Please note this is an old page and Fly Global Music has now moved. Please follow this link and search for the entry in the new site.

Perhaps the defining sound on much of the recording is the astonishing virtuosity of bamboo flautist Shashank. A mere youngster in a tradition that prizes experience over the brasher qualities of youth, at 28 he has already made his mark on the world of Carnatic music and perfected a unique double blowing technique allowing him to play two notes from different octaves at the same time.

While it is Shashanks other worldly tones that float highest, they are perfectly set off by scintillating sitar from Purbayan Chatterjee. Like Shashank, he is another prodigy but he comes from the Northern Indian forms of Dhrupad and Khayal.

Putting musicians of differing traditions is always risky but it would seem friendship and musical curiosity were strong enough forces to gel everything together and in fact the whole process from recording to finished edit took a mere 18 hours. And maybe having such a great tabla player helped too. Just listen to the astonishing interplay between Yogesh Samsi and Shashank towards the end of ‘Gat in Matta taal’ — really remarkable stuff.

This is a recording of great artistry and musical daring.

Links:
Sense World Music
www.purbayan.com