G. S. Sachdev
Sachdev performs the classical music of
India, a culture with a two thousand year musical tradition.
Western listeners accustomed to harmony initially may be deceived
by the apparent simplicity of this melodic music. The complexities
lie in the subtle variations on the theme, ornamentation of notes,
modal coloring, and in the interplay between flute and drums.
Since each note stands alone, special care is given to the purity
of intonation.
The basis of North Indian music is raga,
the melodic form, and tala, the time measure. Thousands
of ragas exist, each based on one of ten parent scales.
Various ragas are associated with morning, afternoon,
and evening, as well as with difference seasons. Beyond the melodic
form, each raga encompasses a particular mood and synthesis
of emotions which a skillful musician like Sachdev evokes. Improvisation
plays an essential part, but always within the established framework
of the ragawhich is being expressed.
Indian music has a highly developed rhythmic
system known as tala. Tala denotes an organized
rhythmic cycle, composed of various rhythmic units, ranging from
three to one hundred and eight beats. All Indian classical music
is rooted in the vocal tradition, and the flute is regarded as
being especially close to the voice, capable of the many subtle
nuances of the vocal style.
Bansuri (bans-bamboo,
swar-musical note) is a bass flute made of bamboo with seven
open fingerholes. There are no keys to produce sharps and flats,
but all the half and quarter tones are produced by carefully
opening a small portion of the hole with the finger. The flute
is one of the oldest instruments in existence. The bansuri
has a three-octave range.
Tabla is
a twopiece drum set. The shell of the treble drum is made
of wood, and the larger bass drum is made of metal, both with
goatskin heads.
The tanpura is a fretless, longnecked
gourd, an the swarpeti is a small box with brass
reeds and bellows. The drones create atmosphere and register
the tonic in the minds of the listener and the performer.
Sachdev devotes most of his time to performing.
his frequent European, Asian and American concert tours and numerous
recordsing ahve brought him into international prominence as
an outstanding classical musician.
He holds a degree in music and is an articulate
spokesman for the music of India, conducting master classes,
workshops and lecture-demonstrations at the university level.
His teaching, radio broadcasts and programs through Young Audiences
of the Bay Area have made a large contribution to the growing
awareness in the West of classical Indian music.
Forty years endeavor has resulted in both
purity of tone and subtleties of rhythm. He brings to the ancient,
classical form his own creative improvisations. There is a depth
and structure in his music that is indefinable but which reaches
to the heart.
Sachdev is on the Roster of Western Arts
Foundation Performamce Tours Grant of 13 Western States and the
California Arts Council Touring Program. He is also a Recipient
of Billboard Magazine's Top Ten & Music Awards Album of the
Year. Originally from Chandigarh, India, Sachdev currently makes
his home in California.
"...haunting performance...the sound
of his flute rings with an indescribable purity" The
New York Times
"...Sachdev is one of those great
artists you don't know how to describe because there are hardly
any words. 'Marvelous' won't quite do. His playing defines what
simplicity and beauty are." San Francisco Chronicle
"...a model of imagination that never
seemed forced." El Pais, Madrid
"...an instinct for perfection."
Times of India
"The music of G.S. Sachdev separates
people into the privacy of their own spirits." Oregon
Daily Emerald
"We are fortunate to have such a fine
musician as Sachdev in our presence." George Harrison
"I feel happy to see him blossom into
a wonderful flutist. I admire his ability to touch the spirit
of the raga he performs and also to move the listeners
emotionally with his pure and classical approach." Ravi
Shankar
