Shri Durga (India): DJ Cheb I Sabbah: Amazon.ca: Music

1. Shri Durga

2. Kese Kese

3. Mere Kabu

4. Maheshvara Yogi

5. Ganga Dev

6. Radhe Krishna, The Sahajiya Rasa Lila Mix: Divine Pastime Based On Raag Kirvani - DJ Cheb I Sabbah

7. Durga Puja

Product Description

From Amazon.com

If there's one hallmark of the global DJ culture, at least outside of the Jamaican tradition, it's youth. European and North American DJ projects all smack of the artists growing into a scene that's resolutely alternative to any singular, pop-tune-oriented mainstream (commercial, even radio, successes notwithstanding). And DJ Cheb i Sabbah might mix tracks like he's got the youthful bug, but in truth he's been spinning tables since the mid-1960s, moving from Paris to the Living Theatre to, ultimately, San Francisco. This collection extends his art form into one of the most extensible musical forms around, Indian-Pakistani ragas and vocal workouts. Cheb i Sabbah makes swirls of found sounds and altered percussion warps amid the drones and cyclic patterns that infuse the seven episodes here. He's expert at contrasting a drop-time rhythm with flighty violin, using the drone to prismatically spread the ear's intake of sound. Then there are the vocals, which Cheb i Sabbah manages to work in almost polyphonically on the bases of contrast and juxtaposition without ever extracting them from their core role. In fact, despite the DJ moniker and approach, this is a collection that the fan of Sufi devotionals, ragas, and even Indian film music will find fascinating. --Andrew Bartlett

Product Description

San Francisco's DJ Cheb i Sabbah bends and twists Hindustani ragas into the modern world of sequencing and sampling for an intriguing snapshot of ancient India seen through modern eyes--fascinating for both its incredible musical artistry and beautiful Hindu spiritualism. Plucking the sounds of drone, sitar, tabla, vocal, and other instrumentation from classic Indian recordings, DJ Cheb opens the modern universe of ambient and dance music through the gates of traditional masters, creating one of the most innovative albums of 1999. --Karen K. Hugg

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Customer Reviews

35 Reviews

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3 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (35 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars "Everything is closer than you think.", Mar 14 2003

By

spiral_mind (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shri Durga (India) (Audio CD)

Rhythm, earthy and deep.. vocals, soaring in wordless praise.. a musical approach that blends different traditions into a beautifully seamless whole. I'm a complete neophyte when it comes to the various musical traditions of Indian culture, so I'm sure I don't even understand the extent of what DJ Sabbah has done here. I just know that Shri Durga is as accessible as it is faithfully traditional, and as hypnotic as it is organic. As you've probably read by now, it's something of a blend of classical ragas, performed by a cast of Hindu and Muslim musicians, with an element of modern techno.. but very light on the techno. If you want a helping of raga and tala suitable for the club dance floor, try Maha Maya (Cheb's mix-oriented followup to this) or anything by Talvin Singh or Tabla Beat Science. This disc is for relaxing, for sleeping, for meditating or just quietly chilling out.

The element of electronica is not always even noticeable - "Kese Kese"'s slight touch of mixology could just as easily be mistaken for handclaps in the background. "Maheshvara Yogi" is ten minutes of hypnotic meditation, its vocal chants easily gliding through space with all the time in the world to spare, without any techno accompaniment at all. Then, right away, "Ganga Dev" and "Radhe Krishna" provide some of the most propulsive beats on the disc (though still not overriding the primal earthy rhythm that forms the basis of all the music in the first place). The entire offering is a marvelous buffet of reverent chants in the classic tradition, while the techno element is never more than a subtle seasoning. Cheb's mixing contribution isn't limited to the subdued beats either: he samples Muslim prayers, "mantric ambiances" from India, and various public chants and rituals to join with his own compositions.

Looking for an exotic/calming listening experience? You can't go wrong with either of DJ Cheb i Sabbah's 'regular' albums. Between this and Krishna Lila, I can't even pick a favorite. Want to get up and shake something? Then pick Maha Maya to start. They're all full of beauty well worth hearing, and as foreign as this whole style may sound, there's something immediate about it that makes it accessible to anyone with open ears. Everything is closer than you think.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the hype...., Jan 27 2003

By

George True "thoreau247365" (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Shri Durga (India) (Audio CD)

I have many "Ethno-Techno" albums and this is not one of the best ones. Maybe "D.J" stands for "Doesn't Jam", because the until the 5th track (and there are only 7) the DJ doesn't show up. The fusion of Indian and electronica is done much better on many more albums. If you have Joi, Midival Punditz, Tabla Beat Science, Badmarsh & Shri, Karsh Kale (try Redesign)or others, than don't count on this album delivering the same. Do your self a favor, pick up any one of those artists mentioned first before you buy this.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Psychedelic yogis, April 29 2002

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jumpy1 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shri Durga (India) (Audio CD)

Really respectful remixes of traditional performances. There are even sound bites of local color. Each listen reawakens my wonder of India, its steadfast traditional life and religious practices. It's very low-key though -- don't expect the fast, western-influenced stuff you might find on "Spirit of India" or "Karma Collection."

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars unbelievably balanced east/west synergy
I listen to this album at least once a week -- 2 years after buying it!

Published on Feb 22 2002 by Alan K. Eyzaguirre

5.0 out of 5 stars This is unlike anything I have ever heard
This cd is simply wonderful. I am new to Asian Underground. I heard this cd in a yoga class and WOW! It is tradtional with slow techno thrown in. Read more

Published on Jan 13 2002 by Barbara