If anyone knows who John McLaughlin is then you can appreciate how ecstatic i am that i got to see SHAKTI tonight. It lit a fire in the base of my spine. Their fusion of Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) classical music with a touch of western improvisation produced spinning mandalas of sound.
Lately i have succumbed to cynicism and the mundane drudgery of a 40 plus hour workweek. Coming from someone that spent the previous year only playing music and giving the occasional lesson this turn of events has left me somewhat numb. This is the price i am paying for moving to the big city. Sadly, i also saw some friends of mine playing Ornette Coleman tunes tonight only to earn maybe $8 a piece. A hot chick writhing in front of a minor vamp will earn you a lot more these days.
Thankfully i was not working this evening and i was able to see the man that has brought me endless inspiration for the past ten years. I believe it is the shock i have needed. Love comes from within.
The line up was John McLaughlin on the electric guitar, Mandolin U. Shrinivas on the five-string Indian mandolin (only the greatest of performers are allowed to place the name of their instrument before their last name), V, Selvaganesh on the Kanjira (a small tambourine of stretched lizard skin on a wooden frame) and the Ghatam (a clay pot), and Zakir Hussain a Tabla maestro (he has played with George Harrison!)
It is futile for me to try to describe the sensations this music can produce. Let me just say that ancient tapestries and blossoming lotus unfurled on top of the majestic harmonic overtones that filled that hall tonight.
Lately i have succumbed to cynicism and the mundane drudgery of a 40 plus hour workweek. Coming from someone that spent the previous year only playing music and giving the occasional lesson this turn of events has left me somewhat numb. This is the price i am paying for moving to the big city. Sadly, i also saw some friends of mine playing Ornette Coleman tunes tonight only to earn maybe $8 a piece. A hot chick writhing in front of a minor vamp will earn you a lot more these days.
Thankfully i was not working this evening and i was able to see the man that has brought me endless inspiration for the past ten years. I believe it is the shock i have needed. Love comes from within.
The line up was John McLaughlin on the electric guitar, Mandolin U. Shrinivas on the five-string Indian mandolin (only the greatest of performers are allowed to place the name of their instrument before their last name), V, Selvaganesh on the Kanjira (a small tambourine of stretched lizard skin on a wooden frame) and the Ghatam (a clay pot), and Zakir Hussain a Tabla maestro (he has played with George Harrison!)
It is futile for me to try to describe the sensations this music can produce. Let me just say that ancient tapestries and blossoming lotus unfurled on top of the majestic harmonic overtones that filled that hall tonight.
VIEW 9 of 9 COMMENTS
ayin:
I love Shakti 
. Just moved to DC about a month ago...the Indian Classical 'scene'(?) is really thriving up here. I've been studying Indian classical on the sitar (to little artistic avail 
) to try and apply some the pentatonic/microtonalties/1/4 step stuff to my bass playing. I'm amazed how much ragas and the blues scale actually have in common, when you consider the blues "scale" is heavily dependant on specefic syncopation of the accidental notes (at least when its played in the context of a traditional key)....ah well, I digress...was Mclaughin on a fretless Indian Guitar or trad. western electric?
. Just moved to DC about a month ago...the Indian Classical 'scene'(?) is really thriving up here. I've been studying Indian classical on the sitar (to little artistic avail ) to try and apply some the pentatonic/microtonalties/1/4 step stuff to my bass playing. I'm amazed how much ragas and the blues scale actually have in common, when you consider the blues "scale" is heavily dependant on specefic syncopation of the accidental notes (at least when its played in the context of a traditional key)....ah well, I digress...was Mclaughin on a fretless Indian Guitar or trad. western electric? 
louise:
ah, wow, that's a great story about the treasure hunt. once when i was little my best friend had a treasure hunt for her birthday party and we got little dollar store jewelry boxes as prizes. i still have mine. it's special because i found it in a treasure hunt. we should make an SG treasure hunt around a big city.