Shakti (Band)

Shakti was a existing in the original cast from 1974 to 1978 fusion and world music band around the English guitarist John McLaughlin. With the exception of the band leader, all members were from the Indian subcontinent, which was very unusual in the music scene of the 70s. The band's name itself is derived from the Hindu word Shakti, for strength and divine feminine energy as the counterpart of the principal gods in appearance as the patroness of the fine arts.

History

The band consisted, apart from McLaughlin, violinist L. Shankar from, Zakir Hussain on tabla, R. Raghavan on mridangam - a drum of South Indian ( Carnatic ) music tradition - as well as TH " Vikku " Vinayakram on Mridangam and Ghatam. In this line, the quintet took only three albums. Because of his time unique occupation and novel fusion of different music styles such as jazz, European, North Indian ( Hindustani ) and South Indian - Carnatic music ensemble, however enormous international attracted attention, so that the musicians in the years 1975-1977 often at the major jazz festivals ( approximately at the Montreux Jazz Festival) could be heard.

1978 McLaughlin turned back to his game on the electric guitar to playing with Shakti in partly different crew, only a few performances. In 1997, the guitarist initiated the project Remember Shakti, which clearly was based on the music of the previous group. Among other musicians Zakir Hussain and THVinayakram were involved again.

Discography

• Shakti with John McLaughlin (Live ), 1975
• A Handful Of Beauty, 1977
• Natural Elements 1977
• John McLaughlin / Zakir Hussain Remember Shakti, 1999
• The Believer, 2000
• Saturday Night In Bombay, 2001