[Dixielandjazz] Jazz

[Marek Boym]

Lovely!  But needs reading aloud.
Cheers

On 13 January 2011 12:51, Phil OR <philor at webone.com.au> wrote:
> Has this been mentioned before?
>
> Phil O'Rourke
> Australia
>
> My Poppadam tol' me
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> Although jazz has thrown up an abundance of controversies over the years, the one element on which there has hitherto been universal agreement is that concerning the origins of the music.
>
> It has long been accepted that jazz evolved from a combination of African music, introduced into America by the slaves, and European dance music.
>
> Now, however, comes a remarkable book, "Jazz Is Where You Sikh It", by P. Vencatachellum, which threatens to cause a gigantic upheaval in jazz circles by claiming  that jazz had its origins in India in the middle of the 19th century.
>
> In a fully documented survey of the beginnings of jazz, Venatachellum traces traces its origins to an eating house in New Delhi where the specialities were particular spicy jhals. The resident musicians led by Ali Zanda, specialised in syncopated improvised music which quickly became associated with the food being served. It became known locally as "hot jhals" musicand, as the musicians played the "l" out of it, this became corrupted to "hot jhas". From there it was a short step to hot jazz or jazz.
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> If this were all the evidence that Vencatachellum was able to provide, it would be derisory indeed. But he goes on to trace the spread of the music to other towns in India where, during the days of prohibition, musicians would get together for what were known as chutney sessions in the local Sikheasies.
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> Meanwhile the original New Delhi band was gaining a wide following among the Sikhs who derived, it is said, great élan from the music. As a result of this the band became known as the Original Sikhs Elan Jhas Band and the leader achieved additional fame when he wrote Ali Zander's Raga Time Band.
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> Hand in hand with the evolution of jazz in New Delhi was a secondary movement emanating from a member of the British Raj in the northern state of Nepal. He assembled around himself a large orchestra of British and Indian musicians which became known as the Nepal White Man Band.
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> Also contributing to the mainstream of jazz development was religious music and a number of gopal (gospel) singers were emerging, using jazz rhythms in conjunction with traditional hymns like "We Pilau The Fields And Scatter". And from the workers in the cotton fields came the blues form, later taken up with some success by a titled woman in the Punjab known only as Maharanee (later corrupted by Western writers to Ma Rainey).
>
> But perhaps the blues movement, says Vencatachellum, came from the fakirs (including some elderly female ones known as mother fakirs) who roamed Bombay moaning laments as they walked through hot coals.
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> Their wailing became so distracting that the authorities banished them to the municipal toilets where a special section was put aside for them. The lavatory seats each had a dozen spikes sticking up and the wailing that echoed through the place naturally became universally known as the music of the 12-barb loos - perhaps the most fundamental form of Indian jazz.
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> Vencatachellum traces the development of various forms of jazz - that of the West Coast stream evolved by a group of diminutive members of the aristocracy known as Shorty Rajahs, the bebop movement introduced by a number of seers who transformed the standard Whispering into Guruvin' High and the rock 'n' roll style pioneered by Chuck Ber-Beri, who found fame with RagaBeating Boogie and Sweet Little Sikhs Teen.
>
> The Author is particularly interesting when he gives the stories behind such jazz standards as Low Down Dhoti Shame Blues, Poppadam Allow No Music Played In Here and You Korma Long Way From New Delhi. He also refers at length to the introduction of the electric sitar by Charlie Hindu and the contributions made by such Indian jazz greats as Vindaloo Donaldson, Rajah kellaway, Rupee Braff, and singers like Delhi Rice and Chappatti page. He also recalls the pioneering work of the dark-hued trombonist from the south known as "Tanned" Ory.
>
> Vencatachellum is convincing when he explains how Indian jazz evolved into rhythm and blues through the efforts of the Tabla Motown label. And he is most persuasive when he talks about the bosa nova influence from the former Portugese region, led by the talented Domengo Chutney. Domengo, he explains, is nicknamed "Mango" by his followers, and since he comes from the former Portugese region, is often referred to as "Goa Mango" - an appellation familier to jazz lovers throughout the world.
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> However the author is on rather more treacherous ground when he sets out to prove that most of the American jazz standards are, in fact, based on original Indian tunes.
>
> He quotes the case, for example, of an Indian potentate who commissioned a song from a local composer. The composer completed the work and, to make an impression, rode to the palace sitting on the ear of an elephant and singing, Caliph, On Ear I Come. He has other far-fetched  explanations for titles like Ghee Baby Ain't I Good To You, Whose Sari Now, DIG Urdu Urdu and I Call My Sugar Ghandi.
>
> Vencatachellum has written a recourceful and fascinating book, but I am bound to say that if you are a serious student of jazz, in the Brian Oxide class, you may find that Jazz Is Where You Sikh It, instead of helping you, tends to India.
>
> This article is reprinted from Melody Maker and is attributed by that magazine to "the almost totally unknown authority on Indian culture, Jean Elliot, who has made a bit of chutney in her time and once visited Southall"
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