Flutes Over Bombay

VIJAY RAGHAV RAO
Flute and Sitar Music of India (Empire Musicwerks)

Every song in the Indian classical tradition tells a story. “Raga Malkauns” is the tale of Siva performing Taandava, a dance to invoke self-satisfaction and inner conquest. It is believed, if performed correctly, the raag conjures helpful spirits. Listening to Vijay Raghav Rao’s performance of this 34-minute edition, his audience must certainly have concurred. Long out of print, this four-track recording opens with this gorgeous flute backed only by the traditional drone and then, suddenly, an emphatic tabla. It is a meditation on pure sound, delightful and introspective. For Rao, who studied under sitar maestro Ravi Shankar for 30 years, this recovered album is a prime entry point to the man betrothed with numerous sonic accolades, including the performance of India’s National Anthem in 1947 Delhi after British occupation ended and serving as musical conductor for the film Ghandi. The following songs include a two-part suite for sitars, and a closing meditation raga. That last track, like the first, is a slow moving beauty, though here, due to the sitar’s high-pitched strums, the archaic recording system rears its distorted head. The middle songs seem oddly out of place: backed by a large, cinematic folk ensemble, the entire vibe goes from relaxed to chaotic, also suffering from poor recording quality. Obviously this half-century old recording did not have digital access, but in some ways the first and last song would have sufficed as one record, the middle another. The latter would be an enjoyable, though somewhat generic, output. The true genius of Rao’s work shines in the analog glory of his passionate flute playing. In the yogic devotional tradition there is no separation between the player and music played – the very sound of their instrument is divine. Rao’s interpretation of this seminal piece is proof positive.