TRILOK GURTU

… In the hands of artists like Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu or French rocker Manu Chao, global pop can become an exhilarating, even subversive , experience.
Fernando Gonzalez, Washington Post, June 17, 2001

… Percussion wiz Trilok Gurtu opens in high style with the track “Maya”, a monster groove that falls upon the lower brain like a thunderbolt. It’s the first brilliant stroke in a records that is one of the most dynamic, virtuosic world-fusion projects in recent memory, a beatific fusion of Asian underground and African grooves. Without question, this is one moveable feast. On last year’s “African Fantasy” album, Gurtu beganm to intermingle African and Indian music, but “African Fantasy” is to “The Beat of Love” as flirtation is to consummation. … This is one of the groundbreaking world titles of the year.
Billboard, July 7, 2001

… It was World Music as One-World music, promising mutual understanding along with a delight in exotic differences.
New York Times, November 2000 (Jon Pareles)

… What made his playing so fascinating was its constant aura of surprise.
L.A. Times

2002
This year sees Trilok moving into a distinctly Indian phase. In January and February he produced “Remembrance” in Bombay for Universal Records with special guests Zakir Hussain (who plays a memorable due with Trilok), Shankas Mahadevan and Shobha Gurtu as vocalists; Ronu Majumdar on a variety of flutes and Sultan Khan on sarangi. Also heavily featured are other Indian acoustic instruments: santoor, khol, ektara, pakhawaj, dholak, sitar, harmonium. Although maintaining the contemporary/modernist/Indian direction which is Trilok’s long term hallmark, “Remembrance” shows his acoustic Indian roots as never before. The album and performances to support its release will be unveiled in October 2002.

Live work continues a pace! Since African Fantasy and The Beat of Love were successful in the US, Trilok’s live appearances are becoming an annual event in the US as well as Europe and India. In March 2002 Trilok premiered his trio on the BBC 2 programme Network East Late and will present a Spring and Summer European Tour as well as appearing at US and European events in the Autumn.

In the Autumn period, Trilok adds to his trio and solo work two new special projects centred on the common ground shared by Indian and Spanish culture. Enrique Morente will co-star in a collaboration taking place in the Benelux from 15-18 October and a due with the flamenco guitarist Tomatito will premier at the Seville Flamenco Festival in September.

* * * *

Bhangra electronica to juju soul, Afro-Asian funk to raga-pop, Trilok Gurtu declares a global universal vision. “We make bridges, not barriers” says Gurtu, “This is what the world requires”.

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 travelled 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 1998 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 finda its wai 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 intergral part in The John McLaughlin Trio, cutting two albums and playing alongside John as the featured soloist on all their enormously successful worldwide tours. Trilok’s unique instrumentantion and singing became an important focus in that group’s set; “when John and Trilok trade licks the audience is inevitably drawn to such a climax that encore follows encore”, as New York audiences know well from their Blue Note Club appearances. The classical performers Katia & Marielle Labeque invited Trilok to accompany them in their piano duets on their Japanese and Australian Tours during this period. As a result classical audiences had a rare treat!

In 1993 Trilok toured his own trio in support of the album named 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-to-coast 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 called The Glimpse was formed in 1996 which 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 like Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, REM and Prodigy 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 CD’s came about in 1998/99, 2000/01 as a direct result of these years: Trilok’s music entered a distinctly World Music setting.

These Indian/African CDs were snapped up, with public and media alike enthralled by Trilok’s heady World Mixture; 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 in Trilok’s unique world.

When Trilok hit the live performance circuit in 2002 and 2001 with his new group of 3 Indians and 2 Africans, sales of CDs zoomed way over those of previous recordings. 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 a hectic schedule of group performances he has appeared at a number of prestigious solo percussion recitals and given guest performances on albums by John McLaughlin, Pharoah Sanders, Nitin Sawhney, Lalo Schifrin, Gilberto Gil, Bill Laswell and on the yet to be released new album from Annie Lennox.

AWARDS

5 time Winner of Best Percussionist in DownBeat’s Critics Poll for 2001, 2000, 1996, 1995 & 1994.

Awarded Best Percussionist in Drum Magazine Readers Poll 1999.

Winner of the Carlton Television Multicultural Music Award 2001 (presenting the award to Trilok Singer/Actor Goldie and Singer Mica Paris).

BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards 2001 Nominee for Best Artist in the Asia/Pacific category.

May 2002

Biography courtesy of Mintaka Management