THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF SHAKTI.Byline: Chris J. Walker Correspondent It could easily be chaotic cacophony, as tablas Tab·las An island of the central Philippines east of Mindoro. It is the largest of the Romblon Islands. pound thunderously, Indian percussion counter punches, mandolin mandolin (măn'dəlĭn`, măn`dəlĭn'), musical instrument of the lute family, with a half-pear-shaped body, a fretted neck, and a variable number of strings, plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum. , violin and guitar alternate between lead and rhythm, and a vocalist chants above it all. Significantly, Shakti, meaning energy in Sanskrit, is an extraordinary merging of Eastern and Western music, originally formed over 25 years ago by John McLaughlin John McLaughlin is the name of:
n. A member of a jazz band who is not the leader or a featured soloist. for icon Miles Davis Noun 1. Miles Davis - United States jazz musician; noted for his trumpet style (1926-1991) Miles Dewey Davis Jr., Davis during the trumpeter's experimental jazz-rock period. Remarkably, the intrigue of Indian music Indian music, of India: see Hindu music. and philosophy impacted McLaughlin's psyche early on. ``I've got this thing with India,'' the guitarist admitted between rehearsals for the first show of his tour for ``Remembering Shakti'' that began Tuesday in Boulder, Colo., and comes to UCLA's Royce Hall Royce Hall is a building on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Designed by the Los Angeles firm of Allison & Allison (James Edward Allison, 1870-1955, and his brother David Clark Allison, 1881-1962) in the Italian Romanesque Revival style and completed on Thursday. ``For over 30 years I've been going there, and it's not just the music but also the philosophy, religion and people - it's such an amazing country and got under my skin many years ago.'' The guitarist remembers the day that forever changed Forever Changed was a Christian Rock band from Tallahassee and Orlando, FL. They came together in 1999 and broke up in 2006. Dan Cole was the lead singer, a guitarist, and a pianist. Ben O'Rear was the lead guitarist, Tom Gustafson played bass, and Nathan Lee played the drums. his outlook. He was 15 and heard South Indian temple music on the radio in his native England. ``I didn't know what it was,'' he vividly recalled, ``but it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.'' Needless to say, audiences throughout the world experienced similar results when Shakti first appeared in concert during 1975. There was nothing like the musical amalgamation that McLaughlin created with its original members - master tablaist Zakir Hussain, violinist L. Shankar and percussionist T.H. Viku Vinayakram. Record stores didn't have a category for it, very few radio stations played material like Shakti, and music-industry types questioned the new direction. Regardless, the phenomenal guitarist, who previously led one of the most successful jazz-rock bands ever, with concert and record sales rivaling top rock and pop acts, didn't care. His heart beckoned him, and he had to respond. The explosive and virtuosic Mahavishnu Orchestra was similarly spiritual, inspired by the teachings of his guru, Sri Chinmoy. However, bandmates didn't fully embrace the bandleader's religious direction and dissension eventually developed along with McLaughlin's explorative desires. With Shakti, spirituality and devotion weren't an issue but instead a driving factor. Still, they too disbanded many years later, but more due to the guitarist needing to move on to other modes of expression. The upcoming CD ``Poets and Thieves,'' to be released Oct. 7, integrates his acoustic guitar playing with a 50-piece string orchestra and classical soloists. Remember Shakti, the latest reincarnation of the McLaughlin's groundbreaking ensemble, features co-founder Hussain, percussionist V. Selvaganesh (son of Vinayakram), electric mandolinist U. Shrinivas and guest vocalist Shankar Mahadevan. The guitarist, who has played with many jazz greats and influenced numerous top guitarists currently performing, bubbled with excitement regarding the Shakti shows. ``It's definitely a celebration of affection, admiration, respect, love and music when we go on stage. To play with these guys is not just about playing notes - you're playing with the people.'' REMEMBER SHAKTI Where: Royce Hall, UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX campus, Westwood. When: 8 p.m. Thursday. Tickets: $25 to $45. (310) 825-2101 or www.UCLAlive.org. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Tabla tabla Pair of small drums, the principal percussion in Hindustani music of northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The higher-pitched daya, played with the right hand, is a roughly cylindrical one-skinned drum, usually wooden, normally tuned to the raga's tonic. player Zakir Hussain, an original member of Shakti, is back with Remember Shakti, which stops Thursday at UCLA. |
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