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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 Rajasthan. 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
Click
here to see Sayari in action
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
Click
here to see Queen Harish in action
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.
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, Langas the Masters of Jhangra. A Shamanic Hypnose
in sounds. The Healing sounds of Rajasthan desert
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