5 Ragas (ARC Music, 2008)
The sarangi is a beautiful Indian musical instrument. It is bowed and produces a spacey evocative sound that makes you dream and wonder. The liner notes on the CD 5 Ragas explain how a poet, inspired by the hypnotizing beauty of the sarangi’s sound, said: "The Sarangi? No, because of its innumerable beautiful tone colours, it is verily the ‘Saurangi’– Meaning full of hundreds of colors".
On 5 Ragas, three generations of sarangi maestros perform together, accompanied by tabla. The four piece ensemble is formed by members of the Sabri Family: Ustad Sabri Khan (sarangi), Kamal Sabri (sarangi), Suhail Yusuf Khan (sarangi), Sarvar Sabri (tabla).
The Sabri Family selected a collection of ragas (also spelled raags) representing various moods and seasons. "Raag Megh" is played during the rainy monsoon season in India and has a romantic mood. "Raag Mian Ki Malhar" is an evening raga. On "Tabla Solo Shikhar Tala" Savar Sabri uses 17 beats, which is an unusual time cycle. "Raag Adana" is a night raga, and "Raag Pancham" is a rarely heard morning raga.
The CD comes with extensive liner notes, in four languages, about The Sabri Family and the sarangi.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
