesting to note that in 1962 he founded the Kinnara School of Music in Bombay. In 1965, George Harrison of the Beatles studied sitar with Shankar, and Beatle recordings began featuring Harrison playing the sitar.

      "Ravi, because of his upbringing and living in Paris and traveling in Europe, could relate to all the musicians, theater people and painters he met in the West. It also made him willing to persevere to reach a mass audience, and led to the future role he would have in really bringing world music to the West." -George Harrison (1943-2001)

      As a youth, Shankar was a solo dancer who performed with his brother Uday's Indian dance troupe in Paris. He later married Ustad Allauddin Khan's daugher, Annapurna. His own daughter "Anoushka Shankar (1981-), who studied with her father, is also a virtuoso sitarist." See B00000DCI0 for an album by this artist. Here, she joins her father at Carnegie Hall where he first performed as a musician and dancer in 1938. The same year he became a pupil of the great Indian instrumentalist Ustad Allauddin Khan.

      Among Shankar's many musical compositions are the scores for the motion pictures Pather Panchali (1954) and Apu Trilogy. He has also collaborated with musicians like Zubin Mehta and with composer Philip Glass in their electronic recording "Passages (1990).

      This is music which is probably still quite exotic for many listeners, but you can be easily seduced into listening if you give the music time to weave its magic spell. As the music progresses you actually can become a bit mesmerized by the sounds of the sitar, tabla and tanpura.

      The sitar is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and was actually popularized by Ravi Shankar in the 1960s. It is a fretted string instrument with a gourdlike body and a long neck. It has from 3 to 7 gut strings, tuned in fourths or fifths or both. There is also a lower course of 12 wire strings that vibrate sympathetically with the first set.

      Shankar believes that a "raga" is an aesthetic projection of an artists inner spirit. This concert presents soothing and exhilarating blends of contemplative raga forms.

      The Hindu/Urdu word "rag" is derived from the Sanskrit word: "raga." This means color or passion. When you think of raga, think of an acoustic method of "coloring the mind of the listener with emotion." Raga is technically one of the melodic formulas of Hindu music having the melodic shape, rhythm, and ornamentation prescribed by tradition.

      The characteristics which define raga are:

      The seven notes (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni) of the Indian musical scale called "swar." The "swar" (notes) are assembled to make the scales. These scales are called "saptak."

      Modal Structure called "that." There are 32 seven-note combinations of the "swar," yet only ten are conventionally accepted as "thats."

      Number of notes used in the rag called "jati." A seven-note rag is a "sampurna jati."

      Ascending and descending structure called: "arohana/avorohana." The "arohana" is the pattern in which a rag ascends the scale. The "avarohana" describes the way a rag descends the scale.

      Important notes are called "vadi" (a note which is strongly emphasized) and "samavadi." (a note that is strong but only slightly less so).

      Characteristic movements to the rag called: "pakad" or "swarup." for instance the "Pa M'a Ga Ma Ga" is a sign for Rag Bihag. The Indian Swar (notes) are Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni.

      In addition to the main characteristics of "rag" there are some that are attributed to times of the day. There can also be male and female rags. Tradition dictates that certain rags are performed at certain times of the day, seasons or holidays. Playing rags at the wrong time may bring disharmony. At the right time they may bring harmony.

      Ravi Shankar has also been awarded an honorary knighthood by the Queen of England.

      See his autobiographies:
      My Music, My Life (1969)
      Raga Mala (1997).

      Perfect accompaniment to an Indian-inspired dinner or just when you want to take a sound journey. Also perfect for listening to while giving or receiving a massage.

      ~TheRebeccaReview.com

      1 out of 5 stars He is old........2002-06-18

      I am a great fan of Ravi Shankar but I have to admit that this is probably his worst performace that I have heard. I don't quite understand the 4 or 5 star ratings - this performance is full of flaws. It would be difficult to listen to more than 5 minutes of any part of the entire CD without pointing out atleast one flaw - and I am being generous whe I say one flaw every five minutes. He is surely a genius and my favourite sitar player. If you have some background of Indian classical music you will not want to purchace this CD - you will not even be able to listen to it once.

      4 out of 5 stars An inspirational ageless wonder.......2002-01-18

      Ravi Shankar has played Carnegie Hall numerous times but on this recording it is 62 years after his first performance, hence the title "Full Circle." His lovely daughter, a fine sitar player in her own right, San Diegan Anoushka Shankar, accompanies the master for some memorable playing. To the novice Western ears that are unacustomed to the sitar, the disc begins as though they are tuning their instruments! With a pick here and a lingering note there, the classical Indian music is both a mixture of Eastern mysticism and high energy music that sizzles. All the compositions are by the master sitar player Ravi Shankar and he demosnstrates why he is considered the best at what he does, even at his age(81) he has the dexterity and and stamina to breathe life into the guitar like instrument with incredible intensity. By the time the tablas join in the playing, the group has "warmed up" and the call and response between Ravi and daughter is nothing short of incredible. The complex classical music is explained in full detail in the accompanying insert. The two ragas are broken down into several movements within, allowing for the improvisational skills to play within the discipline of the raga. It was great to revisit the soothing yet exhilirating sounds of Ravi Shankar again and I recommend this disc to old and new fans alike. Try this disc for a trip into the soul of Ravi Shankar as he demonstrates the essence and purity of Eastern music. As explained in the informative booklet, Ravi has achieved Karmasu kausalam or " the purity of purpose, the humble intuitive pursuit of perfection." This is blissfully, joyful music that symblolizes the gifted life of Ravi come full circle, as he passes the torch to his daughter, Anoushka, for a new generation of Shankar music. If you like world music, this has a niche in your musical library, file it under good karma.

      4 out of 5 stars Broad based appeal.......2001-04-11

      If you are a fan of Ravi Shankar or of Indian music, you will enjoy both the aesthetics and the nostalgia of this disc--Ravi first played Carnagie Hall in 1938.

      If you have never listened to Indian music before, give this a try, it is mellow yet substantial, quiet yet energizing.
      Blue Moods: A Rough Guide to Soothing Eastern & Afghan Melodies
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Blue Moods: A Rough Guide to Soothing Eastern & Afghan Melodies

        Manufacturer: World Music, Int'l
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD
        ASIN: B0009K7J64

        Product Description

        It's been 20 years since Ehsan Aman last sang in Kabul, since he last watched Afghan teenagers swoon over his love ballads, dancing till dawn to his Eastern melodies. But right now, in his homemade basement studio in his Burke town house, Aman can close his eyes and imagine that scene once more: a living room in Kabul, the old tape deck hauled out of storage and one of Aman's tapes popped in, a familiar tune once more lifting a family to its feet. Aman, who has called Virginia home for more than half his life, who long ago became an American citizen, savors each news clip of Afghans celebrating liberation from the Taliban by turning up the music the repressive regime had banned. Aman's career as a musician was just blossoming in 1980 when the Afghan regime banned his songs as "anti-government" and ordered him to deliver pro-communist lyrics. Aman, then 19, a member of Afghanistan's national tennis team and a recent graduate of Kabul University's engineering school, felt cornered. He ran. After a 12-hour trek over the border, he reached Pakistan; within a year, he made it to Virginia. Here, he has established himself as one of the top pop singers in the Afghan diaspora. His hits rank in the top 10 on sites such as afghanteens .net, and he is a highly sought performer many pockets of the US and Canada. This album includes 11 Tracks of ambient music, perfect for a dinner party, background music for your busines, while exercising or doing yoga, or just for relaxing around the house.

        Music Review:

        1. Arias for Senesino
        2. Bach: Magnificat, BWV. 243; Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen
        3. Bach - Mass in B minor / Argenta, Nichols, Chance, Stafford, Milner, W. Evans, Gardiner
        4. Barber's Adagio / Munch, Galway, Boston SO Strings
        5. Bartok: The Piano Concertos
        6. Beethoven: Kreutzer, Spring Sonatas / Perlman, Ashkenazy
        7. Bernstein: Candide Overture/Symphonic Dances/Symphonic Suite/Fancy Free
        8. Bernstein Conducts Bernstein: Kaddish & Chichester Psalms
        9. Bibbidi Bobbidi Bach: More Favorite Disney Tunes
        10. Biber: The Rosary Sonatas

        Music Review

        music review

        Music Review

        Novalis [Import]

        Sims: Concert Piece; Night Piece

        The Flower of Port Williams / Chris Norman Ensemble

        Out of the darkness...into the light

        Unconditional Love/ Slowed and Chopped [Explicit Lyrics]

        The Odyssey

        Svensk Toppen [Import]

        The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning

        The Great

        Surfer Girl [Import] [Original recording remastered]

        'Round Midnight [Import]

        Shining Energy [Import]

        The Capitol

        Breakthrough

        Jazz Music jazz-music-13