Wine of the Mystic (Times Music, 2006)
This is an absolutely first rate fusion album featuring Anupam Shobhakar on sarod and guitars, Sangeeta Lahiri on vocals, Suresh Padmanabhan on violin and Ravindra Chari on sitar. The compositions are slick and tight, and cover a wide range of mood and texture.
Our pick is the exhilarating track Three Days, but each of the 8 tracks is good. Sarod virtuoso Anupam Shobhakar teaches and performs in India and abroad and composes music for films as well. Artistically fusing jazz, electronica and classical music, this album is a must-have for fusion fans.
Author: Madanmohan Rao
Madanmohan Rao is an author and media consultant from Bangalore, and global correspondent for world music and jazz for World Music Central and Jazzuality. He has written over 15 books on media, management and culture, and is research director for YourStory Media. Madan was formerly World Music Editor at Rave magazine and RJ at WorldSpace, and can be followed on Twitter at @MadanRao.
