Trilok Gurtu

Trilok Gurtu

Gurtu performing in Warsaw with Arkè String Quartet
Background information
Born (1951-10-30) 30 October 1951
Mumbai, India
Genres Jazz, jazz fusion, world music
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Drums, tabla
Years active 1970s–present
Associated acts John McLaughlin, Embryo, Oregon, Tabla Beat Science, Arkè String Quartet, Joe Zawinul,
Website Trilok Gurtu.net

Trilok Gurtu (Kashmiri: ترلوک گرٹو, Marathi: त्रिलोक गुर्टू) (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.[1][2][3]

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.[1][2][3]

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.[3]

Career

Trilok Gurtu at Oslo Jazzfestival in 2016

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.[1][3]

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.[1]

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.[3]

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.[1]

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.[2]

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).[3]

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.[2]

In 2012, Trilok Gurtu collaborated with electronic folk duo Hari & Sukhmani in their hometown of Chandigarh and produced a song 'Maati' on the music documentary-travelogue The Dewarists.

Legacy

Trilok Gurtu is universally acknowledged as one of the most innovative and ground breaking percussionists around; integrating swords, buckets and other non-conventional elements and into his sound. Zakir Hussain said that if Trilok Gurtu played only the Tabla, he would have been the best Tabla player in the world.[4]

Deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) mentions Trilok Gurtu as his hero and adds "You know who's a big hero of mine? Trilok Gurtu... Indians should know this. Indian traditional percussive algos (algorhythms) and modes blow my mind. Check him out. Full-on retarded isolation skills. I can't even chew gum and walk. There's a whole different language/notation to a tabla."[5]

Style

An Open-minded musician who embraces Jazz, Indian Classical Music, Abstract improvisational and Asian pop, a dazzling percussion virtuoso, an accessible entertainer – The Guardian UK[6]

He is self-confessedly strongly influenced by the Rhythms of Africa and African Beats and drumming patterns

Awards

Gurtu has garnered a number of prestigious awards and nominations, including:

Discography

Solo and collaborative albums

As sideman

With Jan Garbarek

With Jonas Hellborg

with Barre Phillips

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Trilok Gurtu Biography". EuropeJazz.net. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Trilok Gurtu – October 30, 1951 – Biography". Drummerworld.com. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Biography of Trilok Gurtu". Mariomendes.Tripod.com. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  4. ↑ "The Indian audience is a clap-happy lot: Trilok Gurtu". Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  5. ↑ "EDM can't touch the tabla - Times of India". Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  6. ↑ http://www.basitours.com/news/trilok-gurtu-new-band-avails-concerts-europe-2014
  7. ↑ "1999 DownBeat Critics Poll". Down Beat. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  8. ↑ "2002 DownBeat Critics Poll". Down Beat. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
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