Let's Praise Beer from Murree: Pankaj Udhas

Drinking beer in Pakistan is hard and easy. Depending on your status vis a vis religion and how reliable your bootlegger is.  Put it this way I never lacked for a cold beer in my many years of living in the land of the Pure. But then again I had connections who could deliver a case of San Miguel or Heineken for only slightly outrageous prices.

If you wanted to get your hands on some of the local brew, Murree Beer, you had to have a 'permit' and sheepishly meet up with an angry looking flunky at the (then) Marriott hotel who would disgustingly issue you a hand written chit to take to another room where you could get your 6 or 12 bottles a month.

I was tickled to find this article in the local Melbourne paper today about the invisible much maligned but essential Murree Brewery.

A Raj-era oddity in a Muslim country of non-drinkers is 

hoping to sell its prized beer to foreigners.

In the land of shifting contradictions that is Pakistan, there are few more unusual or enduring than the Murree Brewery.

In an Islamic nation growing steadily more conservative, and where 97 per cent of the population cannot drink legally, Murree Brewery thrives and Pakistanis are proud of their Raj-era oddity.

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This is the oldest continuing industrial enterprise in Pakistan, and one of the subcontinent's first public companies. The brewery was founded in the northern hill station town of Murree in 1860 by two Englishmen. Brewed to slake the thirst of British soldiers, the beer found a grateful market and won its first award, a medal of excellence at the Philadelphia Exhibition, in 1876.

The brewery moved to the garrison city of Rawalpindi in 1910 and business boomed until 1977, when prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto banned alcohol in an effort to court Pakistan's conservative Muslim vote.

Two years later, a court ruled Bhutto's law breached the rights of minorities and the production line clinked into life again.

This year, Murree has gained an export licence. But the brewer has been sent into the international beer market with a serious handicap: it can export to non-Muslim countries only. Iran and Afghanistan were its likeliest markets but it is seeking a foothold in India and China.

''It can be lonely being a brewer in Pakistan,'' said chief executive Isphanyar Bhandara. ''We are excluded from international trade, because people are afraid to do business in a country associated with the Taliban, and the people here in Pakistan, they don't like to have business with us, because of the [religious] extremist situation.''

Only foreigners with a permit, those with a medical certificate and Pakistan's tiny non-Muslim population (about 3 per cent of 190 million people) are allowed to drink alcohol.

Religious hardliners use alcohol as a powerful political weapon. Before he was assassinated last year, Punjab governor Salman Taseer was condemned for his lifestyle after pictures of him drinking wine at dinner were circulated.

But that 97 per cent figure is not set in stone. Most Pakistanis, particularly those who speak English and live in the major cities, are regular drinkers. In rural villages, spirits brewed from tree bark or sugar cane are popular.

The country's leaders, too, are known to enjoy a tipple. President Asif Ali Zardari is said to be fond of a drink. His predecessor, military dictator Pervez Musharraf, drank blue-label whiskey.

Tucked in behind the heavily fortified house of Pakistan's chief of army, parts of Murree Brewery appear transported from Edwardian England and in one building, stacked neatly against a whitewashed wall, are about 100 bags of barley, each stamped ''Produce of Western Australia''.

''Murree Brewery's desire is to show the international community that Pakistan doesn't have to be known as a country that exports terrorism,'' Mr Bhandara says, ''that this can be a country that exports beer.''

( http://www.theage.com.au/world/pakistans-only-brew-gets-the-drop-on-foreign-trade-bar-20120624-20wcn.html#ixzz1ylJ7dRd9)

And so in happy recollection I've attached a nice collection of the ultimate sharabi ghazals by Pankaj Udhas, the King of  popular ghazals, who though from across the border in India, is well loved by all beer drinking Pakistanis.  For those of you who are not yet familiar with Pankaj Udhas, this man's music is the ultimate South Asian party music. If you are a middle aged man who is stressed out at home, a frustrated poet, a failed Romeo or all three.  No hip hop here. Just a strong voice, lively arrangements and heartfelt lamentations on the cruelty of women and the loveliness of wine!

Track Listing (disc 1)

01 Chandi Jaisa Rang

02 Hasta Chehra

03 Jheel Mein Chaand Nazar Aaye

04 Oh Saahiba

05 Ahista

06 Ankhon Mein

07 Aap Jinke Qareeb Hote Hain

08 Thodi Thodi Piya Karo

09 Deewaron Se Milkar Rona

10 Niklo Na Benaqab

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Track Listing (disc 2)

01 Ek Taraf Uska Ghar

02 La Pila De Saqiya

03 Ishq Insaan Ki Zaroorat Hai

04 Sharab Cheez Hi Aisi

05 Karvaten Badal Badal

06 Sabko Maloom Hai

07 Paimane Toot Gaye

08 Kabhi Maikhane Tak

09 Sach Bolta Hoon Main

10 Ghungroo Toot Gaye

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Rising Sun: Secular Qawwali Collection

Qawwali is generally, serious business. One need but listen to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Aziz Mian for a few minutes to understand from how deep in their souls came their singing. If that doesn’t convince you spend some time at a live qawwali performance to experience the intensity and spiritual lightening that comes with this music.

But there is also a strain of qawwali that is quite light-hearted and even cheeky.  It deals with the joys and dangers of human relationships often in ways that make you laugh and roll your eyes at the imagery. The instrumentation is less classical and more jaunty with high spirited shenais, western orchestra instruments and even guitars.  This sort of qawwali is heard most often in films but also at marriages and public fairs.

Qawwals like Aziz Nazan and Yusuf Azad Qawwal are masters of this genre which also includes a few female (Shock! Horror!! Tauba tauba!!!) qawwals like Rashida Khatoon.  There is really nothing like this music. We talk of classical and light classical music. But secular qawwali is not really light classical qawwali. It is its own beast. It is really only the male chorus and hand claps that tie the two forms together.

            Track Listing:

            01 Chadhta Sooraj [Aziz Nazan]

02 Ud Jayega Ek Din Panchhi [Prahlad Singh]

03 Aye Akele Aanewale [Talib Hussain Warsi Qawwal]

04 Hamen To Loot Liya [Ismail Azad Qawwal and Party]

05 Malan Dil Mein Baasale [Yusuf Azad Qawwal]

06 Jhoom Barabar Jhoom Sharabi [Aziz Nazan]

07 Maati Ke Putale Kitna Guman Hai [Abdul Rahman Kanchwala and Party]

08 Kaise Beasharam Aashiq [Yusuf Azad Qawwal and Rashida Khatoon and Party]

09 Dekha Tamasha Lakdi ka [Yusuf Azad Qawwal and Talib Hussain Warsi Qawwal and Chorus]

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Tamil Violin: Lalgudi Jayaraman

Lalgudi Jayaraman

A real delight of this world is the way the violin is played by South Indian musicians. It is as if it is a truly Indian instrument, not imported.  Tonight I share a live recording of the fabled Lalgudi Jayaram made in Bombay in the 1970s.

Lalgudi Jayarama Iyer (born September 17, 1930, India) is a well-known Carnatic violinist, vocalist and composer.

Born in the lineage of a disciple of the saint musician Thyagaraja, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman inherited the essence of Carnatic music from his versatile father, late V R Gopala Iyer, who trained him meticulously.

At the age of 12, he started his musical career as an accompanying violinist.

Having an active imagination, quick grasp and an ability to adapt easily to the individual styles of the leading maestros in Carnatic music, while accompanying them in their concerts, he reached the forefront in rapid strides. With the concert experience he thus gained, coupled with sheer hard work and perseverance and the strong urge to give original expression to his musical ideas, he emerged as an accomplished solo violinist.

He expanded the style of violin playing by inventing a whole new technique that is designed to best suit the needs of Indian Classical Music and establishing a unique style that came to be known as 'Lalgudi Bani'. His flawless and fascinating style, graceful and original, yet not divorced from traditional roots, gained him numerous fans. This multi-dimensional personality has, to his credit, composed several 'kritis', 'tillanas' and 'varnams' and dance compositions, which are a blend of raga, bhava, rhythm and lyrical beauty. A notable feature about Lalgudi is that his music is very expressive. Lalgudi's instrumental talent comes to the fore in the form of lyrical excellence. He brought the most-sought-after vocal style into violin, and his renditions exhibit knowledge of lyrical content of the compositions.

He has been in great demand for accompanying vocalists, and has accompanied such great vocal virtuosos as Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, K.V.Narayanaswamy, Maharajapuram Santhanam, D. K. Jayaraman, M.Balamuralikrishna, T. V. Sankaranarayanan, T. N. Seshagopalan and flute maestros like N. Ramani, etc. His accompanying wizardry and quick responses to the various challenges posed by the main artistes remain unsurpassed. His accomplishments are numerous but chief of them is the fact that he was the first to bring international attention to the Carnatic style of violin playing. He also introduced a new concept of musical ensemble with violin, venu (flute) and vina in 1966, and gave several outstanding concerts.

He has given concerts extensively in India as well as abroad. The Government of India sent him to Russia as a member of the Indian Cultural Delegation. At the Edinburgh festival in 1965, Yehudi Menuhin, the renowned violinist, impressed by Lalgudi's technique, presented him with his Italian violin. He has also performed in Singapore, Malaysia, Manila and East European countries. His recordings submitted to the International Music Council, Baghdad, Asian Pacific Music Rostrum and Iraq Broadcasting Agency by AIR New Delhi have been adjudged as the best and accorded the first position out of 77 entries received from the various countries during 1979. He was invited to give concerts at Cologne, Belgium and France. The Government of India chose him to represent India at the Festival of India in USA, London and he gave solo and 'Jugalbandi' concerts in London and also in Germany and Italy that received rave reviews. Sri Lalgudi went on a tour in the year 1984 to Oman, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, which was highly successful. He composed the lyrics and music for the operatic ballet Jaya Jaya Devi, which premiered in 1994 at Cleveland, Ohio (U.S.) and was staged in many other cities in the United States. In October 1999, Lalgudi performed in the UK under the auspices of Shruthi Laya Sangham (Institute of fine arts). The concert was a roaring success. After the concert, a dance drama Pancheswaram, composed by Lalgudi, was staged.

Jayaraman earned several titles, such as 'Nada Vidya Tilaka' by Music Lovers’ Association of Lalgudi in 1963, 'Padma Shri' by the Government of India in 1972, 'Nada Vidya Rathnakara' by East West Exchange in New York, 'Vadya Sangeetha Kalaratna' by Bharathi Society, New York; 'Sangeetha Choodamani' by Federation of Music Sabhas, Madras in 1971 and in 1972; State Vidwan of Tamil Nadu by the Government of Tamil Nadu and Sangeetha Natak Academy award in 1979 etc. The First Chowdaiah Memorial National-Level award was given to Sri Jayaraman by the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He also received honorary citizenship of Maryland, U.S. in 1994 and the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2001. He won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the film Sringaram in 2006. In 2010, Jayaraman became a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Lalgudi Jayaraman is married to Smt Rajalakshmi and has two children: his son G.J.R.Krishnan and his daughter Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi. Both follow the footsteps of their father and are famous in their own right. He has three sisters Padmavathy, a vainika, Rajalakshmi and Srimathi, both violinists. The renowned veena player Jayanthi Kumaresh is Smt Rajalakshmi's daughter. (Wikipedia)

Track Listing:

01 Welcome Address

02 Raga Nagaswaravali (Sri Shankara Guru Varam)

03 Raga Vachaspathi (Paraathpara)

04 Raga Dvijavanthi (Akhilandeshwari)

05 Raga Shankarabharanam (Sankaracharyam)

06 Raga Jaunpuri (Eppo Varuvaro)

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