Friday, May 21, 2010

CD Review: Shweta Jhaveri's Classical Voice of India


Prabandh: Classical Vocal Forms of North India
21st Century Cosmos

North Indian classical vocalist Shweta Jhaveri presents listeners with a deeply meaningful and harmoniously moving selection of traditional vocal ragas. Prabandh can be translated as a structured vocal composition for raga and tala (rhythm). As with most traditional Indian music albums, the drone of the sitar and the muted sounds of the tabla drums are iconic fixtures of South Asian musical repertoires. The sarangi, harmonium, pakhavaj, swarmandal, and tanpura are also used. However, in this case, Shweta's emotive vocals fit superbly with the background instrumentation. Shweta's vocals are suprisingly indicative of Sheila Chandra or Kiran Ahluwalia. Liner notes contain information on various Hindustani, or North Indian classical vocal forms with track listing. Prabandh is a richly composed album of expert musicianship, serene vocals, and a great introduction into the world of North Indian classical music. ~ Matthew Forss

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