Search - Prem Joshua :: Taranga

Taranga

N. Aggelopoulos | 11/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Taranga



This is the closest Prem Joshua has come to fusion groups like John McLaughlin's Shakti and some of Baluji Shrivastav's fusion recordings. Very beautiful, similar to Water down the Ganges and Sky kisses Earth. There are more vocals here than in the other two, with lead vocals by Sandhya Sanjana and Prem. Prem is joined by several Indian musicians, with Manish Vyas this time playing mainly the tabla, with the enigmatically named "Rishi" on the keyboards and also the bass and drums. The sound is very much based on the traditional instruments used in Prem Joshua's more acoustic records (mostly sitar, tabla, bamboo flute). Also again the saxophone, which Prem Joshua plays in an unusual way, nothing like what you may expect, if you have not heard him. A bit perhaps in the Jan Garbarek style. There are seven tracks: Mata Bharat is a modern "traditional" haiku-like song (called here a mantra) with a light classical feel, with subtle electronics/loops near the end - not too intrusive. Bombay Railways sounds slightly urban in an Indian way, with lyrics from a poem by a Sufi mystic, probably in Urdu. Song to Sayang has also a violin, a cello and a solo by a south Indian violin by Kumaresh, a very well-regarded musician from Tamil Nadu. It has a classical structure, other than the large assembly of musicians involved, more of an orchestra than the typical Indian classical set. Song to Seven Gods also involves a small orchestra of Indian musicians with an apparently religious theme in what I assume is Sanskrit. It builds up to a driving rhythm (jhala) with beautifully produced layers of vocals. Taranga is based on saxophone. It is "light classical" with a beautiful alap-like intro and a lovely transition into the tabla section. It is the most meditative track here, similar in feel to Dakini from Sky kisses Earth. Ranga is another light classical piece, with a matra-like song-line building into a Jahla driven by Prem Joshua's sitar. The last track is the 19-minute long raga-style Meherbani. May I say it is true Indian classical music. Mesmerizing, with Prem Joshua on the sitar (also for brief moments the bamboo flute and near the end the sax). It concludes with the words "only a lover knows what beauty is". I can only give it 5 stars.

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