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The stirring beauty of Indian music, lightly shaded by some Western tones and melodies, is the hallmark of Ragleela.
- Bernard Perusse
,The Gazette
l'indiscutable compétence de ces musiciens reste ici au service des compositions, sans débordements. ***
- Alain Brunet, La Presse
un mélange d'envoûtante délicatesse et de groove calme. ***
- Yves Bernard, Le Devoir
The group Ragleela enthralled the audience
enchanted and inspired by the lyrical power of their unique musical fusion
the band had the audience enraptured with their skilful blend
the crowd was well into the stratosphere
thrilled everyone
- Raj Naraynsingh, Bharat Times 7.2007
memorable melodic hooks
subtle nuances that slowly but surely invigorate the listener. 8/10
- Rupert Bottenberg, Montreal Mirror
the yogic spirit that emanated from their music.
a particular mood is evoked for contemplating the vicissitudes of life.
stimulate the listener to marvel upon the awesome power of sound.
a message of love, friendship and happiness.
Its richly textured, beautiful melodies and beatific sounds nourish the spirit, and the fresh, improvisatory quality results in a sacred musical jewel not to be missed.
- Kory Goldberg, Ascent Magazine 10.07
TOP TEN, CHUO 89.1 FM , June 2007
INTERNATIONAL
Place Nr. 7. Ragleela -- Jai Ma -- (Omkar records) -- CC
Ragleela’s audacious music surprises at every turn
Les audacieuses compositions de Ragleela s’avèrent surprenantes
- Montreal International Jazz Festival
Uwe Neumann, discovered the sitar in a most unusual fashion...
tuned in to the sounds of the sitar and was hooked....
- Outlook Magazine, India, April 30th, 1997
Rythme et exotisme
NoEMI et le sitariste allemand Uwe Neumann offrent une solide performance.
Les mélodies légèrement arabisées n'ont pas manqué d'entraîner festivaliers et simples badauds, qui s’étaient massés nombreux pour venir entendre la formation.
Dans cette version plutôt exotique, le sitariste Uwe Neumann s’est à nouveau fait valoir.
c'est plutôt le musicien allemand qui demeure le véritable découverte de ce spectacle.
le sitariste a impressionné par sa dextérité et son sens de la mélodie.
Génial également dans Sansa pour deux
- Le Soleil, 29 juin 1998, Quebec
Ragleela a vraiment plu aux quelque 300 personnes sous le chapiteau,dans le cadre du Festival Rythmes du monde de Victoriaville.
- Gilles Besmargian, La Tribune
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Full Reviews
Bharat Times 7.2007
by Raj Naraynsingh
Release of the latest CD, Jai Maa, by Ragleela
The group Ragleela enthralled the audience at the Kola Note Club on Friday June 8, 2007 with its signature blend of music…. One website says " their dynamic concerts across Canada have left audiences of all ages and styles enchanted and inspired by the lyrical power of their unique musical fusion." … For instance, the group's third selection - "Cosmic Dance" - relates to the "Leela" which forms part of their name and means "cosmic dance." From the first note to the last, the band had the audience enraptured with their skillful blen. By the time they arrived at the fourth piece and Neumann pulled out the Kalimba (African musical instrument)the crowd was well into the stratosphere which was the title of the 4th item. There were also very entertaining segments of the live performance when there was a dialogue between the various instruments. For instance, in the selection "the return of the Prophet" there was a wonderful interaction between Neumann and tabla player Shankar Das which thrilled everyone. The lively and energetic nature of the music even had some on their feet.
In "Along the Ranges" the violinist Marie-Soleil Bélanger had a chance to shine with a long solo.
Montreal Mirror
By Rupert Bottenberg
RAGLEELA Jai Ma (Omkar)
Montreal’s Uwe Neumann and his ensemble made a mark with their debut Caravan a couple years back, and outdo themselves on this follow-up. Neumann’s sitar is the tentpole here, but this isn’t about revisiting hallowed ragas. Rather, the group gropes around in the space between jazz, folk and Indian classical music, hinging their explorations on memorable melodic hooks not at all out of place in a Western pop context. It’s a patient, peaceable session, but hardly a sleepy one, with subtle nuances that slowly but surely invigorate the listener. 8/10
Ascent Magazine 10.07
by Kory Goldberg
Jai Ma by Ragleela Omkar 2007
Listening to Jai Ma stirred a memory of the first time I saw Ragleela's sitar virtuoso, Uwe Neumann, accompanied by the superb percussion of Shankar Das at the annual Om festival near Bancroft, Ontario in 1999. I was intrigued not only by the duo's skills in mastering classical Indian sounds, but also by the yogic spirit that emanated from their music.
Departing from the traditional ragas that these two musicians know so well, Neumann and Shankar Das gathered a group of friends with astounding harmonic and rhythmic abilities to create Jai Ma - a fusion of Indian melodies with Western and Middle Eastern beats. Jai Ma is one of those rare albums during which I never skip a track because each seems to flow perfectly from one to the next, whether I'm relaxing in my hammock, driving home from work or washing the dishes.
The opening track, "Over the Mountain," gives the listener a taste of the unique musical journey that is to follow in the next hour - it begins slowly with the lone sitar, gradually accompanied by complex guitar patterns, intricate violin lines and rapid grooving beats of Indian tablas and other percussion. When listening to the spiritually charged musical conversations in inspiring tracks such as "Nightwalk" and "Return of the Prophet," a particular mood is evoked for contemplating the vicissitudes of life. The didgeridoo interlaced with complex configurations of guitar, clarinet and percussion in "Caravanserai" transports us to a rhythmic desert-like journey, while reverberating textures of "Sansonica" stimulate the listener to marvel upon the awesome power of sound.
I was particularly touched by "Silencium," which is a silent dedication to Neumann's mother, as well as his teacher and a close friend, all of whom recently passed away. The track, which appears near the end of the disc, creates a sense of spaciousness and an emptiness that reflects the subtle tranquility between each note played on the album. Ragleela's journey concludes with the meditative notes of a sansa; the minimalist nature of the finger-instrument reminds the listener to remove the dust from the mirror of the heart and enjoy its music as a beautiful reflection on simplicity.
From the soothing melodies of "View of the Green Mountain" to the joyful, jazzy ragtime raga of "Camp in Town," this album presents both a graceful fusion of our era's diverse musical spheres and a reminder of the vast potential for unity in the face of the plurality that each of us contains within ourselves.
After listening to Jai Ma, it is clear to me that the album is Ragleela's devotional expression to the Divine Mother. The disc is both a beautiful prayer dedicated to finding ultimate truth and a message of love, friendship and happiness. Its richly textured, beautiful melodies and beatific sounds nourish the spirit, and the fresh, improvisatory quality results in a sacred musical jewel not to be missed.
The Gazette, Friday, June 08, 2007
By Bernard Perusse
WORLD MUSIC
Ragleela. The stirring beauty of Indian music, lightly shaded by some Western tones and melodies, is the hallmark of Ragleela. The five-member group - founded in India in 1990 and reborn when sitar player Uwe Neumann moved to Montreal seven years ago - promotes its new disc, Jai Ma, tonight at 8:30 at the Kola Note, 5240 Park. Ave. Tickets cost $22 at the door.
La Presse ,samedi 28 juillet 2007
Alain Brunet
Depuis quelques années, le Montréalais d'adoption Uwe Neumann et ses collègues de la première ligne (le guitariste Jean-Marc Hébert et le tablaïste Shankar Das) proposent une musique indienne mâtinée de folk, de jazz, de saveurs africaines ou aborigènes d'Australie - le leader de Ragleela joue le sitar, la sanza et le didgeridoo.
Au début de l'été, le quintette lançait ce nouvel enregistrement enrichi du jeu de la violoniste Marie-Soleil Bélanger et du percussionniste Éric Breton. Dominante dans cette esthétique, la musique classique indienne se voit ici transformée par différents concepts harmoniques occidentaux et modes orientaux. À l'ère des grands brassages interculturels, cette mixtion propose des climats sereins et placides, peu agités de manière générale. Il faut croire que l'indiscutable compétence de ces musiciens reste ici au service des compositions, sans débordements. Peut-être aurait-on aimé se faire servir quelques salves de virtuosité ou peut-être un peu moins de linéarité ***
Le Devoir ,vendredi 29 juin 2007
By Yves Bernard
Mots clés : Disques, Musique, Québec (province)
Monde - JAI MA
Ragleela OMkar Records - SRI
Ils sont de plus en plus nombreux, ces musiciens montréalais imprégnés de musiques asiatiques qui recherchent le double langage pour rendre leurs créations accessibles aux oreilles occidentales.
C'est le cas ici. Après avoir lancé, en 2002, un premier album à l'enseigne d'une musique indienne métissée de sanza africaine et de didgeridoo australien, le groupe récidive en quintette avec l'ajout de nouveaux instruments, dont le violon lyrique de Marie-Soleil Bélanger et les percussions tous azimuts d'Éric Breton. Fortement inspirées des ragas, la majorité des compositions du sitariste multi-instrumentiste Uwe Newman permettent l'intégration d'éléments harmoniques conçus par le guitariste Jean-Marc Hébert, un corpus étranger à cet univers. Mais Hébert n'exagère pas, se contentant d'insérer quelques couleurs folk ou jazz. Alors que le didgeridoo fait le bourdon et que le nouveau percussionniste fait sautiller une musique reconnue pour sa profondeur mélodique, des invités, bansuri, hautbois ou violoncelle, à l'appui dans quelques pièces, préservent la densité. S'en dégage un mélange d'envoûtante délicatesse et de groove calme. Au FIJM, série Contact GM demain à 18h30. ***
ICI, 28 juin 2007
By Ralph Boncy
Ragleela - Jai Ma (Omkar Records / Indépendant)
Le «rag» dans Ragleela n'indique pas le ragga déluré d'un chanteur jamaïcain mais évoque la métrique particulière des ragas de la musique classique indienne. Pas évident d'ailleurs, ce quintette instrumental atypique où des Québécois pure laine fascinés par l'Orient rejoignent l'intrigant Uwe Numan (sitar et didjeridoo) et Shankar Das, un expert en tablas venu de là-bas. Une autre de ces curiosités qui fleurissent (et tant mieux!) dans notre cher terroir multiethnique montréalais. Ce projet est certes encore un work in progress (c'est un deuxième album pour cette formation), par contre, il dépasse déjà le stade de la simple expérimentation. Return of the Prophet semble marier l'hindou et le celte, Caravanserai allie clarinette basse et sitar à l'unisson et Sansonica évoque Shakti dans son duel guitare et violon. Gagne sûrement à être vu live, dans la rue.
TOP TEN
CHUO 89.1 FM
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
INTERNATIONAL
Place Nr. 7. Ragleela -- Jai Ma -- (Omkar records) -- CC
Montreal International Jazz Festival:
Sitar, violin, percussion, tabla and guitar—a unique combination for a quintet blending the melodic richness of Indian ragas with the harmonic sensibility and arrangements of western music. Uwe Neumann, the group’s sitar player and musical director, draws on elements of the Indian tradition, alchemized with modal occidental music and instrumentation. Ragleela’s audacious music surprises at every turn, building a cultural bridge between West and East.
La musique de ce quintette original composé d’un sitar, d’un violon, de percussion, de tabla et de guitare marie la richesse mélodique des ragas indiens avec les harmonisations et les arrangements de la musique occidentale. Uwe Neumann, directeur musical du groupe et joueur de sitar, s’inspire d’éléments de la tradition indienne, qu’il métamorphose agréablement grâce à des harmonies et des instruments occidentaux. Les audacieuses compositions de Ragleela s’avèrent surprenantes tout en contribuant à créer un pont entre les cultures orientale et occidentale.
Montreal Mirror, 9 November 2000
By Rupert Bottenberg
... . The sitar itself, meanwhile, is wielded by a German guy, Uwe Neumann. A former jazz-rocker who studied Indian Classical Music for 10 years in the Bengal region, he's comfortable enough with the lore and theory to shape it in a personal fashion.
" We do quite traditional music," says Neumann of Sitarissimo. " A bit more dynamic, maybe, but still traditional ragas. The compositions are partly my own."
More than partly, in the end, due to the inherently improvisational nature of ragas, the foundation of Indian Classical. " It's always improvisations on a theme," he explains. " To define raga is quite difficult in short, but one has a scale, and each note of that scale has its particular character. The relationship between the notes is defined by how you move from one to the other. " It's a bit like these seven or eight notes are characters in a play. One expresses a particular mood through the relation of these notes- like, one is the boss and one is the helper. So one is the most dominant, one is the secondary dominant, and then other people appear and have their relations, too, to the boss and helper and among themselves." ...
Outlook Magazine, India, April 30th, 1997
German guitar man Uwe Neumann, 33, discovered the sitar in a most unusual fashion. As he walked down a crowded Benares lane 10 years back, a stranger approached him and offered free lessons in sitar. Neumann, who had played classical guitar in church choirs and was an accomplished folk and jazz guitarist in hometown Nuremberg, followed the man into a shop, tuned in to the sounds of the sitar and was hooked....
Neumann too was attracted by the unique development of melody in Hindustani classical. "I realized my playing lacked melody. Most of the popular music we're exposed to has a strong beat and harmonic structure, but its melodic content is weak," says the jazzman. He came to Shantiniketan to learn the sitar under Indranil Bhattacharya. There, the versatile artist charmed his teachers by playing the sansa, a traditional African percussion instrument. Neumann has now spent seven years in Shantiniketan and has already earned bachelors and master's degrees in music and is planning to do a doctoral dissertation. He also runs a one-man band, Ragleela, in which he plays the sitar, acoustic guitar, bass, sansa, and the aboriginal wind instrument, didjeridoo. He has a tabla player who provides the backbeat. "But," says he, "I will only be satisfied with my sitar playing when I am completely accepted in India."
Le Soleil, 29 juin 1998, Quebec
Rythme et exotisme
NoEMI et le sitariste allemand Uwe Neumann offrent une solide performance.
Les mélodies légèrement arabisées par la Sitar de Neumann et les rythmes de danse concoctées par les deux percussionnistes n'ont pas manqué d'entraîner festivaliers et simples badauds, qui s’étaient massés nombreux pour venir entendre la formation.
NoEMI allait poursuivre ce spectacle déjà bien amorcé avec la pièce Petit Marius deviendra grand, une composition du Trio François Carrier.
Dans cette version plutôt exotique, le sitariste Uwe Neumann s’est à nouveau fait valoir. Et bien que la formation NoEMI est née cette année et représente à elle seule une belle surprise, c'est plutôt le musicien allemand qui demeure le véritable découverte de ce spectacle.
Spécialiste de la musique classique indienne, le sitariste a impressionné par sa dextérité et son sens de la mélodie. Il a particulièrement prouvé ces qualités dans la troisième pièce de ce spectacle, où son instrument doublait admirablement le saxophone de Carrier.
Génial également dans Sansa pour deux, une pièce complètement improvisée et interprétéé à l'aide de la sansa, ce petit instrument à partir d'une demi-noix de coco à laquelle des lamelles de métal ont été ajoutées.
La Tribune, 5 août 2002,
By Gilles Besmargian
En après-midi samedi, la richesse mélodique des ragas indiens du groupe Ragleela a vraiment plu aux quelque 300 personnes sous le chapiteau, à la place Sainte-Victoire, dans le cadre du Festival Rythmes du monde de Victoriaville. »
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