Hemant – an evening Raga

The cover of the CD reproduces original artwork by Robert Feintuch. Mr. Feintuch is a New York artist whose paintings and drawings are exhibited in solo shows at galleries in the U.S. and Europe.

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Raga Hemant -an evening melody

1. Alap & Jor
2. Gat in slow Jhaptal (10 beats)
3. Gat in medium Teental (16 beats)
4. Gat & Jhala in fast Etkal (12 beats)

Total Time: 63 Minutes

Digital Recording from a concert
in Gelterkinden, Switzerland on Feb. 5, 1995
CD mastering: Jörg Jecklin

Ken Zuckerman is internationally acclaimed as one of the finest sarod virtuosos performing today. He has completed thirty-two years of training under the rigorous discipline of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and has performed with Maestro Khan in numerous concerts in Europe, India, and the United States. In addition to an extensive performance schedule, Ken Zuckerman directs the Ali Akbar College of Music in Switzerland in Basel and is also a teacher at the Music Academy of Basel where he conducts courses in both North Indian classical music and the music of the Middle Ages.

In his hands one can hear the essence of the gharana. Ken Zuckerman has been a disciple of the sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, for the last 30 years. Within that period he has risen from a mere curious foreigner interested in fathoming the secrets of the exotic East and its equally exotic musical fare, to being one of the foremost performers of the art. Subhra Mazumdar, The Hindustan Times, Feb.10, 1996

The impossible becomes achievable when unbounded capacity for hard work is coupled with talent of a high order. Few can hope to plumb the depths of the ocean that is Indian classical music; most barely skim the surface. Listening to Ken Zuckerman on the sarod at the India International Centre, one was humbled by the realisation of just how long and hard he must have worked to provide such aesthetically articulate music. One was awed by the quality of his talent, for boundaries of country, language and custom were swept away by the passion of his determination to master not only a difficult, fretless instrument, but also the mysteries of classical music.

Ken has achieved what very few Indians have – become a worthy disciple of Guru Ali Akbar Khan. Surely this is the highest tribute a student can pay a teacher; to prove himself worthy of receiving knowledge and utilising it to the full. It is also the acid test of a Guru, to be able to inspire a disciple to such heights of excellence.
Bandana Malhotra The Hindustan Times, Jan.30, 1996

Mid-Day, August 2., 1997 Mumbai
This is the second recording of Basle-based American sarod virtuoso Ken Zuckerman. Indian connoisseurs of Hindustani music are by now familiar with his concert music. The fact that he makes annual concert tours of this country is a measure of his growing popularity.

Zuckerman is among the seniormost and leading disciples of the sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan, who has settled in America since 1968, on a permanent teaching mission. That the Ustad’s mission has not been in vain is proved by his disciples like Zuckerman.

The raga Hemant is an innovation credited to the great Acharya Allauddin Khan of Maihar and Zuckerman’s guru’s guru. The artist has chosen to devote the entire cassette to the exploration of this charming melody which is, incidentally, based on a live recital.

The visualisation is authentic. The opening passages in alap, jod and jhala show the variety and range of his imagination. The gats in slow, medium and fast tempo strike us with their clarity, vigour and speed, but are tempered with a great degree of caution and circumspection. There is a good balance of viruosity and lyricism in the process of unfolding – indeed an achivement for a foreigner.

Mohan Nadkarni

ABHIJIT BANERJEE

Born in 1963, Abhijit Banerjee began learning Tabla at the age of four from Sri Tushar Kanti Bose. Later he studied under Sri Manik Paul and then came under the guidance of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. As a child, he won many of India’s most prestigious competitions for Tabla, and today is well known both as an accompanist and soloist. He has also had training in Hindusthani Vocal music from Sri Ajoy Chakraborty and is presently a student of Smt. Annapurna Devi on violin. Abhijit has toured extensively in Europe, the USA and Canada, with many artists including Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Begum Parween Sultana and Viswa-mohan Bhatt.

The sarod, a 25 stringed, skin-faced lute, has evolved over centuries to become one of India’s most dynamic instruments. Its rhythmic power, combined with quick glissandi and long sustaining tones, make it one of the most unique sounding instruments in the world today.

I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Ustad Ali Akbar Khan for all his patient teaching and guidance during the past 24 years, and for his readiness to continually address and inspire the beginner in us all. Kz

The cover artwork

The cover of the CD reproduces original artwork by Robert Feintuch. Mr. Feintuch is a New York artist whose paintings and drawings are exhibited in solo shows at galleries in the U.S. and Europe. Feintuch is represented in New York by CRG Gallery. Friends since early childhood, Ken Zuckerman and Robert Feintuch have remained in touch over the years and were both enthusiastic when the opportunity for a collaboration arose.