The Ekonting | Part 3 - Songwriting and Recording

In this episode, Dr. Freidoon Ghazi walks us through a solo instrumental performance of dastgah Segah, and talks to us about the close relationship between Persian poetry and music. 

Founder and performer in the Cincinnati Persian Music Ensemble, Dr. Freidoon Ghazi, talks about some of the details of Persian music, as well as the many different styles of it that he performs in his ensemble. 

Joined by Performer, Scholar, and Professor of Ethnomusicology, Stefan Fiol, today's episode delves into the world of ritual Drumming in the Uttarakhand region of Northern India, exploring subjects such as drumming dialects, the influence of the recording industry, the dynamics of change, and the ever-present issue of caste-based discrimination. 

Joined by Professional Music Therapist, Shonda Malik, we explore the process and function behind Music Therapy treatment for individuals with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers, Dementia, and Parkinson's, as well as stroke and head trauma patients. In this episode, we will take a look at why musical activity is so effective in these cases, as well as how to go about creating musical activities at home with loved ones impacted by these conditions. 

This episode explores how the Ekonting is growing and evolving in the modern day: How are songs written and dispersed? How is Ekonting music changing, and what possibilities are there for this instrument in the future?

This episode covers the performance theory and practice of the Ekonting: what it sounds like, how people discuss performances, and some of the nuances of Ekonting music. 

Ethnomusicologist Scott Linford gives us a glimpse into the music culture and practice surrounding the Ekonting, a plucked, gourd lute most well-known in the West as an ancestor to the Banjo.  

Now that we have covered the contents of a tabla solo, we now talk about the tabla in the context of accompanying, ranging from classical accompaniment, folk music, devotional music, and studio work, as well as the tabla's popular inclusion in jazz and fusion music in the west. 

Following the Kaida, our guest introduces us to the Rela and Fixed compositions, which are the final, blistering compositional forms that are performed at the end of a Tabla solo.