‘My Video Playlist’ – Manish Pingle

Born into a family of music lovers, Manish Pingle was introduced to Indian classical music by his parents. After a few years of learning basics of classical vocal , he started his initial training in Indian slide guitar from Late Shri Vishnu Waliwadekar.  Manish is one of the senior disciples of USTAD SHAHID PARVEZ, the famous sitar maestro of Itawa gharana.

Manish was awarded the Title ‘SURMANI’ by Sur Sringar Samsad, Mumbai. He is a recipient of Manohar Madgaonkar Music Excellence award 2019, Goa. He also has received an exclusive honor from the WORLD BOOK OF RECORDS, London. Manish is an artist of All India Radio and Television. He has won many accolades performing Solos, Duets and Fusion concerts, collaborating with fellow musicians from India and also international musicians like Blues legend Michael Messer, Saxophone maestro George Brooks and African Kora player Lamine Cissokho. Manish has recorded music albums with International maestros like Hector Zazou (IN THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS), Michael Messer (CALL OF THE BLUES), Lamine Cissokho (NEW CONTINENTS).

Manish has collaborated with The Frementle orchestra, Perth, and has performed at the City of Canning Festival 2014. Besides performing in many prestigious music festivals in India, Manish has also performed in various countries like Spain, England, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Australia, Portugal, Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, Norway, France, Italy, and China.

Manish is a highly qualified sound engineer from the prestigious film school of India, FTII, Pune.  With his knowledge of sound and music, Manish is frequently invited to film schools to conduct workshops. Manish has also worked on various feature films (Life of Pi, Eat Pray Love) and documentary projects as a sound engineer.

Manish’s Picks:

Q: What is the concert/recording/track you listen to the most? And why? 

A: There are many artists which I listen to a lot, like Ustaad Vilayat Khan, Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ustaad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustaad Rashid Khan, Ustaad Abdul Karim Khan, Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, to name a few.

Since I have to choose one track which I listen to the most from the galaxy of all these legends, I would choose the artist which I am listening to the most, at present. Its Ustaad Abdul Karim Khan. His Raga Jhinjhoti is pure nectar.

Though the video title says that its Raag Jhinjhoti, but this is in fact Mishra Jhinjhoti. I hear some Khamaj ang also in Khan saahab’s singing. There are all the reasons to love this track. Kan saahab has one of the most melodious voices I have ever heard. Though it’s a short track, but every phrase is so beautiful and different from each other. Though the recording quality is not good, it really doesn’t matter when the level of singing is so divine.

Q:  Which artists do you watch for inspiration? What do you like about those tracks / artists / concerts? 

A:  There are many artists who I am inspired with, but the two names which instantly comes to my mind are Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. There is a spiritual and healing power in their music. I have attended many concerts of both these legends and every concert I heard, has left me speechless. In the middle of every concert I felt that they are just present in their physical being on the stage, but their soul has transported to a higher realm. One such example is this video of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi singing Miya ki Malhar

Q: Can you recommend a Hindustani and a Carnatic music track that inspires you the most? Why?

A: The Hindustani track which inspires me the most is the live duet concert of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan in 1971 at the Madison square, New York, for the aid of Bangladesh. To play Indian classical music in a garden in front of such a huge audience who were totally unaware of this kind of music, was a very big challenge. The combination and co-ordination of these three instruments was so amazing that the world started to recognize this sound as the SOUND OF INDIA.

In Carnatic music I love the Chitra veena player N. Ravikiran for his incredibly good ornamentation and accuracy in notes. Me being a slide guitar player, I understand how difficult it is to keep the accuracy in notes on a fretless instruments. Here is one of my favorite tracks of him on his lovely Chitra Veena.

Q: Can you share a concert recording from non-Indian musician that inspires you? 

A: There are many non-Indian musicians from various genres which inspire me. Like every teenager, I too grew up listening to Michael Jackson and Jimi Hendrix. I absolutely love both of them. Amongst the singers, my favorites are Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, the Hawaiian musician Sol Hoopii, The dobro player Jerry Douglas and many more. But here I share a concert video of one of my most favorite musicians PACO DE LUCIA, The king of Flamenco guitar. His fingers literally appear as if they are dancing on his instrument.

Q: Can you share any concerts of Film composers, or an album, or a classical artists concert which you like? Why ?

A: One of the Hollywood film composer I absolutely love is Hans Zimmer. Sharing his live concert where he played the famous Interstellar theme. I strongly recommend good quality headphones or good pair of speakers to enjoy this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkmWxOfsPuE

Amongst Bollywood film composers, I love A R Rehman, and Ajay Atul. Here is one of the best songs of Ajay Atul, live in concert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBw0uOnZQ1E

Q: Tell us about another artist outside the Indian genre that you like? 

A: I have mentioned a few names in answer 4, but I love Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand and especially when they sing together; it’s magic. Here is my absolutely favorite track they recorded together, TELL HIM.

Q: Can you share a video which demonstrates a great interaction between two artists  on stage, something that inspires you? 

A: You start this video at any point, and you will find musician’s great interaction. SHAKTI is undoubtedly the best Indo fusion band, in terms of music and interaction I have ever experienced.

Q: Recommend a great music concert or recording.

A: I recommend the album KAASH by Hariharan. It’s a superbly produced album, with the best of musicians like Ustaad Rais Khan, Sivamani, Ustad Sultan khan and Rashid Mustafa in it. Good quality speakers recommended again.

Q: Can you share some videos of your guru and contemporaries – One from your guru, and tell us about it 

A: My Guru is Ustaad Shahid Parvez, the Sitar Maestro of Etawa gharana. I love anything and everything he plays, but I do listen to one of his videos of raga puriya kalyan, on repeat mode.

Here he starts with a peaceful gat (composition) of the raga with amazing dynamics. The composition starts from the tenth beat of teental. Gat is followed by short taans (fast runs), every time perfectly ending on the tenth beat. The level of clarity, expression and perfection of the laya and taal is incredible. The taans get longer and more exciting and lands accurately on the tenth beat (starting of the mukhda) like a gunshot.

Q: And one from your colleagues or contemporaries in India or England? 

A: Amongst my contemporaries, I like Rakesh Chaurasia (flute), and Purbayan Chatterjee (sitar). I would love to share a concert video of their duet, accompanied by an amazing tabla player and my dear friend Satyajit Talwalkar.

Q: What are you doing next?

A: I had quite a few concert tours lined up for this year. Most of them have been cancelled, or postponed for the next year. So at present I am teaching a lot online and off course practicing music. I have a concert tour in Scandinavia with the African Kora player in August 2020. If current pandemic situation improves and international borders open, I would love to be back on stage, sharing my music. Keeping fingers crossed!