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MAhARAJA
Sufi Desert Trance Music by Elegant Gypsy Wizards From Rajasthan
Rajasthan, the «Country of the Kings» in the desert of India, is the home of some of the richest and most diverse traditions in Indian art and culture, demarcated by the Swamps of Kutch, in Gujarat, to the South, the Arawalli Mountains to the East and the Sindh, in Pakistan, to the West.
MAharaja is a group gathering together the leading figures of the musician castes of Rajastan. Outrageously elegant and beautiful, malicious and majestic, these musicians, poets and shamans reflect in their music the sumptuous surroundings of their region. Theirs is a music of ecstasy, a whirlwind of climaxes punctuated by the gentle gesture of a breathtaking tune, an authentic magical experience.
The ancestors of these musicians played an important role in spreading the teachings of the many sects of mystics, the Sufi and Bhakti movements, through ballads and devotional songs. For the warriors, they were familiar figures on the battlefield, where their praise of past heroes and their exploits, through epic tales, plus their ridicule of the enemy, would encourage bravery and boost morale.
Living like simple villagers at heart, in the most remote areas of the desert where the 21st century does not exist, the members of MAharaja are often described as the Gypsies of Rajasthan. They are not, ethnically speaking, Gypsies, but the music they are playing today still represents what was played at the time of the great migration. In India, they are called «Kalakar,» meaning «sacred servants of the art.»
Maharaja’s music covers a vast spectrum of emotions, from profund melancholy to irrepressible joy. This heartfelt music of pure pleasure and pain is played with an impetuous spirit, an eerily beautiful, structured music with close, droning harmonies and rapid, subtle rhythms—highly communicative and captivating for audiences worldwide, though it originates from a true no-man’s-land and is unequivocally the primitive form of North Indian classical music (Jhangra). Westerners can groove to their raw, rural form of stringed qawwali blues (a sound based in Arabic, Indian and Gypsy scales), enjoy their rich and highly refined repertoire of folk, devotional, praise and epic songs, and be amazed by their visually vibrant, cinematic appeal.
«…Their devotional songs uplift and mesmerize as players come together in a frenzy, palms uplifted in supplication…» —the Independent, London
The artists of MAharaja originate from the following castes:
The Langas
Langa means «the soul soother» and refers to a group of accomplished poets, singers, musicians and genealogists hailing from the Barmer district. Langas seek the beauty of the tune—playing and singing together, they echo each other to acccentuate their common tune until it reaches a vertiginous, transcendental sound, nothing less than an true-to-life magic ritual.
They seem to have converted from Hinduism to Islam in the 17th century.
They did not traditionally use percussion instruments, and a typical Langa repertoire without percussion can still be heard today. However, the Langas are versatile players of the Sindhi saarangi and the aloogoza (double flute), which accompany and echo their formidable, magical voices.
Langas are the exclusive musicians and guardians of the oral tradition of the courts of the Sindhi Khaled, their patrons (jaajman), and perform at their births and weddings. The Khaleds are cattle breeders and land owners, and are regarded as kings in their region. Langas are given shelter on their land, eating a percentage of their harvest. This continues even today, an archaic feudal system far removed from the modernized bustle of the city. The majority of Maharaja is made up of these Langas, and it is these precious, unique masters (Ustad), certainly the best and the last, who give Maharaja its refined and original sound.
Ustad Murad Khan Langa: aloogoza
Ustad Noore Khan Langa: saarangi, vocals
Ustad Barkat Khan Langa: saarangi, vocals
Bachu Khan Langa: vocals, kartals
The Manganyars
Another caste of fine musicians and singers, who come mainly from the Jaisalmer and Barmer districts. «Manganyar» means «one who begs,» and indicates the low status of these superb artists. Also mostly converted to Islam at some time, they do still continue to sing for their Hindu «patrons» the Rajputs and Megwals, and like the Langas, are the guardians of the oral tradition of the family they belong to.
At one time, they were musicians at the Rajput courts, accompanying their chiefs to war and providing them with entertainment before and after the battles. Upon their chief’s death, they would stay and perform at the ruler’s «samadhi,» day and night, until the mourning was over.
Despite their conversion to Islam, the Manganyars retain Hindu practices and often play in Hindus Temples. Manganyar singers are spontaneous and uncontrolable, with very energetic, rhythmic elements.
Gewar Khan Manganyar: dholak
Zakab Khan Manganyar: harmonium, vocals
The Kalbelias
From the nomadic Jogi castes, who worship the Nag Deva (the Cobra), the Kalbelias are devotees of Shiva and followers of the Yogic philosophy. Men are traditionally snake-charmers, while women are dancers who perform a special, symbolic dance, pretending to transform themselves into cobras while in a trance-like state.
Sayari Sapera: dance, vocals
And from the Jaisalmer nightclubbing scene comes the one and only dancing desert drag queen, performing a whirling, trance-like danse, an illusion somewhere between human and puppet, a crossdressing confusion emphasized by the warmest winks—an incredible performer!
Queen Harish Kumar: dance
MAharaja is the new name for the Rajasthani group Musafir—all members of MAharaja performed in Musafir prior to forming this group. Within a year, MAharaja has dazzled audiences from Tokyo to San Francisco, touring alongside Taraf de Haïdouks and Fanfare Ciocarlia, on tours like the Gypsy Caravan in USA and Time of the Gypsies in Europe.
MAharaja present their first CD «786» produced by Azzouz, to be released between April and September 2002 worldwide.
«786», is the numerology which stands for the verse of Bismillah, a Muslim blessing. Astonishingly, this numerical aggregation also relates to the Hindu Lord Hare Krishna. With one number Hindus and Muslims come together.
In the desert, the people are of diverse castes and religions. This sparse population nonetheless live in an natural atmosphere of mutual support and respect, the inverse of the overflowing cities, where at the moment, religious and racial animosity are reaching an ugly crescendo.
«786» the production
«786» is the mature continuation of this group’s work since the world-acclaimed CD «Dhola Maru,» presented under a different group name. These artists accomplished about 150 performances, several world tours and various experiments before preparing an appropriate repertoire and entering the studio again
« 786 » provides an edgy response to millennial bigotry through an instintively blend of musical traditions and hard-partying attitude. It is a modern folk masterpiece, not musty ethnomusicology
«786» the tracks
1- Duun
Raagni Tilang (Danashri)
A high-pitched instrumental which evokes desert spirits awakening, riding horses to a carnival of fantasies. I wish my bird was a horse… A virtuoso tornado from its beginning to its end on the edge of eternity.
2- Torania
Raagni Kamaïti (Kamaich)
Troubadours challenge each other in a breakbeat vocal-duel duet – not unlike the back and forth freetstyles battles in hip hop - based in a typical Rajastani wedding song.
3- Maro Jailo
Raag Parbati (Malkosh)
An opium-induced erotic tale of cobras making love in the desert, in Rupag (seven beats). Blunted downtempo, Rajasthani dub and incredible layers of instrumentation blend into a unique sound texture.
4- Kanouro
Raagni Ghoon Melhar (Kedar)
The story of Khrishna’s flute thief in seven chapters of progressive music (composed by Muslims !), building to an intense, eerily spiraling, headbanging frenzy.
5- Lova Barnawa
Raagni Bermi (Bhairavi)
An instrumental on double flute, a voluptuary fall between two sounds. Feel the silence, touch the desert vibration, buy Ustad Murad Khan Langa’s first full-length solo double flute CD, released for his 50th birthday!
6- Kimero
Raagni Sorat (Pat Manjari)
Jhangra, the primitive North Indian classical music style, is displayed in this Langa classic, recorded live at Berlin world-music conference Womex.
7- Niboula
Raagni Bermi (Bhairavi)
«The Lemon,» a refreshing, energetic desert pop track, showcasing the lighthearted side of MAharaja.
8- La vie continue
An impromptu recording of a young Langa child starting his journey into the traditions of his caste. In one tiny voice, we hear the past become the future.
« 786 », The Packaging,
«Team de choc» Don Carlito Dalceggio (visionary painter, party trendsetter, poet, filmmaker and life dealer) and Tomate G4 graphic designer, both from Montréal, have created these 12 fabulous paintings and collages while touring and living with Maharaja in Europe and North America during the summer of 2001.
«786» has been nominated for best CD artwork in Canada in February 2002 in Canada. The photos were shot in NYC by Manhattan-based Taiwanese glamour maven Dah Len.
MAharaja’s members are open to many creative possiblities, and are working on various side projects, such as :
MAharaja Flamenca featuring Paco Jarana, Arcangel, and Segundo Falcon, the premiere of which was presented at Womex 2000 in Berlin and was reported to be the highlight of the world-music conference’s showcases.
MAharaja Murad Khan Langa, the double flute master of MAharaja, presents his first solo album for his 50th birthday, to be released in May, 2002, by Azzouz. Discover the distance between two sounds…
MAharaja in Bakuza, a sound-remix and visual project initiated by Azzouz and visual artist Don Carlito Dalceggio and numberous G4 creators worldwide, is an urban transformation of Maharaja’s music and visuals into erotic, illbient Oriental images and sounds.
Barnawa Maharajas—the Langas are the exclusive musicians, storytellers and genealogists to the court of the Khaled, a caste of Muslim Sindhi land owners and farmers. What sort of music does a Khaled like to listen toNULL Find out when this aspect of MAharaja is presented for the first time at Le Théâtre de la Ville, in Paris, next October, 2003.
MAharaja is touring worldwide from April until late October, 2002
Glossary
Aloogoza, or Pava Jodi
A pair of wooden tubes, separate but played simultaneously. This particular technique involves rhythmic blowing through the melody pipe, while a sustained breath passes through the drone pipe. This rudimentary instrument invites the most effusive virtuosity.
Dholak
A horizontal, medium-sized drum on which the two skins are attached by thongs and tightened by sliding knots which modify the pitch. The two skins generate opposite sounds—one dry and clear, the other deep and resonant. They are struck by the fingertips and the palm of the hand, and played sitting down.
Dua
A poetic, modal vocal intro.
Kartals
A pair of doubled wooden tablets, held one in each hand and snapped together by the alternating opening and closing of the fingers. This is accentuated by strange and fascinating body movements, with sweeping gestures of the arms the body mimicing the emotional flow of the music.
Pungi
A type of shenaï (flute) for snake charmers, suitable for rhythmic and melodic improvisation, played with one continuous breath. It is composed of three distinct sections—an intake pipe, leading to a large and ornate reservoir, which itself leads to two pipes containing fine bamboo reeds and pierced by seven holes for melody and three tonal holes. The three sections are attached together with wax.
Raag
Literally «the story»—the modal scales of Indian music. There are six principal raags, from which spring 30 «raagnis.» Raagni is the feminine form of raag—just as words can have, in some languages, masculine and feminine character, so can Indian music be divided.
Sindh
The desert region covering the south-east of Pakistan and the north-west of Rajasthan.
Saarangi
The principal stringed instrument, played with a bow, of North India. Its gorgeous sound is remarkably expressive, approximating the human voice. Played sitting down and held vertically, it rests between the thing and ear of the musician, and is often richly decorated, with a delicately sculpted upper pegboard to which four melodic gut strings are attached. Below is a resonating box carved out of wood in the form of a figure 8. Numerous secondary strings, of metal, are strung under the melodic strings and attached by pegs to the sides of the neck. A wide variety of craftsmen manufacture saarangis in India, giving them different sounds and playing techniques. Maharaja’s Barkat and Noore Khan Langa play the Sindhi saarangi.
Text by Arnaud Azzouz
Proof reading : Rupert Bottenberg
Management :
Azzouz in istanbul
Tel : + 90 536 838 59 28
e-m : azzouz@mymaharaja.com