Gopi Rasik–Gokul temple singer

Vallabhdas — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 03:05:45 +0000

Shyamdas himself arranged for recordings to be made of his teacher and friend, the late Gopi Rasik Tailang, kirtan singer in Gokulnathji’s temple. These rare treasures are the result of Shyamdas’s ethnographic efforts and foresight. You can often hear the parrots and other birds in Gokul calling out as the singers sing their own refined lila praises of Shri Krishna.

Click on the “more information” links below the sound player to view poem lyrics in devanagari, roman transliteration and English translation. (Rough translations by Vallabhdas – any suggestions more than welcome!)

“Il Pilagio” Kirtan & Satsang

Vallabhdas — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 03:07:17 +0000

This event seems to have been recorded on Shyamdas’s own minidisc recorder at a location called “Il Pilagio” in Italy. It was a gathering with an intimate audience of friends, sometime during the summer months of 2002. The sound quality is excellent and the bhava beautiful. Tulsi sings and accompanies on on the classical Haveli Sangeet drum, the pakhavaj. At times other percussion is heard, and lovely singers in the audience as well.

The first selection highlights Shyamdasji’s astounding talents in the ragas and talas of Indian Haveli Sangeet music, with a poem by Nandadas in Saranga Raga and 12-beat dhrupad tala.The theme is a classic: Krishna, who cannot be fathomed by Vedas and sages and gods endlessly repeating His names, becomes the darling of Mother Yashoda and envelops Himself to Shri Radha’s chest.

Shyamdas popularized this lively traditional Vrindavan arati, interluded here as he often did with “Govinda Jaya Jaya Gopala Jaya Jaya, Radha Ramana Hari Govinda Jaya Jaya”:

Shyamdas next translates and sings a rainy season poem, “Bunda acanaka lagi mohi” composed by the Ashta Chaap poet Kumbhandas, in Malhar Raga:

tala – Shyamdas Foundation

Gopi Rasik–Gokul temple singer

“Il Pilagio” Kirtan & Satsang