Trilok Gurtu Albums (10)
What The Critics Say
Trilok Gurtu is best known for his percussion work melding Indian music and jazz. This time he takes on an entirely new challenge, working with West African musicians from the Frikyawa label. On the surface, the two styles don't go together, but in the hands of Gurtu and the others -- kora, electric kora, calabash, and ngoni -- it becomes something of a trance feast with its feet quite firmly in African soil (all the more surprising since Gurtu wrote all but one of the cuts here). Interestingly, Gurtu's presence throughout is largely understated, leaving the spotlight to the others, most especially singer Hadja Kouyate, whose vocal and tonal range is nothing less than stunning. The percussion is often simply atmosphere, as on "Mil-Jul," but that's fine. Gurtu is a past master at knowing what to put in or leave out to enhance a song. Here he proves that imagination and good taste transcend continents ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Trilok Gurtu has recorded his share of instrumental jazz and worked with jazz heavyweights like Joe Zawinul and Pat Metheny, but you won't find any jazz whatsoever on The Beat of Love. For myopic, narrow-minded jazz snobs who believe that jazz is the only form of music that has a right to exist, the CD's lack of jazz is a problem. But for broad-minded world music enthusiasts, The Beat of Love is a fine addition to Gurtu's catalog. Produced by West Africa native Wally Badarou, this album is meant to fuse modern Indian pop with the rhythms of black Africa (as opposed to Arabic North Africa). And the two prove to be quite compatible; on The Beat of Love, African elements sound perfectly logical alongside Indian rhythms and instruments. The voices of well-known African singers like Salif Keita and Angelique Kidjo sound right at home with Indian instruments such as the sitar and tabla drums. But The Beat of Love isn't just about Indian and African elements -- Gurtu combines those things with American funk and electronica. Of course, the modern pop sounds of India and black Africa are heavily influenced by Western pop and funk, and Gurtu is well aware of that. So if The Beat of Love is a musical tour of India and black Africa, there are also stops in the United States and Europe. And, in fact, the CD was produced in four different countries -- not only India and South Africa, but also the U.S. and England. With a lot of help from Badarou, Gurtu sees to it that The Beat of Love is an unpredictable but consistently appealing celebration of multiculturalism. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Percussionist Trilok Gurtu comes from a long line of respected Indian classical musicians, but he's best known for his genre-blending fusions of world music and jazz. Crazy Saints is one of his most complex and challenging releases to date, enlisting the aid of jazz legends like guitarist Pat Metheny and Joe Zawinul to create a thoroughly modern sound that moves from razor sharp ensemble work to dizzying solos. The most effective songs are those that mine Gurtu's myriad world music influences, including "Manini" and "Blessing in Disguise," both of which are blessed with the haunting vocal ululations of Indian music legend Shobha Gurtu, the drummer's mother. The genteel balladry of "Ballad for 2 Musicians" and the excessive ambient noodling of "The Other Tune" may tax the patience of those with a lower tolerance for modern jazz wankery. But ultimately songs like the title track, which marries blistering beats in quirky time signatures with heavenly vocals and dazzling instrumental interplay, make the album a fine foray into jazz/world fusion. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
There are theories about the way the continents were once joined together in prehistoric times, but Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu is attempting a new connection between land masses in a musical sense with his eighth album African Fantasy, which probably should have been called "Indo-A frican Fantasy" to make things clear to potential buyers. As an Indian musician, Gurtu is steeped in the music of his homeland, with its tablas and sitars, but as a percussionist he must be fascinated by the various rhythms coming out of Africa. Here, he has indulged that interest writing music that fuses both traditions, which he plays with his usual band, but he brings in several African vocalists: Sabine Kabongo (of the European-based group Zap Mama), Esmeralda Sciascia, Angelique Kidjo, and Oumou Sangare. The results are interesting, if tentative. Maybe if Gurtu had collaborated with African musicians, especially drummers, he might have gotten more of the continent into his music. As it is, there is a surface texture, especially in the vocals, of the continent's many musics, but the core of the sound remains Indian. That still makes for striking juxtapositions, and there is some wonderful playing. But the concept of an Indian/African fusion remains a fantasy, at least in this execution of it. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As a producer and sideman, Bombay-born percussionist and singer Trilok Gurtu has become something of a godfather to London's emerging Asian Underground movement (his relationship with Asian Dub Foundation having earned him particularly strong street credibility in recent years), but he's also been quietly releasing solo albums for the last decade. The latest finds him teamed up with bassist Kai Eckhardt de Camargo (good luck sorting out the ethnicity of that name), guitarist Jaya Deva, sitar player Ravi Cherry, and several high-profile guests (including Neneh Cherry, who sings a touching tribute to Ravi's and her late stepfather) for a program of cross-cultural jamming. Worldbeat fusion is always a dicey prospect, and while this album has many attractive moments, it never really comes into focus. "Seven Brings Return" meanders, at first hypnotically, then stultifyingly, for over eight minutes, and the wanky Steve Lukather guitar solo in the middle doesn't help. However, there's an equally meandering, but much more melodically interesting, bass solo on "You, Remember This" that works very well. "Brasilian" is a mostly unsuccessful attempt at a fusion of Indian and Brazilian influences, and "Who Knows the Mind" is downright weird-a love songs that segues into a sort of progressive rock crossed with bhangra, again for over eight minutes. All of this stuff is pleasant enough, but little of it is very compelling. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Easily the best album to date by talented jazz/world music percussionist Trilok Gurtu, The Glimpse is a brilliant blend of musical styles paying tribute to the Indian drummer's dearly departed friend, jazz legend Don Cherry. Like Cherry, Gurtu's multicultural influences are often central to his compositions, and with guest musicians like Morocco's Jaya Deva (a member of Cherry's band), India's Geetha Ramanathan Bennett, and Bulgaria's Teodosii Spassov, this is his most ethnically diverse album to date. Nearly every track here is a standout, from the Moroccan groove of "Cherry Town" and the dazzling spoken percussion of "1-2 Beaucoup" to the melancholy balladry of Ornette Coleman's "Law Years." A must-have for fans of world-jazz fusion. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Includes Mother Shobha Gurtu (v), Don Cherry (tpt), Ralph Towner (g, k), L. Shankar (violin), Jonas Helborg (b). ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With Jan Garbarek (saxes), Nana (per), Daniel Goyone (k). This is a septet doing Indian, Turkish, Scandinavian, and Brazilian world fusion, which is very well conceived. One of Garbarek's better efforts as collaborator or leader. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
