Michael Robinson
Latangi (2009)
1. First Gat 14.01
2. Second Gat 14.08
3. Third Gat 13.55
Meruvina: piano, tabla, dholak, dhol, claves, shaker, cabasa, Indian bells, tanpura
| First Gat | |
| Second Gat | |
| Third Gat |
Latangi is the sixty-third mela of Karnatic music. It shares the same swaras
as a earlier composition, Indian Ocean, based on raga Nat Bhairav, with the
difference of tivra madhyama in place of madhyama.
One of my favorite Hariprasad Chaurasia recordings featured Latangi, but I lost
the CD years ago, and had not thought heard the raga since then. Chaurasia is
the only Hindustani artist I know of who plays Latangi, and I was originally
struck by how unusual the Karnatic combination of swaras sounded. The raga is an enigma, with both a penetrating and dream-like nature. I never
imagined when I first heard it played by Chaurasia that I would someday be doing
my own version.
This was my first composition with percussion following four alap pieces. Instead
of one continuous flow of music, I decided to separate the three gats with something
like the pauses one finds in Western classical music forms. Each of Latangi’s three gats include a rhythmic ostinato played by claves,
shaker and ganza, all Latin American percussion instruments. The first gat moves at a leisurely pace, introducing the composite skin drum
of tabla, dholak and dhol together with the spare piano timbre. The second gat
is more abandoned, and the third gat enthuses with flair.
- Michael Robinson, September 2010, Los Angeles
© 2010 Michael Robinson All rights reserved