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New Yorker Anupam Shobhakar to release new album
Releasing on Holi, Liquid Reality, the album features innovative compositions blending the sarod, custom double-neck guitar, and global collaborations for a bold new sound.
Anupam Shobhakar / Courtesy Photo
Anupam Shobhakar is an Indian musician and composer known for his expertise in the sarod, a traditional North Indian string instrument. His latest album, Liquid Reality, set to release on March.14, during the Hindu festival of Holi, blends Indian classical music with Western guitar traditions. To celebrate its launch, Shobhakar will perform a special concert in New York City on Apr.10 at Joe's Pub.
The album highlights Shobhakar’s innovative style, combining the sounds of the sarod with the electric guitar. He is widely recognized for merging Indian classical music with jazz, rock, and fusion, creating a unique and modern musical experience.
Growing up in Bombay, Shobhakar was inspired by guitar legends like Eddie Van Halen and Joe Satriani, as well as Indian classical maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. His dual passions for Indian classical music and Western rock eventually led to the creation of a custom double-neck guitar—one fretted, one fretless—that allowed him to merge these distinct musical vocabularies.
The Liquid Reality album opens with “Anjaneya,” a dynamic piece driven by South Indian rhythms, featuring percussionist Swaminathan Selvaganesh and jazz drummer Satoshi Takeishi.
Anupam Shobhakar / Courtesy Photo“Formless” is a duet featuring Shobhakar on his custom guitar and Swaminathan Selvaganesh on the kanjeera. The track blends Western and Indian musical ideas with intricate rhythms, creating a lively and personal exchange between the two artists.
Shobhakar also reimagines Shakti’s classic “La Danse Du Bonheur,” originally composed by John McLaughlin and L. Shankar in 1976. Instead of a straightforward cover, Shobhakar adds his twist, bridging the original with modern influences. Collaborating with Brooklyn-based Indian pianist Utsav Lal, he introduces chords and outside harmonies, along with a new composition in the middle of the piece, making it uniquely his own.
Shobhakar’s connection to Shakti runs deep. He shares a close friendship with Selvaganesh, whose family has been central to Shakti’s music for generations. “He was born to play this music,” Shobhakar says, referencing his collaborator’s rich musical lineage.
Tracks like “Ladders to the Sky,” with Barcelona-born vocalist Ona Kirei, and “Formless,” a duo with Selvaganesh on kanjeera, highlight Shobhakar’s intricate compositions and global collaborations.
With Liquid Reality, Shobhakar celebrates his influences while breaking new ground. By blending Indian classical music with Western guitar styles using his custom instrument, he creates a fresh and exciting sound that connects traditions and opens new musical possibilities.
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