CURATION
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from this page:
by Matrix
Network Node
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Name:
Trilok Gurtu
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City/Place:
Hamburg
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Country:
Germany
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Hometown:
Mumbai, India
Current News
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What's Up?
With every track on “Spellbound” Trilok Gurtu has turned to the instrument that Cherry himself played: the trumpet. This brass instrument is practically a symbol for Gurtu's own musical vision. In its different versions, the trumpet has found a place in countless cultural circles around the world and has become an essential element of many different styles. The trumpet plays an important role in classical, symphonic music, just as in pop, world and, of course, jazz music.
Life
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Bio:
A world class, virtuoso percussionist, Trilok has attracted a world class set of collaborators over a long career; these started with John McLaughlin in whose trio, Trilok flourished as the featured soloist for 4 years, other jazz greats continued this path - Joe Zawinul, Jan Garbarek, Don Cherry, Bill Evans, Pharoah Sanders, Dave Holland were all attracted to Trilok's burning sense of rhythm. Of course he is deeply rooted in the Indian tradition, so it is no surprise to see that collaborations also took place with the glitterati of Indian musical society - his mother, Shobha Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, L. Shankar, Shankar Mahadevan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, The Misra Brothers and Sultan Khan. World music has become an established genre in which Trilok has further “ploughed his own furrow” with his own group, to great effect, performing and recording with Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare, Angelique Kidjo, Neneh Cherry, Omara Portuondo, Tuvan throat singers, Huun Huur Tu, to such effect that Rita Ray of BBC Radio described him as “a serial collaborator”.
In 2006/7, Trilok has recorded and performed with the Malian musicians from the Frikywa Family and the Italian, Arke String Quartet. Although these performances continue, he has also formed a World Music group featuring Bass, Guitar, Violin, Didjeridoo and Santoor, which showcases his talents thru the coming seasons. He will also offer his Twenty Years of Talking Tabla a solo event focussing on speech and tabla, with a chance for small audiences to exchange musical views with him and learn about his broad compositional techniques.
Trilok Gurtu was born into a highly musical family in Bombay, India where his grandfather was a noted Sitar player and his mother Shobha Gurtu, a classical singing star and constant influence. He began to play practically from infancy at the age of six. Eventually Trilok traveled to Europe, joining up with trumpeter Don Cherry (father of Neneh and Eagle Eye) for two years; touring worldwide with Oregon, the highly respected jazz group and was an important part of the quartet that L. Shankar led with Jan Garbarek and Zakir Hussain.
In 1988 Trilok performed with his own group, finally being able to present his compositions on the debut album USFRET which many musicians claim as an important influence; young Asian musicians from London like Talvin Singh, Asian Dub Foundation and Nitin Sawhney see him as a mentor and so Trilok's work finds its way onto the turntables at dance clubs years later. But back in 1988 Trilok met The Mahavishnu Orchestra and its leader, John McLaughlin and for the next four years played an integral part in The John McLaughlin Trio.
In 1993 Trilok toured his own trio in support of the album THE CRAZY SAINTS, which featured not only Joe Zawinul but also Pat Metheny. Audiences were enthralled by his compositions that linked subtle Indian rhythms and Indian singing with elements of modern jazz and rock. The following year the band was expanded to a quartet and touring extended to include a US coast-tocoast tour and 40+ European shows.
The composer and band leader had evolved from the Trilok of earlier years: consummate musicianship now joined entertainment skills as his humorous presentations for the group, between bouts of serious music, brought uproarious laughter from his spectators.
Band tours continued annually establishing Trilok Gurtu as a regular and popular visitor to many European and US cities; his group, THE GLIMPSE which was formed in 1996 grew from his musical roots in India's timeless acoustic tradition. By the late 90's they were touring worldwide and appearing in Festivals where he performed alongside the megastars of the entertainment business (Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, REM) as well as his colleagues in the World Music scene like Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal, Cesaria Evora and Salif Keita. The KATHAK, AFRICAN FANTASY and BEAT OF LOVE CDs came about in 1998/9, 2000/1 as a direct result of these years: Trilok's music entered a distinctly World Music setting. - a new sound that contained the core of his previous works but expanded on it allowing guest singers like Neneh Cherry, Salif Keita, Angelique Kidjo and Oumou Sangare to display their talents on Trilok's own recordings.
When Trilok hit the live performance circuit in 2000 and 2001, audiences saw the group with special guest appearances by Nitin Sawhney, Angelique Kidjo, Salif Keita and THE BEAT OF LOVE producer Wally Badarou in New York and London. In between group performances he appeared at a number of prestigious solo percussion recitals and gave guest performances on albums by John McLaughlin, Pharoah Sanders, Nitin Sawhney, Lalo Schifrin, Gilberto Gil, Bill Laswell & Annie Lennox.
The release of REMEMBRANCE in 2002 was a major milestone for Trilok. The guests Shankar Mahadevan, Zakir Hussain, Ronu Majumdar and Shobha Gurtu gave superb performances. Reviews in London were all 4**** and better, including The Times, Daily Express, The Guardian, Q, Songlines and FRoots. Combined with extensive touring across Europe and especially Scandinavia, this led to Trilok's second nomination for the BBC World Music Awards and for an EMMA. Stand out performances were at London's Hyde Park for the Queen's 50th Anniversary and in Bombay as part of a global satellite-delivered concert with Youssou N'Dour and Baaba Maal celebrating the BBC's 70th Anniversary of their World Service.
2003 saw a wide variety of over 50 performances all over the globe from Trilok Gurtu in quartet, trio and solo formats. His first collaboration in an orchestral piece took place in Koln in October, with the World Premiere of “Chalan” written especially for him by Maurizio Sotelo. Other key 2003 performances were at Cité de la Musique, Paris in April with special guest Shankar Mahadevan; in Utrecht with Robert Miles, Kudsi Erguner and Hassan Hakmoun and in Sardinia with Dave Holland. The most spectacular was certainly in Copenhagen at “The Images of Asia Festival” where he orchestrated a joint performance of his own band with Samul Nori (Korean Percussionists) and Huun Huur Tu (Mongolian Throat Singers). All this on a floating stage in Copenhagen Harbour at sunset - quite delicious!
Trilok started 2004 with a 10-date tour of Norway in February followed by an extensive tour of 25 concerts in France to announce the release of his eleventh CD BROKEN RHYTHMS. As with all Trilok records, the accent was on rhythm and drumming - but this one more so. Featured collaborations with the Tuvan Throat Singers Huun Huur Tu, the Arké String Quartet and an outstanding screaming guitar part from Gary Moore bring a heady mix of bright and fast with gentle and peaceful. The album was released in France in March 2004 and received all 4**** reviews. Two visits to the USA with his group included the huge Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco in front of 20,000 spectators.
As a composer, player and leader, Trilok released the brilliant MASSICAL in 2009 and the ambitious large ensemble compositions of 21 SPICES with drumming great Simon Phillips and the NDR Big Band in 2011. In 2013 Trilok released SPELLBOUND as a tribute to his one-time mentor and dear friend Don Cherry. The trumpet, which was the main instrument of the great Don Cherry, is featured throughout SPELLBOUND with guest appearances by trumpeters Nils Petter Molvær, Paolo Fresu, Matthias Schriefl, Ibrahim Maalouf, Ambrose Akinmusire, Hasan Gözetlik and Matthias Höfs playing compositions by Trilok as well as compositions by trumpet legends Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.
Trilok's versatile wide vision within other projects has continued with contributions to the work of Adriano Celentano, the Grammy Award winning “Gracias” by Omara Portuondo, Marcus Miller, Angelique Kidjo, Bill Laswell, Sheila E, Tigran Hamasyan, Pedro Javier Gonzalez, Gianna Nannini, Niels Petter Molvaer and Carles Benevent. He has also recently performed with the classical percussion star Martin Grubinger and continues to tour with master musician Jan Garbarek.
With his unique genius which has played a major role in creating some of the finest works of his fellow master musicians, amongst others, John Mclaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Dave Holland and Jan Garbarek, Trilok Gurtu continues to define and redefine his position as one of the percussive art's greatest innovators of all time. Although his approach to playing and composing is non-stylistic, it is built upon a solid and deep understanding of many global styles. His drumming and composing are universal, personal and fueled by tremendous love and discipline.
Contact Information
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Email:
[email protected]
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Management/Booking:
Live Appearances (UK and World excluding France, India and Dubai):
Address: Provo Culture, Via Oceano Pacifico n. 1, 01014 Montalto di Castro (VT), Italia
Contact: Claudio De Rocco
Email:[email protected]
Tel: +39-0766-802380
Fax: +39-0766-802991
Live Appearances (France only):
Address: Jazz Musiques Productions, 520 rue de la Ducques, 34730 Prades le Lez, France
Web: www.jmp.fr
Contact: Franck Feret
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +33-(0)467 59 74 97
Fax: +33-(0)467 59 72 84
Live Appearances (India and Dubai):
Contact: Narendra Gurtu
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +91-22 24999310
Mobile: +91-98202 49027
Clips (more may be added)
The Integrated Global Creative Economy
⤷ A technological matrix uncoiling from the vast African, Indigenous, Sephardic and then Ashkenazic, European and Asian cultural matrix of Bahia and Brazil...
Wolfram Mathematics
⤷ Creators in reach of all humanity via integration into a worldwide "small-world" matrix structure (see Wolfram above)...
⤷ All closer than we imagine.
⤷ All discoverable by all.
In a small world great things are possible.
Alicia Svigals
"Thanks, this is a brilliant idea!!"
—Alicia Svigals (NEW YORK CITY): Apotheosis of klezmer violinists
"Dear Sparrow: I am thrilled to receive your email! Thank you for including me in this wonderful matrix."
—Susan Rogers (BOSTON): Director of the Berklee Music Perception and Cognition Laboratory ... Former personal recording engineer for Prince; "Purple Rain", "Sign o' the Times", "Around the World in a Day"
"Dear Sparrow, Many thanks for this – I am touched!"
—Julian Lloyd Webber (LONDON): Premier cellist in UK; brother of Andrew (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Phantom of the Opera...)
"This is super impressive work ! Congratulations ! Thanks for including me :)))"
—Clarice Assad (RIO DE JANEIRO/CHICAGO): Pianist and composer with works performed by Yo Yo Ma and orchestras around the world
"We appreciate you including Kamasi in the matrix, Sparrow."
—Banch Abegaze (LOS ANGELES): manager, Kamasi Washington
"Thanks! It looks great!....I didn't write 'Cantaloupe Island' though...Herbie Hancock did! Great Page though, well done! best, Randy"
"Very nice! Thank you for this. Warmest regards and wishing much success for the project! Matt"
—Son of Jimmy Garrison (bass for John Coltrane, Bill Evans...); plays with Herbie Hancock and other greats...
Dear friends & colleagues,
Having arrived in Salvador 13 years earlier, I opened a record shop in 2005 in order to create an outlet to the wider world for Bahian musicians, many of them magisterial but unknown.
David Dye & Kim Junod for NPR found us (above), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (he's a huge jazz fan), David Byrne, Oscar Castro-Neves... Spike Lee walked past the place while I was sitting on the stoop across the street drinking beer and listening to samba from the speaker in the window...
But we weren't exactly easy for the world-at-large to get to. So in order to extend the place's ethos I transformed the site associated with it into a network wherein Brazilian musicians I knew would recommend other Brazilian musicians, who would recommend others...
And as I anticipated, the chalky hand of God-as-mathematician intervened: In human society — per the small-world phenomenon — most of the billions of us on earth are within some 6 or fewer degrees of each other. Likewise, within a network of interlinked artists as I've described above, most of these artists will in the same manner be at most a handful of steps away from each other.
So then, all that's necessary to put the Bahians and other Brazilians within possible purview of the wide wide world is to include them among a wide wide range of artists around that world.
If, for example, Quincy Jones is inside the matrix (people who have passed are not removed), then anybody on his page — whether they be accessing from a campus in L.A., a pub in Dublin, a shebeen in Cape Town, a tent in Mongolia — will be close, transitable steps away from Raymundo Sodré, even if they know nothing of Brazil and are unaware that Sodré sings/dances upon this planet. Sodré, having been knocked from the perch of fame and ground into anonymity by Brazil's dictatorship, has now the alternative of access to the world-at-large via recourse to the vast potential of network theory.
...to the degree that other artists et al — writers, researchers, filmmakers, painters, choreographers...everywhere — do also. Artificial intelligence not required. Real intelligence, yes.
Years ago in NYC I "rescued" unpaid royalties (performance & mechanical) for artists/composers including Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Mongo Santamaria, Jim Hall, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd (for his rights in Bob Marley compositions; Clement was Bob's first producer), Led Zeppelin, Ray Barretto, Philip Glass and many others. Aretha called me out of the blue vis-à-vis money owed by Atlantic Records. Allen Klein (managed The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles) called about money due the estate of Sam Cooke. Jerry Ragovoy (Time Is On My Side, Piece of My Heart) called just to see if he had any unpaid money floating around out there (the royalty world was a shark-filled jungle, to mangle metaphors, and I doubt it's changed).
But the pertinent client (and friend) in the present context is Earl "Speedo" Carroll, of The Cadillacs. Earl went from doo-wopping on Harlem streetcorners to chart-topping success to working as a custodian at PS 87 elementary school on the west side of Manhattan. Through all of this he never lost what made him great.
Greatness and fame are too often conflated. The former should be accessible independently of the latter.
Matrix founding creators are behind "one of 10 of the best (radios) around the world", per The Guardian.
Recent access to this matrix and Bahia are from these places (a single marker can denote multiple accesses).
Across the creative universe... For another list, reload page.
This list is random, and incomplete. Reload the page for another list.
For a complete list of everybody inside, tap TOTAL below:
TOTAL
Susan Rogers
Julian Lloyd Webber
Clarice Assad
Kamasi Washington
Randy Brecker
Matt Garrison
RÁDIO MATRIX