Basswalla (Black Swan Sounds, 2015)
Basswalla was originally envisioned as a compilation of some of the best music by Canadian electronic music and world fusion composer, producer and musician Adham Shaikh. Rather than repackage earlier material, Adham Shaikh selected some of his favorite material and recreated it by remixing them and adding new arrangements that explore his Indian roots.
“Inspired to move beyond the notion of simply remixing, I discovered a place more akin to jazz or Indian classical music, allowing me to keep the scale and overall song structure intact while reimagining everything else,” explains Adham Shaikh.
Shaikh’s electronic style is bass heavy and has been called global bass because of its mix electronic bass beats with South Asian sounds. On Basswalla you’ll find plenty of cross-pollination, from purely electronic pieces to bhangra, Indian classical, flamenco, Armenian music and dub reggae. As usual, there is the ‘prerequisite’ rap song. Highlights include Basswalla, Still Shakin, Crossroads (Deep South Mix) and Water Prayer (Deep Crystal Mix).
Guests on the album include Kashoo on bass samples, Catherine Potter on bansuri, Melissa M3 on conga ansd vocals; Marko Zonka on tabla; Jen miller on Indian vocals; Shamik on rapping vocals; Blaine Dunaway on violin; Gemma Luna on vocals; Ben Johnson on percussion; Erica Dee on vocals; E. Shankar on dholak; David Powe on duduk; Marco on guitar loops; Prakesh Sonntakke on mohan veena and vocals; and Jeff Holden on vocals.
Basswalla showcases the masterful work of one of Canada’s leading global fusion electronic music artists.
Next Tour Dates
June 18: Sonic Bloom, Rye, Colorado (USA)
August 7: Shambhaia Music Festival, Salmo (Canada)
Buy Basswalla
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.
