A spontaneous improvisation, this piece contains a wonderful arc that becomes a true journey. Here I put down my sitar for the daf (Persian frame drum) and overtone singing. A long, minimal droning intro gives way to chanting and rhythmic fireworks. The only set features are the drone tonality and the chant “Ngung, ngong, ngang nging”. These syllables create overtones that pop out from the back of the throat and provide a unique sound.
from
Neel Murgai Ensemble,
released May 23, 2017
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Sam Crawford
Additional engineering by Michael Gittleman
Tracks 2,4,5 composed by Neel Murgai
1,3,6 are Murgai’s treatments of traditional material.
Lyrics in 6 by Ghalib
8 by Murgai, Maneri, Gupta, Heffernan
Cover design by Indra Gill
Cover illustration by Matthew Lillis
Special thanks to many people, without whom this music would not be possible:
My teachers: Krishna Bhatt, Edgar Grana, Ravindra Goswami, William Sweeney…
My Family: Jessica Plotnick, Indra Gill, Leith Murgai…
And the many other musicians, teachers, friends and family members who havesupported and inspired me along the way.
neelmurgai@earthlink.net
www.neelmurgai.com
Innova Director: Philip Blackburn
Operations Manager: Chris Campbell
Innova is supported by an endowment from the McKnight Foundation.