OT: Tabla loops, samples and my Indian Rhythm mistatements

["Rick Walker \(loop.pool\)" <GLOBAL@cruzio.com>]

Sorry for my innacurate statement about Indian rhythm:  I guess what I 
meant
to say is that in practise the focus of most of the tabla playing that I
have heard has been the ornamentation over the thekas (if my terminology is
correct here).


Of course the talas are repetitive but there is a distinct difference
between the way most Indian classical drummers approach rhythms as opposed
to the way West African drummers approach rhythms.

African drumming seems to be much more
'part' oriented with the emphasis on the sound of all of the parts
interlocking (without a tremendous amount of variation) as opposed to the
more individualist,
'commentary' oriented tabla players.

Neither one is better or worse (though don't get some african or indian
musicians or, worse yet, students of african or indian musicians who are 
not
originally from the culture going on this subject........it'll never end).
The african approach is much simpler.

I did an improvisational duet concert with my good friend Debhashish
Battycharya (the hindustani slide master) where I only used
ostinato groove rhythms from the african paradigm and the middleeastern
paradigm.
It produced some interesting results, particularly as Debhashish is an
incredible
rhythmatist, soaring over the 'grooves' I laid down for him. He has totally
inpired me to get a lot deeper with polyrhythmic and polymetric phrasing.  
I
have used looping techniques to learn how to phrase in any time signature
against any other time signature.

I just find it fascinating that most people who use tabla samples 
(including
Indian masters like Talvin Singh) end up having them
sound like they have a west african or african diaspora rhythmic
sensibility.

Of course the rhythmic sensibility of the african diaspora has dominated
modern global
pop music.........witness the ubiquitous nature of the backbeat in pop.

I did an improvisational duet concert with my good friend Debhashish
Battycharya (the hindustani slide master) where I only used
ostinato groove rhythms from the african paradigm and the middleeastern
paradigm.
It produced some interesting results, particularly as Debhashish is an
incredible
rhythmatist, soaring over the 'grooves' I laid down for him. He has totally
inpired me to get a lot deeper with polyrhythmic and polymetric phrasing.  
I
have used looping techniques to learn how to phrase in any time signature
against any other time signature.

Please pardon the ignorance of my earlier statement.

yours,  Rick walker