Aditya Prakash Ensemble – Mara (2016)
Mara is an excellent album and the soundtrack to a multimedia show. The artists behind the project are sibling collaborators Aditya (vocals) and Mythili (Bharata Natyam dance) Prakash.
The album features a thrilling mix of South Indian classical music, jazz and other elements. The vocals featured include Indian classical and the vocal percussion known as konnakol. Throughout the album you’ll find masterful performances by percussion, Indian flute and violin masters from India plus a jazz horn and piano section. The fusion performances feel like a 21st century Shakti.
The lineup on the Mara albums includes Aditya Prakash on vocals; Julian Le on piano and keyboards; Hitomi Oba on tenor saxophone; Mark Einhorn on alto saxophone; Jonah Levine on trombone; Shejith Krishna on vocal percussion; Shiva Ramamurthi on violin and vocals; Mashesh Swamy on flute, vocals and konnakol; Fabiano do Nascimento on guitar; Owen Clapp on bass; Jake Jamieson on drums and percussion; S. Ganapathi on tabla and mridangam; Ligaraju on mridangam and kanjira; and Adam Berg on keyboards and percussion.
Mara is a spectacular production, featuring exceptionally expressive Indian vocals and dazzling Carnatic and fusion jazz instrumental virtuosity.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.