Kanjira Help

edpias · Post by **edpias** » 07 Jun 2009, 22:20

I am wondering if there are any books available on kanjira, technique and compositions, and, can anyone recommend sites to early carnatic music recordings, I am to hear some of the older generation kanjira players.

Thank you.

sramaswamy · Post by **sramaswamy** » 09 Jun 2009, 21:45

The largest archive for carnatic music available now is

http://sangeethapriya.org

However the main search available is on Main Artiste. There is a simple search available on keywords on the main page. Some of the song names include the artiste names in the filename. You can try searching using artiste names as the keyword.

These are some of the Kanjira artistes that I know of. Warning My knowledge is very limited.

1) G.Harishankar - presumably considered to be the greatest Kanjira Artiste
2) H.P.Ramachar

From the current generation

1) B.S.Purushottham
2) Nerkunam Sankar - if I am not mistaken, he is a member here)
3) Abhishek Raghuram

Others may please add to the list.

A web search landed me on this DVD

http://www.ganeshkanjira.com/dvd.php

I have no idea about the quality or contents of the DVD.

you can use Youtube and search using the keywords. There are quite number available there.

iamkirinlemon · Post by **iamkirinlemon** » 21 Dec 2009, 21:24

Go to this page for a good who's-who of Khanjira players: http://www.nscottrobinson.com/framedrummers.php

It goes without saying that you should listen to G. Harishankar and V Nagarajan. Harishankar will show you how high the bar can be set. Nagarajan will show you a very different playbook for how to still be dynamic and effective even opposite top mridangists.

From the current era, I like

B. Shreesunderkumar (of all current artists, comes closest to capturing Harishankar's aesthetics)
Abhishek Raghuram ('coached' by Harishankar, and of course grandfather Palghat Raghu ... mainly a vocalist though)
B. S. Purushothaman
K. V. Gopalakrishnan
Anirudh Athreya

You can also try listening to Selvaganesh and Ganesh Kumar. Very different style, better suited for fusion concerts than for Carnatic music.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 21 Dec 2009, 21:57

iamkirnlemon
How about alAthur rAjaganesh who I thought plays really well, he is not seen through out in concert circuit but certainly comes during kutcheri season

iamkirinlemon · Post by **iamkirinlemon** » 21 Dec 2009, 23:31

rajeshnat

I have not heard enough of Alathur Rajaganesh yet to have an informed opinion. My list is certainly not meant to be exhaustive though .. just a starting point.

pspfan · Post by **pspfan** » 24 Jan 2010, 01:45

Another fantastic kanjira player of this generation is Amrit from Bangalore. He has released a kanjira DVD you may want to check it out..
http://www.omradio.com/video.php

He's another one from the Harishankar school. He does great justice to it along with the likes of shreesundarkumar and others.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 24 Jan 2010, 02:27

iamkirinlemon wrote:Go to this page for a good who's-who of Khanjira players: http://www.nscottrobinson.com/framedrummers.php

What an astonishing monument to the frame drum: the simple wooden frame with a stretched skin! Many thanks for that link

Possibly the longest single web-page I ever saw --- it covers the artists who specialise in kanjira's brother's, sisters, and cousins from all over the world. Kanjira is covered with some depth, and it is amazing that he has given so much detail of Indian musicians, their lives and teachers within a whole-world site.

One special treat is a 5-yr-old UKS, paying kanjira.

Anyone with even a passing interest in percussion (and an hour or so to spare!) should follow that link.

babaji · Post by **babaji** » 27 Jan 2010, 12:08

Scott robinson has done a good job i heard from someone that he once said that he will give his life just to listen to harishankars music being played anywhere. Though it was just candid, appreciations are due to the person whose deep interest in laya inspires me.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 27 Jan 2010, 23:41

I went back for another look after posting the above. The frame-drum page is only one of the sections; apart from another section devoted to South Indian percussion, there is extensive coverage of other instruments in the world too.

I just have to correct what I said above...

Anyone with even a passing interest in percussion (and at least a couple of hours to spare!) should follow that link.

Another Westerner with extensive knowledge is Pete Lockett. On his website, his Kanjira Page features an introduction to playing the instrument