Deben Bhattacharya - Paris to Calcutta: Men and Music on the Desert Road (2018)

An unmissable glimpse into the archives of world renowned field recordist and ethnomusicologist Deben Bhattacharya, whose work is a huge influence on Sublime Frequencies. Respect is due...

“Deben Bhattacharya (1921–2001) was a field recordist, poet, filmmaker, musicologist and amateur ethnomusicologist, based in Calcutta and Paris. Highly influential, it would not be too bold a stretch to say that his work shaped how we listen to the world: he produced a vast number of LPs, CDs, videos and radio shows of traditional music from India, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe from 1953 until his death in 2001.

Never before published, Paris to Calcutta: Men and Music on the Desert Road features over 4 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 from Europe into India.

An amazing glimpse into a time long gone and essential listening for anyone interested in folk and world music traditions. Produced and edited by Robert Millis (Indian Talking Machine and Victrola Favorites).”

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