Eternal Light

Chronique

Virtuosic brilliance smoothly melds with complimentary group interplay on Shankar's Eternal Light. A quarter of a century after their first collaboration in the East-West fusion ensemble Shakti, double violinist and vocalist Shankar, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, and ghatam (clay pot) master T.H. Vinayakram come together on this Moment Records release. Son of the famed V. Lakshminarayana Iyer, Shankar was a precocious child violinist and singer. A five-octave vocal range and unmatched command of the ten-string double violin allow Shankar to sway from piercing high notes to rumbling bass tones with grace. Zakir Hussain's deftly played tabla patterns and T.H. Vinayakram's authoritatively articulated ghatam lines match Shankar's own exemplary performance without jeopardizing the integral success of the CD. It is the ensemble and their works that really glow, above and beyond the individual success of the musicians. An impelling CD, which marks 25 years of friendship and stands as a dedication to Zakir Hussain's late father and sister -- Ustad Allarakha and Raxia, respectively -- Eternal Light should shine brightly for generations to come.

© John Vallier /TiVo