Pancham Nishad Creatives and SnK Events present “Remember Shakti India Tour 2012”, a fusion music concert featuring stalwarts of global music. The concert tour is scheduled to be held on February 9 at the open air auditorium of Kala Academy from 7:30 p.m. onwards.
Remember Shakti is a quintet that combines elements of traditional Indian music with elements of jazz.
The band consists of Monte Carlo based Jazz guitarist, John McLaughlin, tabla wizard, Zakir Hussain, mandolin maestro, U Shrinivas, eminent vocalist, Shankar Mahadevan and kanjira virtuoso, V Selvaganesh. The band's name is derived from John McLaughlin's acoustic Indian fusion band ‘Shakti’, which was active in the 1970s.
‘Remember Shakti’ is an extension of the original thematic program called ‘Shakti’. Starting from February 5 in Pune, the concert tour will perform in four cities – Mumbai on February 7, Goa on February 9, Hyderabad on February 10 and Chennai on February 11.
The tour used to take place every alternate year but this year the tour is back after a hiatus of six years.
A raga features combinations and sets of notes specifically designed to evoke distinct atmospheres, moods and emotions. When creating or performing a raga, the pitch, note, sequence and intricate relationship and interaction between each note are all paramount factors. The raga form encourages a very intellectual type of improvisation that performers are required to balance with their intuitive leanings - the sort that appears all over “Remember Shakti”.
Ustad Zakir Hussain says, “Performing with John is like playing with an Indian musician. John has taken the time to study Indian classical music and figure out how we work, how we think and what our improvising techniques are. I too have had the good fortune to study and understand the Western ways of musical thinking be it jazz, pop or rock. In terms of musical interaction with John, it’s a bit more detailed now than before. The fabulous thing is that that connection hasn't changed. I never feel like I'm working with someone strange from a different tradition and he doesn't feel that way either."
The roots of McLaughlin's fascination with India go back long before ‘Shakti’ played its first notes together. For McLaughlin, the idea of balancing the mathematical equations of Indian rhythmic development and the abstract leanings of jazz was natural.
McLaughlin says, "I had a deep interest and affection for Indian culture before I discovered Indian music. I adapt myself to the environment in which I find myself. The current ‘Remember Shakti’ group with Selvaganesh and Srinivas is very different from the previous group. This group is remarkable. We have electric mandolin and guitar which is a nice combination of contrasts and harmony with two different kinds of percussion and needless to say the mellifluous voice of Shankar Mahadevan adds to the aura. `Remember Shakti’ is all about vitality and creating a joyful experience.”
“Performing for `Remember Shakti' is an unforgettable experience. I feel blessed and honoured to be a part of this group,” says mandolin virtuoso, U Shrinivas.
Shankar Mahadevan says, “The music from this group has a positive vibration, and is unmatched in quality.
(Tickets for the event are priced at Rs 1100 and Rs 550 inclusive of tax and are available at the Venue, Kala Academy and Bharat Electronics, Panaji from February 6. For ticket inquires contact: Mahesh Nakhye: 9773296750)
