L. Shankar, Vikku Vinayakram, V. Selvaganesh and S. Swaminathan – Over The Stars (XDot 25 Music, 2024).
L. Shankar and Vikku Vinayakram, two original members of the pioneering world music group Shakti, join V. Selvaganesh (current Shakti member) and his son S. Swaminathan on Over The Stars.
The set revives the classic Shakti interplay: L. Shankar contributes vocals, spectacular extended double violin performances, and keyboards, while Vinayakram supports the ensemble on ghatam. Notably, percussion takes a central role throughout, with solos from Vinayakram, Selvaganesh, and Swaminathan.
The track list includes “Joy” from Shakti’s debut album, alongside Shankar’s innovative pallavis, complex pieces built on his distinctive rhythmic cycles, a practice that has since been adopted by other artists.
Musicians: L. Shankar on vocals, double violin, keyboards; Vikku Vinayakram on ghatam; V. Selvaganesh on kanjeera; and S. Swaminathan on kanjeera.
Track list:
- JOY (L. Shankar / John McLaughlin) 1:57
- Kambodi Fantasy, Pt. I (L. Shankar) 15:22
- Kambodi Fantasy, Pt. II (L. Shankar) 11:07
- Light Through Darkness, Pt. I (L. Shankar) 14:54
- Light Through Darkness, Pt. II (L. Shankar) 09:49
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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.