WOMAD

Trilok Gurtu & the Misra Brothers

From India

Is there anyone operating in the no man’s land between the frontlines of jazz and world music who hasn’t worked with Trilok Gurtu? Everyone who’s anyone from this between-genre hinterland has shared either stage or recording studio (or both) with this untouchable Indian percussionist – Don Cherry, Jan Garbarek, Zakir Hussain, Nitin Sawhney, John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Bill Laswell… Being cherished by such a stellar cast is mirrored by the appreciation of those who give out shiny awards – his career has been littered with piece of silverware after piece of silverware. This latest Rivermead performance finds him in the company of the Misra Brothers, the vocal duo hailing from the holy city of Benares who’ve arguably been India’s most acclaimed singers of the last decade or two. Experts of the little-heard duetting tradition jugalbandi, the brothers’ performances are always marked by both a meditative quality and a telepathy which has been described as “one soul singing in two bodies”. Like Trilok, the Misra siblings are no strangers to the odd collaboration – they’re probably best known in the UK for Sangam, the recording they made with arch composer Michael Nyman. If you’re within earshot, expect the odd out-of-body experience come the midnight hour.In A Few Words… Zero-gravity Indian transcendentalism