John McLaglin, co-founder of the iconic band, says, ‘Shakti is over

John McLaglin, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Selva Ganesh, Shankar Mahadevan and Ganesh Rajagopalan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Shakti’s collaborative sound, which changed the discourse of music around the world, would echo one last time when Mind Explosion: 50th Anniversary Tour Live Releases on 1 August. The album’s track styles and geography detect the visit to the band.

With the demise of his famous Indian Frontman, Tabla Mestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, it is the last offering of power.

For Jazz Exam and Shakti co-founder John McLaglin, Mental explosion Is about cameradri and creativity. “On December 15, 2024, a curtain came down on a monumental part of my life. With countless concerts, recording, travel, food, and laughter, my brother Zakir, departed. Group Shakti, which we had installed together in 1973. Joy, because Khushi was a unwanted foundation for 50 years. Hindu,

Shakti is performing as part of its 50th anniversary India Tour in Bengaluru on 20 January 2023. Photo Credit: Murali Kumar’s

In addition to playing the Trust East-West Fusion Music, the way he rarely heard, the biggest contribution of Shakti is changing the spotlight on Indian classical players. The band victorious victorious tapped into his unique improvised skills and estimated his ability to catch his style in a collaborative set up. In this process, it inspired an entire generation of string and collision artists to look beyond the list of traditional performances and find out the new possibilities of sound.

Shakti’s story began in 1969 when Zakir first met John. Both saw the same music store in Greenwich village in New York City. In 1973, he met again in the living room of the house of famous sarodist Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in California. After which John commented about Zakir: “We were musicians of the same family in another life”. Soon the formidable couple gave Shakti to Ghat Madudha Vikku Vinyakram and Maveric violin player L. Launched with Shankar. From 1975 to 1977, he visited a large scale and released three studio albums and a live album.

Basic Shakti Quartet | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Power

In 1978, Shakti was dissolved, but re -organized in 1979 remembering Shakti. On the way, Zakir and John Mandolin Prodigy U. Sriniva, singer Shankar Mahadevan and Kanjira Ace Selva were brought on board in Ganesh. In 2014, after Sriniva’s untimely death, Shakti lost steam, but only to make a second return in 2020, this time in Guna with experimental violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan. The Kovid -19 epidemic hit and lockdown was spent in this moment recording. In 2023, Shakti celebrated a 50 -year celebration with a world tour, leading to memorable stopover in many Indian cities. In 2024, this moment won Grammy for the best global music album.

“We plan to release Mental explosion Last year, with Shakti’s last three Golden Jubilee show at NMACC in Coca-Cola Arena in Mumbai and Dubai, but Zakir Hussain’s death shattered us.

In November 2024, Zakir looked tired, unlike his vibrant self, on calling me. He wanted to take some time. He told John that he would soon recover and return to the show. He was interacting with all of us on his WhatsApp group and even to take a look for him. He was felt in every moment and every music aspect.

Mind Explosion: 50th Anniversary Tour Live Album Cover | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The band wanted to close its Golden Jubilee Celebration with a live album. Recording engineer Swen Hoffman recorded all 29 concerts conducted worldwide. The musicians heard these recording and made them zero on six tracks – ‘Kiki’, ‘Giriraj Sudha’, ‘Lotus Ft’, ‘6 in the morning 6 in the afternoon’, ‘Sakhi’ and ‘Srini’s dream’.

Mental explosionMastery by George Murphy and mastered by the famous keyboardist Scott Kinse, Indo-Jazzes bear a large piece of music history. Smriti of Zakir Bhai, Shankar Mahadevan, Ganesh Rajagopalan and Selva Ganesh dedicate the album as a document of efforts of power in creating a world of music without borders.