Deben Bhattacharya (1921-2001) was a field recordist, poet, filmmaker, musicologist, and amateur ethnomusicologist, based in Calcutta and Paris. 'Paris to Calcutta - Men and Music on the Desert Road' features over four hours of music and is Deben's impressionistic account of a 1955 journey overland, in a converted milk delivery van, from France to India collecting and exploring music along the Desert Road from Europe into India. With four CDs of recordings, photographs, Deben's original recording notes, musical transcriptions, and more. An amazing glimpse into a time long gone and essential listening for anyone interested in folk and world music traditions.
Tracks:
1. Students of the Salonica Quaker Girl's School - Dance of Jerissos (Ierissos) 02:50
2. Saban Akdao, c?mb?s - ?iftetelli (gazel) 09:39
3. Hasan Sayin, singer; Reza Argin, zurna; Jumma Ali, dhavul - Untitled 02:45
4. Vakkas Kaplan, zurna; Feizi Kaplan, dhavul - Mahlo: Song of the Highway Men 02:44
5. H?seyin Eroglu, vocals, cura saz - Karacaoglan 05:16
6. Raif Karsligil, unaccompanied vocals - Karayilan (Black Snake) 05:01
7. Imam and congregation of the mosque at Kilis - Mevludin Nebevi (the prophet's birth) 05:36
8. Performer unknown - Folksong from Outebeh, vocals and rababa (one stringed fiddle) 04:28
9. Performer unknown - Bedouin Melody, Shebbabeh (flute) and darabuka (drum) 03:38
10. Performer unknown - Bedouin dance from Katana 02:30
11. Dervish worshippers in the house of Sheikh Saud Mawlawi - Maqam rasd (In praise of the prophet) 02:06
12. Performer unknown - Sabah, played on the Ney (flute) 02:20
13. Nour Hanbali, qanun; Antone Noweh, oud; Doureid Laham, darabuka - Suite in maqam rasd featuring Bashraf Sama i Taatyus and Andalusi Muwashshah 13:49
14. Performer unknown - Taqsim (improvisation) on violin 03:19
15. Hazim, rebab (bowed spike fiddle) - Ballad of the Shahlaan Family 10:16
16. Unidentified coffee grinders (two different grinders, switching hands halfway through) - Bedouin coffee grin ing beats 06:24
17. Suleiman and friends, accompanied by rebab - Hijeni (a love song often sung while riding away on a horse) 06:16
18. Al-Haj Hashim Mohammad, santoor (hammered dulcimer); Shu'aib Ibrahim, joza (Iranian rebab); Abdul-Karim Al Azawi, dumbuk - Sharqi Dokah (love song) 08:40
19. Shu'aib Ibrahim, joza - Taqsim in maqam ajam 03:50
20. Al-haj Hashim Mohammad Al-rejab, santoor; Shu'aib Ibrahim, joza; Abdul-Karim Al-Azawi, dumbuk - Maqam hadidi 03:45
21. Khalil Akrawi, vocals, spoons - Kasam-e-Meru (excerpt from a 25-minute piece) 01:49
22. Ostad Zareen Panje Bel - Tar solo in humayun dastgah 10:45
23. Gulfa-e-Ghani and Zareef, zarb - Train rhythm imitation 02:03
24. Ostad Abol-Hassan Saba - Setar improvisation in mahour dastgah 02:40
25. Sher Khoda, zarb - Shahnama 13:38
26. Darioosh Sefvat - Santoor solo in isfahan dastgah 10:20
27. Hamedanian, zarb - Baba Karam 12:36
28. Shapoore Delshadi, tar - Tar solo in isfahan dastgah 06:36
29. Eskandare Ebrahimi and Orchestra - Humayun 16:06
30. Eskandare Ebrahimi - Setar improvisation in mahour dastgah 08:06
31. Muhammad Hussein, zurna (horn); Dost Muhammad, dhol (kettle drum) - Atan (dance song) 04:01
32. Dost Muhammad, dhol - Battle rhythm 01:28
33. Abdul Kader, solo voice - Love song from Herat 02:52
34. Performer unknown - Nose flute improvisation 02:34
35. Performers unknown, harmonium, tabla - Sikh song on Hindu/Moslem unity 11:45
36. Saroj Narang - Simla folk song 02:37
37. Jyotish CH. Choudhury, sitar - Raga zila 07:04
38. Kalipada Das, flute; unknown, anandalahari (friction drum) - Methosur (rural folk song) 04:02
39. Unknown performers, clarinet and drum - Improvisation on film tune 02:34
40. Bhona, sitar; Mangal Mukerjee, ghara (claypot drum) - Raga kafi 06:50
41. Jai Chand Bhagat and Babu, vocals, cymbals, ektara - Bhajan (devotional song) 04:15
42. Jai Chand Bhagat and Babu - Bhajan (devotional song) 04:48
43. Temple bells and drums 02:34
