Akshara – In Time (Blue Skinned God Records, 2017)
In Time is the debut album by Akshara, a world fusion ensemble rooted in Carnatic music led by percussionist, vocalist and composer Bala Skandan.
Akshara is based in New York City and brings together musicians from various traditions, including Indian classical music, jazz and western classical.
Bala Skandan’s main instruments are the mridangam (South Indian barrel drum) and his voice used as a percussion instrument (konakkol). The ensemble includes two violinists, a cello player and hammered dulcimer performer, who deliver a fascinating mix of string sounds from diverse traditions.
Throughout In Time you’ll find a mix of highly complex rhythmic pieces featuring drums and vocal percussion, along with laid back moments focused on the strings and bansuri (Indian flute) melodies. These performances are new arrangements of classic ragas.
Personnel: Bala Skandan on mridangam and konnakkol; Arun Ramamurthy on violin; Trina Basu-Ramamurthy on violin; Nitin Mitta on tabla; Jay Gandhi on bansuri; Max ZT on hammered dulcimer; Dave Eggar on cello; Thejeswini Raj on konnakkol; Beenakumari Viju on konnakkol; Kabilan Jeganathan on kanjira; and Shrinath Viswanathan on konnakkol.
In Time features masterful genre-defying performances rooted in Carnatic music.
Buy the digital version of In Time. The CD is available from store.cdbaby.com.
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.
