Phase 6: India, North Thailand (Issan) and the Armenian douduk (Autumn 2016)


In the last round of responses, Rasch, Haaland, and Welsh travelled together. A response session with the Armenian douduk player Rasho Dlovani was recorded at a studio in Germany before the journey continued to Mumbai in India. Listen to Dlovani in Bånsullar

 





















Here are a couple of video clips in which responses were given by Sraboni Chaudhuri on vocals, Anubrata Chatterjee on tabla, Ravi Chary on sitar, and Sandeep Mishra on the Indian traditional Sarangi. They are all highly regarded masters of their tradition. Just listen to this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously, we have made recordings with Thai traditional musical instruments from the southern part of the country. During this session, we wanted to invite a separate tradition - the Isan style of music – which is a significant part of the culture of Northern Thailand, in which many of the instruments are shared in common with Lao traditional music, such as Khean and Ponglang. We recorded several instrumental responses at a local studio in Udon Thani, as well as the seventy-two-year old legend Boonchung Dandung on vocals. In the Isan tradition, the vocals are always performed with the instrument Khean - and that was indeed what Boonchung wanted to do with the various responses. Here is an example with Pongsapon Upani on Khean:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to them all performing on Nils, Jens and Geidaug