Sublime Frequencies
V.A. : Bollywood Steel Guitar (IND,1962-1986)****°
Not too long after having heard the ‘Phantom Guitars’ collection of early 60s guitar instrumental groups from the UK, to my surprise, Sublime Frequencies published a comparable but more exotic collection of Indian examples of steel string guitarists, while this is also ranging beyond that early instrumental guitar period, simply because the guitar driven styles evolved with the changes of times even up to the eighties, with the same essence. The featured tracks I assume were mostly instrumental versions of popular songs from Indian movies (-I recognized at least one tune, “Jan Pahechan Ho”, which I heard before in a different version, with vocals-).
Different from what I have heard from other far eastern countries is that the interpretations popular dance styles isn’t just odd, or even charmingly wrong, but is truly their own true and often unique interpretation, only in some early stage just slightly based upon imitation, but always at least with this extra factor which allows the musicians to add and evolve their own skills and interpretations with a typical Indian flavour and background. It is obvious that some of these artists had already a lifetime of training in mostly Indian classical music before they switched instruments. The earliest examples features accordion as well as steel string guitar, with drums or exotic orchestrated percussion, while throughout the examples of the 70s the importance of the accordion will be replaced by a swirling organ, and the percussion becomes more based upon classical Indian music styles. Therefore it is great to see that for this wonderful, well compiled collection, the time order is respected.
Included are four tracks from Van Shipley, from which the liner notes mention that his earliest steel guitar recordings were from 1940, recorded on a self-built 8-string steel guitar, which he built after having experienced a Gibson guitar with an inner need to change its sound to make it more suitable for Indian styled music. (I read that later, he designed an electric violin too, when he studied violin with a German master after this first period of steel string dedication). The earliest recording of Van Shipley on the compilation dates from 1962. It is led by accordion, with additional Indian percussion, and slide guitar. Then are listed several, somewhat comparable or rather similar in style tracks dating from 1965 to more or less 1968, and which starts from the Twist boom and the early ‘guitar instrumental’ period which I have mentioned before.
The guitar on the earliest track from Kazi Aniruddhna, he plays in a different way compared to Western Twist & Rock’n Roll, with funny swinging effects that makes the style sound more like a funny Country Twist with Indian flavour. 4 tracks of his are included. Instruments played on this early period were more often swinging honky tonk drums or orchestral exotic percussion and some bass, slide guitar, accordion and sometimes vibes. The earliest S.Hazarasingh track features also some clarinet solos. He’s featured with 4 tracks in total. Another artist is Kazi Aniruddha. The style of the listed tracks change a bit around 1968, where they thoroughly become more Indian styled, in an exotic way, showing a Hawaiian guitar effect on the slide guitar or pedal steel guitar, using more complex percussion, while increasing the filmic orchestral effect, still with some importance to accordion at first. From Kazi Aniruddha five tracks are used. The first track from Sunil Ganguly, from 1970, is also the first with some sitar touches. By this time the general style sounds much more Bollywood music as we are used to it, and this time features also tabla, while still leaving the eclectic guitar solos, in a more Indian style of playing. Also from this artist four tracks are included. The second track from Kazi Aniruddhna features for the first time some organ, replacing a bit the accordion. Charanjit Singh’s track is a bit more groovy rock and shows a very different guitar style, with additional accordion, electric bass, percussion drums, and trumpet solos. From him two tracks are listed, of which the second sounds like exotic Indian Hawaiian filmic dance music. Kazi Aniruddha’s track from 1973 is more exotic psych. Van Shipley’s track from 1976 after this, sounding like a slowed down belly dance, with certain psych effect, and is played with lead solos of guitar/organ and mandolin. Also the following tracks are somewhat slow dance music with similar effect and arrangements ; they sound more open, relaxed and 70s styled compared to the compact swings of the early 60s. On the Sunil Ganguly track after this I also hear a wahwah-alike sound which might be an analogue keyboard, and a second, more psych styled guitar ; anyhow : it features new ideas that were more typical for those years. Then we hear another change. A bit funky and with light disco rhythm on drums and with high tones violins and funny short powowow effects (all in this disco context) is the great Kazi Arindam track from 1984, still with electric slide guitar solos, and some swirling organ. Even more different is the last track from Gautam Dasgupta with its own kitschy disco associations, and with fast keyboards portions, while not forgetting the surf guitar and exotic percussion, giving a unique vision to what came from disco pop but became something else in Indian musical ears.
A wonderful collection. I miss a bit the history of where the tracks come from, but a few covers can be seen on the back of the CD.
(which you can eventually order on a costumized CD)
