Vocal Raga / Le chant de raga

Damal Krishna Pattamal
w/ D.K. Jayaraman (vocal support), Anantha Krishnan (violin), I. Sivakumar (mridangam)
Arion 64520

Contents:

1. Birana Varalicci - Kalyani/Adi - Shyama Shastri (20'16)
2. Shri Jalandharam - Gambhira Natai/Adi - Jayachamaraja Wadiar (12'48)
3. Varnam: Sami Dayajuda - Kedaragowla/Adi - Tiruvettiyur Tyagayya (4'58)
4. Sujana Jivana Rama - Kamas/Rupaka - Tyagaraja (4'58)

Sound quality: generally a very good remaster (tampura too loud & digital glitch near the beginning of track #1)

Original recording: 1977 (Rennes, France); CD reissue: 2000

Song titles are not given with the CD and so have been supplied by myself.

Tracks "fade out" unnecessarily instead of ending, probably to avoid applause from the live concert. Not to be outdone by Indian labels (and Arion is a longstanding French label), besides the lack of song titles, the CD features such spellings as "varnary" and "kedava".

Ultimately, this release does not live up to expectations. It is the clearest available in terms of vocal quality, but the short program and the maddening fades at the ends of songs make it rather unsatisfying.

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