Harmonium Solo by Dr. Arwind Thatte

THE ARTISTS
	Arwind Thatte, one of the leading Harmonium players of India, is a reputed accompanist and fast emerging as a soloist. Born in a family of music lovers, father and elder brother being Harmonium players, he started playing Harmonium at the age of six. He is a self taught Harmonium player; but also learned Tabla under the guidance of late Pandit G.L. Samant and vocal music initially in Bharat Gayan Samaj, Pune and then under Suhas and Sudhir Datar, Pune and has been a disciple of Pandit Jasraj since 1981. He had accompanied great vocalists like Mallikarjun Mansur, Vasantrao Deshpande, K.G. inde, Kumar Gandharva, Bhimsen Joshi, Jasraj, C.R. Vyas, JeetendraAbhisheki, Kishori Amonkar, Malini Rajurkar, Prabha Atre, Parveen Sultana, Laxmi Shankar and Shobha Guau, to name a few. Besides his music career, he has brilliant academic achievements to his credit. He did his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Mathematics, but left his bright career in Mathematics to pursue his love of music. In 1982, he stood first in the All India Radio Harmonium solo competition and in 1993 received the first Kumar Gandharva Award sponsored by Shree Ram Pujari Foundation of Solapur, for his contribution to Indian classical music. Even though he has accompanied many prominent artists on the compact discs this is his first solo compact disc. Ramdas Pulsule, a graduate in engineering, is also a gifted Tabla player. He took early training from the late Pandit G.L. Samant and for the last several years he is a disciple of Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. He is a good soloist as well as versatile accompanist. He has accompanied dance, instrument and vocal artists such as Rohini Bhate, Shahid Parvez, Vishwamohan Bhaft, Usman Khan, Jasraj and Jeetendra Abhisheki.
THE INSTRUMENT
	Harmonium belongs to the key board family. But unlike the general key boards, in the context of Indian classical music, it is not to be tuned in the tempered scale. First, one has to fix the Shadja(Do) and then the other frequencies in a specific relation to the Shadja. Once it is tuned this way, it has to play with the same Shadja every time. Because it is a wind instrument and the sound is produced by vibrating the metal strips (reeds), it is possible to very frequency by altering the air pressure and the finger touches, while performing.
THE MUSIC
	Arwind has systematically unfoled both the ragas Pooriya Dhanashree and Bageshree, starting with the alap and taan. Pooriya Dhanashree is more abstract in laya and rhythmic patterns where he has enlightened different jatees and laya viz. chatusra, tisra and khanda jatee with different patteens and tihaees and has ended the Jhap taal (10 beats) in khanda jatee with a superb zala. Bageshree is played in a gayaki style of Teen taal (16 beats) with a beautiful balance of melody, speed patterns and rhythm. The clarity of notes and the tone is also exceptional. The tappa with excellent small alankars (ornamental patterns) in Mishra Khamaj in Punjabitaal(16 beats) is followed by self composed Bhairavi.

		Harmonium Solo by Dr. Arvind Thatte Ramdas Palsule on Tabla NICI 086/DDD
Contents		Sample Clip
Raga Pooriya Dhanashree - Jhap Taal (10 Beats): 29.55
Raga Bageshree - Teen Taal (16 Beats) :19.42
Tappa - Mishra Khamaj - Panjabi Taal (16 Beats) :10.18
Bhairavi -Teen Taal (16 Beats): 10.26