Dhol Foundation
Big Drum: Small World
Shakti
Combining the finest elements of classic Indian music with the rhythms of world music, Dhol Foundation has created a work all the more involving and inspiring. Like brethren Talvin Singh and Nitin Sawney, the Foundation, led by Afro Celt Sound System’s drummer Johnny Kalsi, blends string cadences and heart-stopping, restless tabla beats into modern dance music to create something all the more mesmerizing. Invoking the spirits of composers A.R Rahman and the transcendental percussive abilities of Zakhir Hussain, the group has formed and manipulated a sound that is all the more danceable and historical.
Tastier than Chicken Vindaloo, the song structures of “Healing With Turmeric” and “Poseidon” fill you with drum n’ bass delight, while the dreamy “Tere Bina” carry you off on your own magic carpet ride. Coming from Indian heritage, I’ve been brought up on this music, but it’s only taken me nearly 23 years to realize and appreciate its significance. Now that many in the Western Hemisphere are catching on, it’s about time you do the same.
Shakti Records, 4650 North Port Washington Road, Milwaukee, WI 53212; http://www.shaktirecords.com
