February 8 and 15, 2008 at 7 PM
MELA Foundation Dream House
275 Church Street, New York
Two Concerts of Evening Ragas in the contemporary Kirana Gharana (Style) of North Indian Classical Music will be performed by La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela with The Just Alap Raga Ensemble on Friday evenings, February 8 and 15, 2008, at 9 pm in the MELA Foundation Dream House light environment, 275 Church Street, 3rd Floor. The concerts are a memorial tribute honoring two pillars of the Kirana gharana: Pandit Pran Nath’s Guru, Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan Sahib (c. 1879-1949), the greatest master of the tradition during his lifetime, and Wahid Khan Sahib’s son, master sarangi player, Ustad Hafizullah Khan (1946-2002), the late Khalifa of the gharana.
La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela will be accompanied by Jung Hee Choi and Da’ud Constant, voices, Jon Catler, fretless sustainer guitar, Naren Budhkar, tabla, and The Tamburas of Pandit Pran Nath from the Just Dreams CD. The Just Alap ensemble will perform a composition by La Monte Young featuring extended alap sections and sustained vocal drones in just intonation over tamburas.
Pandit Pran Nath has said, “Alap is the essence of Raga. When the drut [faster tempo] begins, the Raga is finished.” With the Just Alap Raga Ensemble, La Monte Young applies his own compositional approach to traditional raga performance, form and technique: a pranam (bow) of gratitude in reciprocation for the influence on his music, since the mid-fifties, of the unique, slow, unmetered timeless alap, and for one of the most ancient and evolved vocal traditions extant today. Featuring extended alap sections and sustained vocal drones in just intonation over tamburas, Young and Zazeela premiered this ensemble on August 22, 2002 in a memorial tribute marking the passing of Ustad Hafizullah Khan.
Ustad Abdul Wahid Khanís revival of the khayal at the turn of the 19th century stands, in itself, as a virtually unparalleled contribution in the recent history of Indian classical music. Although a youthful prodigy of the Kolhapur court, remaining unchallenged after his public debut there at the age of 18, he had not the inclination to spend time singing in the courts. Instead, he lived a devout, reclusive life, singing in the presence of holy men and at the tombs of Sufi saints, and only occasionally sang in public. His command of the art was of such stature that no other musician ever performed in his presence. Requiring rigorous discipline and fierce devotion, he took very few disciples; among them Pran Nath became the most important through his ceaseless practice, natural talent, and extraordinary ability to serve his teacher.
The Just Alap Raga Ensemble
La Monte Young · voice
Marian Zazeela · voice
Jung Hee Choi · voice
Da’ud Constant · voice
Jon Catler · fretless sustainer guitar
Naren Budhkar · tabla
The Tamburas of Pandit Pran Nath from the Just Dreams CD