Trilok Gurtu - Indian percussionist

Trilok Gurtu, born in Mumbai, India on 30 October 1951, is an Indian percussionist and composer, whose work has blended the music of his homeland with jazz fusion, world music and other genres. He has released his own albums and has collaborated with many artists, including Terje Rypdal, Gary Moore, John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, Joe Zawinul, Bill Laswell, Maria João & Mário Laginha, and Robert Miles.

Early life

Gurtu was born to Hindu Brahmin parents in Mumbai, and attended Don Bosco High School (Matunga) in Mumbai. His mother, singer Shobha Gurtu, encouraged him to learn playing tabla, and he studied playing the instrument under Shah Abdul Karim.

Career

Gurtu began playing western drum kit in the 1970s, and developed interest in jazz. In a 1995 television special on Jimi Hendrix, Gurtu mentioned having initially learned Western music without awareness of overdubbing, which, he said, forced him to learn multiple parts which most musicians would have never attempted. In the 1970s, he played with Charlie Mariano, John Tchicai, Terje Rypdal, and Don Cherry. One of Gurtu's earliest recordings was around 1977 in the record Apo-Calypso in an album of the German ethnic fusion band, Embryo. His mother also sang in that record, and later joined him in his first solo CD, Usfret. In the 1980s, Gurtu played with Swiss drummer Charly Antolini and with John McLaughlin in McLaughlin's trio, accompanied variously by bassists Jonas Hellborg, Kai Eckhardt, and Dominique DiPiazza. The line-up with Hellborg performed at least one concert opening for Miles Davis in Berkeley, California in 1988. Collaboration between Gurtu and McLaughlin included vocal improvisations using the Indian tala talk method of oral drumming notations for teaching drum patterns. Sometimes, Eckhardt would join in with hip-hop beat-box vocals for a three-way vocal percussion jam, while Gurtu and McLaughlin would throw in a few amusing words such as some Japanese brand names mixed with some Indian words. Some of the unusual aspects of Gurtu's drum playing include playing, without a drum stool, in a half-kneeling position on the floor, and use of an unconventional kick drum that resembles a large drum head with a kick-pedal, and a mix of tablas and western drums. Gurtu's unique percussion signature involves dipping cymbals and strings of shells into a bucket of water to create a shimmering effect. Gurtu joined Oregon after the death of drummer Collin Walcott. He played in three records produced by this band: Ecotopia (1987), 45th Parallel (1989), and Always, Never and Forever (1991). In the early 1990s Gurtu resumed his career as a solo artist and a bandleader. Various noted musicians have backed him in a number of his CD releases.[2] In 1999, Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell founded a musical group, Tabla Beat Science, which played a mixture of Hindustani music, Asian underground, ambient, Drum and Bass, and Electronica. Gurtu joined this group along with Karsh Kale and Talvin Singh. The group released three albums before going dormant in late 2003.[3] In 2004, Gurtu created an album, Miles Gurtu, with Robert Miles. His collaboration with the Arkè String Quartet began in 2007 with the release of the album Arkeology.[1] In 2010 Trilok Gurtu played into the album Piano Car, opera of minimalist composer Stefano Ianne with Ricky Portera, Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo), Mario Marzi, Terl Bryant (John Paul Jones/Led Zeppelin), John De Leo.

Awards

Gurtu has garnered a number of prestigious awards and nominations, including: Best Overall Percussionist winner, DRUM! Magazine, 1999 Best Overall Percussionist winner, Carlton Television Multicultural Music Awards, 2001 Best Percussionist winner, Down Beat's Critics Poll for 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999,[4] 2000, 2001, and 2002[5] Best Asia/Pacific Artist nominee, BBC Radio 3 World for 2002, 2003, and 2004.[1][3]

Discography

Solo and collaborative albums
1974: La Terra (The Earth) LP with Aktuala (Bla Bla, 1974)
1976: Tappeto Volante (Flying Carpet) with Aktuala LP (Bla Bla, 1976)
1977: Apo Calypso - with Embryo
1979: Friends - with Toto Blanke Electric Circus
1980: Family - with Toto Blanke Electric Circus
1982: Personal Note, Mark Nauseef with Joachim Kühn, Jan Akkerman, Detlev Beier
1983: Finale - with Charly Antolini
1985: Song for Everyone - with L. Shankar
1987: Usfret
1987: Ecotopia - with Oregon
1989: 45th Parallel - with Oregon
1990: Live At The Royal Festival Hall - with the John McLaughlin Trio
1990: Living Magic
1991: Always, Never and Forever - with Oregon
1992: Que Alegria - with the John McLaughlin Trio
1993: Crazy Saints
1995: Believe
1995: Bad Habits Die Hard
1997: The Glimpse
1998: Kathak
1998: Cor - with Maria João & Mário Laginha
2000: African Fantasy
2001: The Beat of Love
2002: Remembrance
2004: Miles Gurtu - with Robert Miles
2004: Broken Rhythms
2006: Farakala
2007: Arkeology
2009: Massical
2010: Piano Car - with Stefano Ianne
2011: 21 Spices - with Simon Phillips + NDR Big Band (Conducted by Jorg Achim Keller)