Deepest India

"The aim of Indian music is to create spiritual awakening in man... and its essence lies in its interpretation" - Sangeet Karyala, India.

DEEPEST INDIA is a 3-CD set of original samples that explores every area of musical emotion from elation to despair - from hauntingly beautiful vocals, through countless joyous ensembles to authentic indian instrumental phrases.

There has never been anything quite like this collection available before - anywhere in the world - and therefore much interest is anicipated from musicians and composers who seek out and appreciate only the very highest standard of professional sample libraries. None will be disappointed!
Disc 1 - Vocals
Disc 2 - Instruments
Disc 3 - Orchestras & Ensembles



Vocals

Welcome to the colourful world of the land of five rivers - the Punjab in Northern India. The vocals on CD1 reflect the timeless splendour, tradition and unique heritage of this area. The producers have tried to retain the delicate feel, skill and passion of vocalists who, between them, embody the widest variety of singing styles in the field of Indian music.

From the subtlety, dexterity and sheer expressiveness of an 'Alaap' from a Classical Indian Raga to the raw energy of the 'Hek' of a Punjabi Folk song, Deepest India's vocals CD truly provides a definitive collection of all that typifies the Indian Vocal tradition.

The samples were all specially recorded in various studios throughout the Punjab using the finest singers - both classically trained vocalists and those whose expertise has been developed through numerous live performances in the villages and townships of the Punjab (Except for a small selection of 'Vintage' samples - lo-fi but hi-fun!).

The vocalists sing in the traditional Ragas of Indian Music, and where possible an attempt was made to translate the Raga to the nearest equivalent western key. However, there's no need to feel bound by the suggested key - it's all about experimenting and having fun!

Vocals were generally sung to 80, 90, 100, 110 or 120bpm, except for vocal passages where tempo is traditionally irrelevant (e.g. Alaaps, Shers and Speech).

Extended phrases have been provided wherever possible in order to keep any lyrical content intact. The complexity of Asian rhythm cycles means that users may wish to experiment with the start point of the samples for the 'best fit' within their compositions.

Instrumental Music

Most music in India is played in a 'group' context and Instrumental Ensembles are a traditional feature of Indian Music.

Classical Ensembles generally feature a leading Solo Instrument such as a Sitar, a Drone (usually a taanpoora), a main percussionist (for example, a Tablachi) and possibly secondary percussion such as a Ghara (Clay pot). Typical examples include Tracks 7 and 10 on Disc 3.

Orchestration and harmonisation, introduced from the West, as featured in the Film Orchestra Samples (e.g. Tracks 2 and 4 on Disc 3), have added new dimensions to Indian Music..

A common sight, and sound, in both cities and villages in India, are the wedding bands playing what is commonly termed "Street-Music" using western Brass-Band style instruments (e.g. Track 24 on Disc 3).

Folk ensembles featured on Deepest India vary from simple ethnic duos to multi-percussive setups using eastern and western instruments. Track 08 on Disc 3 is an example of the former and Track 11 an example of the latter.

Deepest India Disc 3 features a great variety of Indian Moods and Musical Textures, and forms a valuable resource bank of loops at 80, 90 ,100, 110 and 120 to use and abuse, mix and match with the instrumentyal phrases on Disc 2, or with other rhythm samples in your collection, or to just be generally creative with to your heart's content!

All of the sounds on Deepest India were lovingly produced by Hoggie & the Turbinator over a two year period. As you can well imagine, working in India was both challenging and rewarding to the producers of such a remarkable and unique sample library, and they hope to return there soon to bring you even more exciting sounds from the Sub-Continent. Until then... Keep those samplers steaming...

Disc 1 - Indian Vocals

For each sample on the disc, the following information is provided in one of the accompanying booklets:
Track Number on CD.
Index Number on CD.
Sample Name.
Translation of the sung Indian lyric into English.
Key in which the vocal was sung.
B.P.M. (Beats per minute of the rhythm of the vocal (if applicable)

There follows a list of all the track headings for Disc 1 (NOT in order of appearance on the CD). Please see the Glossary for explanation of Indian terminology.
Harikrishan Lal - Agaaz (Classical)
Meena - Maani (Semi-Classical)
Sohan Lal, Bibi Swaran Nooran & Master Dilbahaar - Sufani (Qwaali)
Bibi Swaran Nooran - Pardesi (Punjaabi Sher)
Waljesh Khan - Ajanata (Semi-Classical)
Ashwini - Skriti (Semi-Classical)
Seema - Dukhib (Bhajan)
Joginder Diwana - Koka (Punjaabi Folk)
Vintage - Karnatic (South Indian)
Sohan Lal - Beparwa (Punjaabi Traditional)
Harikrishan Lal - Daasi (Classical)
Meena - Bhawaani (Classical)
Master Dilbahaar - Ishaq (Urdu Sher)
Shyama - Joom (Hindi Popular)
Joginder Diwana - Yaar (Punjaabi Folk)
Sohan Lal, Bibi Swaran Nooran & Master Dilbahaar - Fariaad (Religious Qwaali)
Bibi Swaran Nooran - Heer (Punjaabi Traditional)
Various - Vadia (Misc.)
Master Dilbahaar - Rangia (Punjaabi Traditional)
Bibi Swaran Nooran - Raanjan (Punjaabi Sher)
Harikrishan Lal - Pukaar (Classical)
Ramesh Nussiwal - Baabla (Wedding Song)
Seema - Chamka (Punjaabi Traditional)
Ashwini - Saregana (Classical)
Master Dilbahaar - Larka (Urdu Sher)
Harikrishan Lal - Benti (Classical)
Joginder Diwana - Hek (Punjaabi Folk)
Seema - Maanlo (Semi-Classical)
Sohan Lal - Sassi (Punjaabi Sher)
Bibi Swaran Nooran - Kooli (Punjaabi Traditional)
Ashwini - Bhool (Urdu Ghazal)
Various - Horbols (Spoken poetry and word)
Sohan Lal, Bibi Swaran Nooran, Master Dilbahaar - Baat (Qwaali)
Harikrishan Lal - Ghata (Classical)
Master Dilbahaar - Sonwaji (Punjaab Traditional)
Bibi Swaran Nooran - Sauda (Punjaadi Geet)
Joginder Diwana - Charkha (Punjaabi Folk)
Seema - Rabba (Wedding Song)
Vintage - Dharmik (Sikh Religious)
Nirmal Singh Bharkheela - Pataseh (Punjaabi Folk)
Joginder Diwana - Badan (Punjaabi Sher)
Harikrishan Lal - Daya (Classical)

and here is an example of the content of one of the above tracks (track No.18), and the info that accompanies it in the vocals CD booklet:

18. Master Dilbahaar - Sonwaji (Punjaab Traditional)

1. Sonwaji 1. Long live my friend, whoever you choose to stay with. F#maj. 80 bpm.

2. Sonwaji 2. So what if you are not mine today? At least you were mine once.F#maj. 80 bpm

3. Sonwaji 3. Blessed be the paths that you tread, may I see you happy till the end of time. F#maj. 80 bpm

4. Sonwaji 4. My happiness is in your happiness and in nothing else. Live long... F#maj. 80 bpm

Disc 2 - Indian Instruments

This disc features the following sub-sections (not shown in order of appearance):

Flute Phrases

Dillrabar Phrases

Tabla Phrases

Sitar Phrases

Serengi Phrase

Dafli Phrases

Tampura Phrases

Shenai Phrases

Algorsay Phrases

Baja Phrases

Santur Phrases

Violin Phrases

Sarod Phrases

Tumbi Phrases

Dholak Phrases

Each of the above sub-sections features a large variety of phrases, grouped by tempo for easy mixing and matching, with a selection of phrases at each tempo interval (usually 80, 90, 100, 110, and 120 bpm), and in a variety of keys (the key and bpm of each sample is given).

Disc 3 - Indian Orchestras and Ensembles

All of the orchestras and ensembles on Disc 3 were meticulously recorded especially for the Deepest India sample library, over a period of a year or so, in many different parts of india.

Here are the sub-headings for the CD (NOT in order of appearance on the disc):
Satpack Ensemble
Tablachi Ensemble
Fatina Vintage Ensemble
Harmeister Ensemble
Saajan Santoor Ensemble
Delhi Film Orchestra
Hojar Vintage Vocal Ensemble
Phagan Vintage Vocal Ensemble
Royal Geeta Ensemble
Vikiveena Sarangi Ensemble
Dood Vintage Folk Ensemble
Mondo Vintage Ensemble
Shentabs Duo
Kajri Vintage Vocal Ensemble
Flooda Folk Ensemble
Chandi Film Orchestra
Mombai Mood Orchestra
Bombai Film Orchestra
Satrang Sitar & Shenai Ensemble
Madras Film Orchestra
Jugal Sitar 'n Flute Ensemble
Breek Baaja Ensemble
Shimla Sarod Ensemble
Dhadi Vintage Ensemble
Anti Vintage Ensemble
Saharhar Mirdangam Ensemble
Fagwara Folk Ensemble
Allahabad Film Orchestra
Gopal Gitavia Ensemble
Shaadi Brass Orchestra
Sapera Sitarplus Ensemble
Bans Flute Ensemble
Khera Vintage Folk Ensemble
Relious Ensemble
Jaago Baaja Ensemble

For each of the above sub-sections, there is a large variety of samples provided, key and tempo is given where appropriate, and phrases are grouped by tempo in the same manner as the instrumental phrases on disc 2, for easy mixing and matching.

This is the most exhaustive collection of original Indian ensemble samples in the world today!

GLOSSARY of terms

Alaap - Prelude to a Raga - a slow rendering and elaboration of Raga notes - free of rhythm. Conventionally the vowel sound 'aa' is employed to realise the Alaap.

Algozeh - A pair of beak flutes played simultaneously. The two flutes are placed together inside the mouth and blown into at the same time.

Antraa - The second part or subject of a composed song.

Arohee - The ascending order of notes.

Avrohee - The descending order of notes.

Band - Literally 'closed' - used to refer to a damped, less sonorous or resonant sound.

Besuraa - Out of tune.

Betaal - Out of rhythm.

Bhajan - A devotional song.

Bhangra - Traditional dance celebrating the harvest. The word Bhangra comes from 'Bhang', a liquid drug drunk to aid merriment and to permit a mystical experience.

Bol Taan - Musical phrase in which bols (words) are interlinked to produce brand new figures.

Dadra - A light classical style of composition, usually sung in a six beat time cycle.

Dilruba - A curious combination of the Sarangi and the Sitar. This has a resonator like the former and is also held and bowed like it. However the finger board is long and has frets which are tied on as in the latter. The sound is more mellow than that of the Sarangi.

Drupad - A sublime musical form of Indian classical vocal tradition.

Desi - Of the country, sometimes used to refer to a folk type approach.

Drut - Fast tempo.

Dugan - Double tempo of Taan or Taal.

Dhun - A light folk or rural tune free from the discipline of a raga.

Doha - A popular prosodic form of couplet often used for memorising raga - characteristics and other features of musical grammar.

Gamak - Vibrating notes with force.

Ghazal - A lyrical form of Urdu or Persian poetry - often sung and mainly expressing the sentiment of love. Each couplet of a ghazal is complete in itself.

Geet - Any piece of poetry that can be sung as a song.

Ghaseet - A vocal portamento - a smooth transition from one note to another without actually touching the interim notes.

Gidhha - A folk dance of the Punjaab, usually danced by girls accompanied by clapping.

Harmonium - A reed organ. The Harmonium comprises four working parts; the bellows, the air chamber, the keys and the reeds. The Harmonium has become very popular in Indian music despite purists rejecting it because of the fixed equal temperament which does not allow for the fine pitch differences which characterise Indian Raga music.

Hoonkar - A vocal humming exercise which enables the singer to get a fine vibrant timbre.

"Horizontal" or "Cross" Flute - A flute that spans tribal, folk and concert music due mainly to its versatility. Complicated fingering techniques, adjustments of the pressure of blowing and slight changes in the angle of the flute on the lip facilitate the fine pitch differences and ornamentation which enrich Indian music at its most refined levels.

Jhala - The fast paced section of a composition.

Jugalbandi - A performance of two vocalists or instrumentalists.

Khulla - Literally 'open' - an undamped, sonorous or resonant sound.

Khayal - The most popular classical form of Indan Classical music.

Lok Sangeet - The traditional songs of the society/ community.

Madhya - Medium Tempo.

Makta - The concluding couplet of a Gazal.

Matla - The first couplet of a Gazal.

Meend - Smooth glide between two notes - similar to glissando.

Mehfil - A concert or a performance.

Mukhraa - The first portion of a composition.

Naghma - Used to denote any piece of music.

Pakad - Literally meaning 'to hold' or 'to grip' the Raga by judicious use of note arrangements and turns of phrase that are characteristics of Raga.

Qwaali - A style of singing originating in mystical Sufism. Usually group singing accompanied by clapping.

Raga - Forms the basis of Indian music. It is built upon the following principles: i) it must have a minimum of five notes; ii) Ma and Pa (the 4th and 5th notes) cannot both be omitted in a Raga; iii) each Raga has its own personality and must express a mood; iv) The 'Sa' or base note is never omitted.

Santoor - Known in the west as Dulcimer or the Cymbalon. The Santoor is a trapezoidal box with thirty bridges arranged in 15 rows of two with 4 strings on each pair of bridges. The musician sits with the Ssantoor in front of him or her and strikes the strings with a pair of flat wooden pieces curved at the striking ends.

Sarangi - The most important of Indian bowed instruments. The body is made up of one hollow block of wood with a wide waist at the bottom which extends into the flat finger board. There are four principal strings made of gut. The fingering technique used with the Sarangi is unique - the strings are stopped with the sides of the fingernails and not with the balls of the fingers!

Sargam - The names of the notes in the Raga - equivalent to Sol-Fa of Western music.

Sarod - One of the most dignified concert lutes of Indian music. The Sarod has a hollow wooden body with a waist. The resonator is covered with skin and the finger board has a steel veneer. There are four principal strings, four subsidiary ones, two drones and about a dozen sympathetic vibrators, all of metal. The Sarod is played with a small metal piece called a Java.

Shenai - A double-reed pipe played particularly on occasions considered auspicious and happy such as processions and weddings although within the last few decades it has been used in classical concerts and performances with phenomenal success.

Sitar - Holds the preeminent place in Indian music and enjoys immense popularity both in India and abroad. The Sitar is a long necked lute with a more or less spherical gourd at the lower end. An important feature of the Sitar is the arrangement of convex brass frets which are tied onto the finger board. The mobility of the frets allows them to be moved to the required scale. Five metal strings are stretched over the main bridge and there are also two drone strings. The instrument also has anywhere from eleven to seventeen sympathetic strings underneath the principal ones to provide additional resonance. The strings are plucked with a wire plectrum worn on the index finger.

Taal - The measurement of time and time cycle in singing, playing and dancing.

Taan - The nearest Western equivalent would be a vocal arpeggio. Singing a Taan involves improvising and expanding, weaving together the notes of the Raga in a fast tempo. Taans are used to demonstrate a vocalist's expertise and virtuosity in waeving complicated patterns of notes with variations in rhythm.

Tanpoora - This is the crowning glory of the drone family and has a richness which is perhaps unequalled by any other instrument due to the huge number of overtones generated from each string. There are four metallic strings in the instrument and these are plucked with the fingers to provide the drone. No melody is played on the Tanpoora.

Tar Shenai - A Dilruba to a string of which a gramophone soundbox and a megaphone is attached.

Toombi or Iktara - A single stringed instrument. The resonator is a flat dried pumpkin and the hollow rod holding the string is inserted into it. The Toombi is plucked with a to and fro movement of the forefinger.