SHANKAR

SOUL SEARCHER

  1/  Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi                      (Shankar,Ganam Rao            50.46
      Ragam : Kapi                                Lakshminarayana,
      Seethalakshmi Talam : 6 3/4 Beats               Caroline)
      (Tala conceived by Shankar)

          Recorded at the Complex, Los Angeles
          Additional recording by Bruce Calder at 39th Street Studios, New York
          Peter Gabriel recorded at Real World, Bath, England
          Engineer at The Complex: Billy Youdelman
          Assistant engineers at The Complex: Duane Seykora and Rail Rogut
          Engineer at Real World: David Botrill
          Mixed by Jason Corsaro at 39th Street Studios
          Produced by Bill Laswell and the Epidemics, Shankar and Caroline
          Mastered at Masterdisk by Howie Weinberg
Shankar: vocals, double-violin, kanjira; V. Lakshminarayana: violin, double-violin; Caroline: vocals, tamboura, talam; Ganam Rao: vocals; Zakir Hussain: tabla; Vikku Vinayakram: ghatam; Peter Gabriel: keyboards.

          1990 - Axiom/Island (USA), 539 871-1 (Vinyl)
          1990 - Axiom/Island (USA), 846 755-2 (CD)
          2016 - Bill Laswell Bandcamp (digital)
Note: Bill Laswell does not play on this album.

REVIEWS :

Though rooted in the traditions of North Indian classical music, this album adds a subtle modern twist that makes it more digestible to Western ears. Soul Searcher consists of one 50-minute track that swells and recedes, evolving into an epic composition of almost otherworldly beauty. The music combines all the common elements of traditional Indian music - syncopated tabla rhythms, droning tamboura, dazzling vocals - with Shankar's breathtaking violin melodies, then adds keyboards courtesy of Peter Gabriel, who featured the violinist's talents prominently on Passion. Indian music has always had an influence over Western rock & roll bands, from the Beatles and Rolling Stones to Monster Magnet, and Soul Searcher is a wonderfully accessible introduction for newcomers looking to delve into the genre.

4 1/2 stars out of 5

Bret Love (courtesy of the All Music Guide website)