Paris To Calcutta: Men And Music On The Desert Road

Deben Bhattacharya

Sublime Frequencies

‘Deben Bhattacharya (1921–2001) was a highly influential field recordist, poet, filmmaker, musicologist and amateur ethnomusicologist, based in Calcutta and Paris. He produced a vast number of LPs, CDs, videos and radio shows of traditional music from India, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
‘Never before published, Paris To Calcutta features over four hours of music and is Deben’s impressionistic account of a 1955 journey overland, in a converted milk delivery van, from France to India, collecting and exploring music along the Desert Road.
‘With four CDs of recordings, photographs, Deben’s original recording notes, musical transcriptions and more. An amazing glimpse into a time long gone and essential listening for anyone interested in folk and world music traditions.’

• Students of the Salonica Quaker Girl's School - Dance of Jerissos (Ierissos)
• Saban Akdao, cümbüs - Çiftetelli (gazel)
• Hasan Sayin, singer; Reza Argin, zurna; Jumma Ali, dhavul - Untitled
• Vakkas Kaplan, zurna; Feizi Kaplan, dhavul - Mahlo: Song of the Highway Men Hüseyin Eroglu, vocals, cura saz - Karacaoglan
• Raif Karsligil, unaccompanied vocals - Karayilan (Black Snake)
• Imam and congregation of the mosque at Kilis - Mevludin Nebevi (the prophet's birth) Performer unknown - Folksong from Outebeh, vocals and rababa (one stringed fiddle) Performer unknown - Bedouin Melody, Shebbabeh (flute) and darabuka (drum)
• Performer unknown - Bedouin dance from Katana
• Dervish worshippers in the house of Sheikh Saud Mawlawi - Maqam rasd (In praise of the prophet)
• Performer unknown - Sabah, played on the Ney (flute)
• Nour Hanbali, qanun; Antone Noweh, oud; Doureid Laham, darabuka - Suite in maqam rasd featuring Bashraf Sama'i Taatyus and Andalusi Muwashshah
• Performer unknown - Taqsim (improvisation) on violin
• Hazim, rebab (bowed spike fiddle) - Ballad of the Shahlaan Family
• Unidentified coffee grinders (two different grinders, switching hands halfway through) - Bedouin coffee grinding beats
• Suleiman and friends, accompanied by rebab - Hijeni (a love song often sung while riding away on a horse)
• Al-Haj Hashim Mohammad, santoor (hammered dulcimer); Shu'aib Ibrahim, joza (Iranian rebab); Abdul-Karim Al Azawi, dumbuk - Sharqi Dokah (love song)
• Shu'aib Ibrahim, joza - Taqsim in maqam ajam
• Al-haj Hashim Mohammad Al-rejab, santoor; Shu'aib Ibrahim, joza; Abdul-Karim Al-Azawi, dumbuk - Maqam hadidi
• Khalil Akrawi, vocals, spoons - Kasam-e-Meru (excerpt from a 25-minute piece)
• Ostad Zareen Panje Bel - Tar solo in humayun dastgah
• Gulfa-e-Ghani and Zareef, zarb - Train rhythm imitation
• Ostad Abol-Hassan Saba - Setar improvisation in mahour dastgah
• Sher Khoda, zarb - Shahnama
• Darioosh Sefvat - Santoor solo in isfahan dastgah
• Hamedanian, zarb - Baba Karam
• Shapoore Delshadi, tar - Tar solo in isfahan dastgah
• Eskandare Ebrahimi and Orchestra - Humayun
• Eskandare Ebrahimi - Setar improvisation in mahour dastgah
• Muhammad Hussein, zurna (horn); Dost Muhammad, dhol (kettle drum) - Atan (dance song)
• Dost Muhammad, dhol - Battle rhythm
• Abdul Kader, solo voice - Love song from Herat
• Performer unknown - Nose flute improvisation
• Performers unknown, harmonium, tabla - Sikh song on Hindu-Moslem unity
• Saroj Narang - Simla folk song
• Jyotish CH. Choudhury, sitar - Raga zila
• Kalipada Das, flute; unknown, anandalahari (friction drum) - Methosur (rural folk song)
• Unknown performers, clarinet and drum - Improvisation on film tune
• Bhona, sitar; Mangal Mukerjee, ghara (claypot drum) - Raga kafi
• Jai Chand Bhagat and Babu, vocals, cymbals, ektara - Bhajan (devotional song) Jai Chand Bhagat and Babu - Bhajan (devotional song)
• Temple bells and drums