NAJMA - Qareeb - Closeness (1987, LP)

Najma - Qareeb [1987]

This post is related to the one of the day before yesterday, yes really to Christy Moore [!]. How's that, you might think now, well let me explain.
After the Christy Moore's concert I enjoyed, I wanted to hear much more from him. Didn't have any albums or any other form of recordings by him. So when shortly afterwards I was at a record fair, helping out a friend who had a stall there, I searched between the folk music bins for albums by Christy. To my disappointment couldn't find any, but came across a very interesting looking album by Najma. Who I had never heard about, nor was I especially interested in music from India, but it lookied so good that I bought it. Played it when arriving at home, and really really liked what I heard. It remains upto today a very special record for me.

This time no live nor session recordings, simply because I haven't got any from Najma, so decided to present to you the vinyl through which I discovered her beautiful music many years ago.

Introducing Najma

Najma Akhtar, a British born, singer, songwriter, composer and actor has achieved a place in world music history as one of the true pioneers of uniquely fusing Western and Eastern musical styles. She has recorded many solo albums and is credited in crafting a new musical genre, in which Jazz nuances are blended with the Ghazal (Urdu ballad) and Sufi (Devotional poetry) repertoires.
Her ground-breaking and innovative debut album, ‘Qareeb' (Closeness), remains one of the most important world music albums ever recorded catapulting Najma into the World Music arena.
Even though her music has remained rooted in the Ghazal and other traditional music of her ancestral home, her versatility as a writer and composer can be seen through a vast diverse body of work and artistic collaborations with some of the world’s most influential and credible musicians.
Interested to know more, go to najmaakhtar.com

Listen to the bonustrack [rec.1988.Feb.03 for Charlie Gillett]

NAJMA - Qareeb - Closeness (1987, LP)

a1.Neend Kohyi (6:42) / a2.Jaane Kis Tarhan (6:17) / a3.Dil Laga Ya Yha (5:48) //
b1.Zikar Hai Apna Mehfil (6:29) / b2.Karoon Na Yaad Magar (8:57) / b3.Har Sitam Aap Ka (9:11) //
bonus.Apne Hathon (5:26) recorded 1988.Feb.03 at Capital Radio for Charlie Gillett's 'World of Difference'.

Discography

1986: Ghazals [LP, Last Minute Productions]
1987: Qareeb [LP/CD, Triple Earth Records]
1989: Atish [LP/CD, Triple Earth Records]
1992: Pukar [CD, Ark 21 Records]
1996: Forbidden Kiss - the Songs of S.D.Burman [CD, Last Minute Productions]
2002: Vivid [CD, Last Minute Productions]
2008: Fariyaad - A Plea to the Creator [CD, Choicemusic.nl]
2009: with Gary Lucas - Rishte [2009, World Village]
2020: Five Rivers [CD/LP, Last Minute Productions]

PS: If I remember well Najma has performed at one [or more?] of the Festival au Desert in Mali, dont know exactly when and can't find information now preparing this post. Anyway, may be there are some recordings from, if I find will include links in this post.

by the way NEVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Pap Djah's last words before left on his own in the Sahara desert (in Niger)

Kiran Ahluwalia & Souad Massi - 2018.Apr.19 KEXP Session

And now let's go to some other parts on other globe, like the two ladies did cq.had to do also. Kiran Ahluwalia born in India, moved first to Canada and now living in New York; Souad Massi born in Algeria, after death threats (because of playing in the political rock band Atakor) left the country and settled in Paris, France.

Kiran Ahluwalia & Souad Massi - 2018.April, Seattle (from facebook)

LOVEfest

An eclectic celebration of love and diversity through music and dance.
Throughout the ages people have struggled to extend the love and respect offered to those familiar to us to others who are different and unknown - to minorities, immigrants, refugees and other vulnerable members of society. Artists, musicians, and religious and civil leaders alike have all advocated variations of the theme "Love your neighbor" or "Welcome The Stranger." This call to acknowledge the common humanity of all people - and by extension their individual human rights - is a founding principle of modern society.
Kiran Ahluwalia’s LOVEfest combines the talents of sacred and secular artists from both Muslim and Sikh traditions (two communities currently experiencing an alarming rise in hate crimes). Featuring the passionate vocals of Kiran Ahluwalia (from India), inspired Arabic songwriting of Souad Massi (Algeria), combined with traditional Sikh temple singers (here for the first time on the concert stage) and the colorful whirling of Egyptian Tanoura Sufi dancers, LOVEfest illuminates a diverse world of cultural artistic expression; offering performers and audiences alike an opportunity to "Welcome The Stranger."
-- source: http://www.kiranmusic.com/lovefest/


Listen to Kiran and Souad performing Deb (written by Souad)



AHLUWALIA & MASSI - 20180419 Session KEXP


Kiran Ahluwalia & Souad Massi - 2018.Apr.19 KEXP Session
Kiran Ahluwalia: DJ intro / 1.Khafa - Up In Arms / interview / 2.Saat - Seven / interview
Souad Massi: 3.Hayati / interview / 4.Amessa / interview
Ahluwalia & Massi: 5.Deb / DJ outro
bc.2018.Apr.19 in Wo' Pop at KEXP
i know this session is listenable at KEXP and upped on it's youtube channel, but I like this so much that it deserves a separate posting here in Mango Land!


So far they only played together for about a month in the US, I hope that their LOVEfest will go all over the world, and especially those places where it is mostly needed!
Like in Yemen, East-Ukraine & Syria, after peace is agreed between the fighting parties; in Hungary currently under the yoke of xenophobia spread by potential dictator Orban; etc...

Profiter de la musique! Always EAT them RAW!!!

Nooran Sisters - 2017.Sep.01 - BBC Radio

Now let's fly over to another par of our globe.

The Nooran Sisters from India 2017.Sep at BBC Radio Studios

The Nooran Sisters - Jyoti and Sultana - are a Sufi singing duo from Sham Chaurasia gharana of classical music.
The sisters were trained for 10 years by their father, Ustad Gulshan Mir, a renowned Sufi singer of the 70's. Music was an integral part of their childhood because of their grandmother, Swarn Noora. The family fell on very hard times after Swarn Noora died, it was very difficult to arrange food as well, to survive their father used to give music lessons. Although it took away him from Mir's music, it helped his family to pass the bad times.
When Sultana was seven and Jyoti five, he discovered their talent of singing. "They were playing, and in jest, singing a Bulleh Shah kalam they had heard from their grandmother, Bibi Nooran." As per Mir, they didn't miss any beat and sang professionally with tabla and harmonium.
Iqbal Mahal, a Canadian music promoter, discovered the sisters in 2010. They got the fame from the MTV Talent hunt series in India MTV Sound Trippin, with their song "Tung Tung", and later, MTV unplugged series, Coke Studio.
The sisters opened the evening with the rendition of "Allah Hoo"* and belted out popular Sufi songs, including "Dama Dum Mast Qalandar", "Jugni" and many others. They also sang some of Jagjit Singh's Punjabi songs, including "Long Da Lashkara" and "Mitti Da Bawa". -- summary from wiki

*version of Allah Hoo by Sain Zahoor see Awards for World Music Concert (2006)



NOORAN-SISTERS-20170901_Won3 Session BBC

2017.Sep.01: BBC Radio 3 World on 3 and Asian Network
1.Nooran Sisters - Yaar Di Gali (BBC Live Session)
2.Nooran Sisters - Jee Ve Sohaneya (BBC Live Session)
3.Mahalakshmi Iyer & Udit Narayan - E Ajnabi (from Dil Se... OST, Venus Records India)
4.Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Akhian Noon Chain Na Aawe - Sorrows, Vol. 69 (Star CD)
5.Nooran Sisters - Akhian Noon Chain Nah Awe - NFAK cover (BBC Live Session)
6.Nooran Sisters - Dam Dam Mast Qalander - NFAK cover (BBC Live Session)
note: in between tracks talk by World on 3 and Asian Network DJs, SPECIAL attention to the film Dil Se..., haven't seen it, but really want to and think can only highly recommended...

Multi-media

• Session in this post at BBC Asian Network's youtube channel:
  Yaar Di Gaali / Jee Ve Sohaneya / Akhiyan Nu Chain Na Aave / Dama Dam Mast Qalandar

Discography

2015: Jindriye (digital track, Times Music, India)
2016: Jogan (digital track, Sony Music, India)
2016: Yaar Da Deewana (digital track, T-Series aka. Super Cassettes, India)
2016: Prince Ghuman feat. Nooran Sisters - Mahi (digital track, Saregama, India)

reminder, please don't never ever forget:
"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Kiran Ahluwalia - 2008 Sessions NL

This is a very good follow-up to the previous post, as I first heard Kiran Ahluwalia in this song she recorded in 2011 with Tinariwen:

clip of, in India born, Kiran Ahluwalia backed by Tinariwen covering Nusrat Fareh Ali Khan

Kiran Ahluwalia was born in India, moved with her family at an early age to Canada, after growing up in Toronto she went back to India to learn ghazal music from an Indian master musician. After having local success back in Canada with her first albums and having married her, in Pakistan born, husband Rez Abassi, who is also her main musical collaborator, she wished to wander more over our globe. She came in contact with the Dutch music label World Connection, who was interested in releasing her music in Europe and invited her in 2008 July for promotion and later in November of the same year for a 'World Sessions' tour to Holland.
On both occasions recordings and interviews were made for Dutch Radio6, which happily I could catch, before the station closed down at the end of last year.

Kiran with her group at World Sessions (2008.Nov.22)

Listen to a track from her first, unplugged, session


AHLUWALIA-KIRAN-2008_Sessions in Holland

2008.Jul.09 - unplugged session in Amsterdam
setlist: 1.Aks / 2.Merey Mathay / 3.Yakeenan / interview by Ben Mendes
2008.Nov.22 - evening - World Sessions, Podium Mozaiek, Amsterdam
setlist: 1.Vo Kuch [trad.] / 2.Mere Mathay [trad.] / 3.Jaag Na Jaag [trad.]
note: earlier the same day she performed at the India Festival in Amsterdam (from which I also have some recordings, for a future post....)

More on and from Kiran Ahluwalia:

• In 2012 she visited the Festival au Desert and performed with Tinariwen (read report at afropop)
• In 2012 she performed at Ragas Live Festival (listen nycradiolive)
• In 2015 she did a World on 3 session (listen BBC) 

Discography

2001: Kashish - Attraction - Ghazals and Punjabi Folk Songs (CD)
2003: Beyond Boundaries (CD)
2005: Kiran Ahluwalia (CD, comp.of first 2)
2007: Wanderlust (CD) in 2008 by World Connection in Europe
          watch live performance of Soch Ka
2011: Aam Zameen - Common Ground (CD) incl.Mustt Mustt (at top of post)
2014: Sanata - Stillness (CD)
          watch the beautiful clip of Hayat

Profiter de la musique! Always EAT them RAW!!!