Clem Alford

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Clem Alford (born October 2, 1945 in Glasgow , Strathclyde , Scotland ) is a Scottish musician and sitar player.

He is considered one of the early pioneers who technically fused traditional sitar playing with western electronic rock music . With the help of electric pickups and guitar effects, he fused traditional Indian music with our western rock music. He has also composed film music and is the author of a philosophical guide to playing the sitar. He received several musical awards both in India and in the West. He is also known as the "Scottish Pandit " because of his knowledge of Indian classical music tradition .

Life

Alford had originally studied the traditional Scottish bagpipes during his music studies , but switched to playing the sitar in the mid-1960s after drawing inspiration from the two Indian musicians and composers Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan . In 1968 he went to India to study the classical sitar. In 1970 he successfully obtained a diploma in Indian music in Calcutta, West Bengal, India.

Career as a musician

In the early seventies he founded his first band. It consisted of guitarist Jim Moyes and tabla percussionist Keshav Sathe . They were given the opportunity to record an album for the Mushroom label , provided they add a singer. Thus came Alisha Sufit added as a singer. Together they called themselves Magic Carpet and in 1972 they released their debut album of the same name, which combined Indian and folk music, both on a vocal and on an instrumental level.

In 1974 Alford recorded a solo album with Mirror-Image, combining Indian music with electric jazz-rock . Alford used an electronic sitar, using a contact microphone and a wah-wah pedal common in the rock genre . He was accompanied by classic western instrumentation: electric guitar, electric piano, bass and drums. The album also contained two traditional ragas played by Alford (on Tanpura ) and Magic Carpet member Keshav Sathe (tabla).

The album was described as one of the most successful mixes between pop / rock structures and the sacred sound of raga music.

In 1988 he founded the band Akasa with the young singer Sophiya Haque and tabla percussionist John Millar , this time combining traditional sitar playing with the electronic pop sound of the 80s. With the follow-up project The Alien Mangoes , which was continued with John Millar , he mixed Indian music with atmospheric sounds.

In 1996, he reunited with Alisha Sufit to record the album Once Moor . Since none of the other original Magic Carpet musicians were involved in the album, the band name Magic Carpet II was chosen this time .

As a lecturer, music director & advisor

  • Music director at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Education Foundation, London England 1972–1976.
  • Lecturer at College of Art and Technology, Cambridge England, 1982–1986.
  • Music advisor to the United Kingdom University Music Circuit, London, 1984–1985.
  • Since 1994 course instructor at the Conservatory for South Asia and World Music in Birmingham, England

Discography

  • 1974 Mirror Image (solo album)

With Magic Carpet

  • 1972 Magic Carpet
  • 1996 Once Moor (as Magic Carpet II)

With Akasa

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Akasa. In: Discogs. Retrieved November 8, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Clem Alford. March 24, 2019, accessed November 8, 2019 (UK English).
  3. ↑ Scottish sitar maestro enthrals London audience. In: Hindustantimes.com. March 29, 2017, accessed November 8, 2019 .
  4. ↑ a b Clem Alford. In: prssv.org. March 24, 2019, accessed November 8, 2019 (UK English).
  5. ↑ a b Magic Carpet music, videos, stats, and photos. Retrieved November 8, 2019 .
  6. ^ Andy Gregory: The International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002 . Psychology Press, 2002, ISBN 978-1-85743-161-2 ( google.de [accessed November 8, 2019]).
  7. ↑ Akasa - One Night in My Life. In: Martyn Phillips. Retrieved November 8, 2019 (UK English).
  8. ↑ The Alien Mangoes - All Things Dream In Love - 90 bpm. Accessed November 8, 2019 (German).
  9. ↑ Magic Carpet II | Biography & History. Retrieved November 8, 2019 (American English).
  10. ↑ Clem Alford. Retrieved November 8, 2019 (en-EN).
  11. ^ Clem Alford - Mirror Image. Retrieved November 8, 2019 .
  12. ↑ Magic Carpet (3) - Magic Carpet. Retrieved November 8, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Magic Carpet (3) - Once Moor. Retrieved November 8, 2019 .
  14. ↑ Akasa And Sophiya - One Night In My Life. Retrieved November 8, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Alford, Clem
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Scottish musician
DATE OF BIRTH October 2, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Glasgow , Strathclyde , Scotland