Year 5
❤️ Cycle A ❤️
Genre: World Music Traditions
Style: Indian Classical & Bhangra
Composers:
Kishori Amonkar (India)
Bhujhangy Group (Punjab / Birmingham)
Kishori Amonkar is one of Hindustani music’s finest classical singers was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. She is a specialist in the khyal style (emotion and improvisation) – she was known for her rich, soulful voice. She combined innovation with tradition and was sometimes criticised for this. She played the swarmandal – An Indian harp with up to 40 strings which are plucked and lost her voice completely for two years in the middle of her career! A determined yet private musician – she fought for a female musician’s right to equal pay.
Bhujhangy Group was founded in Birmingham in 1967. They were named Bhujhangy – meaning “kids” – as they were still teenagers. The groups families all came from the Punjab region of eastern Pakistan and north-western India. The group had always been interested in western music as well as traditional Punjabi music, learning to play the guitar, banjo, accordion and synthesiser as well as the dhol, tumbi and dholak. Their early 1970 single ‘Bhabiye Akh Larr Gayee’ was the first recording to combine traditional Asian sounds with modern western musical instruments – a momentous step in the development of bhangra. Before this, bhangra was a style of dance from the Punjab.
Bhujhangy Group are from near Birmingham and created their own Bhangra style of music inspired by the Bhangra dance style. Their families are originally from the Punjab Region.
The Berklee Indian Ensemble (based in Berklee University, USA has teamed up with renowned Indian composer and vocalist, Shankar Mahadevan to perform this Indian Classical / Jazz Fusion piece. Can you spot the Jazz influences?
Composed by John McLaughlin of Mahavishnu Orchestra, “5 Peace Band” was most notably performed by ‘Remember Shakti’, the reformation of 1970s indo-jazz fusion group, ‘Shakti’.
Led by John McLaughlin (guitar) and Zakir Hussain (tabla) and U Srinivas (Rehearsal recorded live) (1995)
❤️ Music Lesson ❤️
featuring Kishori Amonkar
❤️ Further Listening ❤️
John McLaughlin – guitar
Jan Hammer – keyboards
Jerry Goodman – violin
Rick Laird – bass
Billy Cobham – drums
❤️ Further Study ❤️
This is the instrument that Kishori Amonkar is playing in the video above.
Lesson Resources:
https://www.classroom200.org/lesson-plans/93
https://www.classroom200.org/lesson-plans/65