Hindi Hussle

Pictures:

http://ups.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024432&l=6a268&id=17701665

http://ups.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024397&l=3a641&id=17701665

http://ups.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024393&l=d0ca6&id=17701665



This blog entry is mostly just links to pictures. But here is a taste of the last few days....A few nights ago we stumbled upon a music ashram in this really nice area. hardly any tourists, just beautiful alley ways with wonderful people. anyway, the tabla man was great, immediately asked us to sit and have tea with him. The room was about 12x15 square feet. He told us about his ashram, how he tours internationally and how there was a concert that night we should attend. Of course we returned later that night to find two other Americans from Lake Tahoe awaiting the performance. So five americans, four Indian dudes ranging from age 30-60, 5 tablas, 5 sitars, and loads of flutes sitting in a tiny tiny boxy room on the ground; hanging out. Thirty minutes later, after the main tabla man smoked about 5 cigarettes, after we all had our chai masala tea, after the tabla man cursed the sitar player for being late, and after he cursed all musicians for always being late, the concert began. It was more of a show case off the different instruments to try and get us to take lessons, but it was still cool. Started with Indian Oboe, then Flute, then voice and air piano, and then guitar and voice. While this one old guy was singing and playing air piano the power went out, but they just kept going. Didn't miss a beat.

My favorites were the voice and tabla and air piano trios. This guy sang a traditional Pakistani song, so beautiful. Of course the Sitar was amazing and the finale between the tabla and sitar was fantastic. All the duets were very improvisational and sometimes one person didn't agree with the style of the other, for instance the flute player kept resisting what the tabla guy wanted, and tabla guy made transitions to beats that didn't make any sense with what flutey was playing. HOwever the sitar player and the tabla player fed off each other in an almost seamless fashion. One slowed down, the other slowed down. One sped up and gained intensity, so did the other. It was amazing.

This morning we took a boat ride along the Ganga at sunrise. Painful at first, but worth it. Celebrations for Dilwali are starting which means lots of people at the river in the morning to bathe. Near one of the burning Ghats we saw a dead baby floating. I forgot to tell you that there are 4 groups of people who are not burned. Brahmins - they are all ready pure. Children - still pure. Pregnant Mothers: have pure baby inside them. Lepers- will spread disease. Anyway, so we saw a floating dead baby. It was gross. I wanted to take a picture but couldn't move.

Moving to Jaipur in a few days and camel fair at end of november.