Graham Reid | | <1 min read
Mansa Sancharare
This prolific London-based Indian violinist has released at least nine albums in the past couple of decades -- including Carnatic Jazz and Carnatic Lounge, and Nordic Raga with a Swedish quartet – in addition teaching, touring and making time to pick up an MBE from King Charles last year for her services to music.
With support from the paired percussion team of Manjunath BC (on mridangam) and Amrit N (khanjira), this album gets off to furious jazz-rock start with the 10 minute Vatapi before the mood drops somewhat for the more measured and popular Mamavasada Janani, full of intricate melodic lines and exceptional playing.
The final piece is the brief and lively Tamil song Tiruppugal which, at pop song length, might be the best place for newcomers to start.
The centrepiece however is the 21 minute Nagumomu with a long exploratory alap and at the end the two percussionists take dueling solos in a thrilling tour de force.
As we often note, this is not music for everyone but if you have space for thrilling, intense and thoughtful Indian violin here's your album.
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This album is available from ARC Music UK here
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