Л. Шанкар: Индийский скрипач, новатор и композитор мирового уровня.

Indian violinist, singer and composer

Fusion
jazz better known as L. Shankar, is an Indian violinist, singer and composer who also goes by the stage name Shenkar. Known for his innovative contributions to world music, and wrote and performed vocals on Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ' (2004) which won a Dove Award for Instrumental Album of the Year at the 36th GMA Dove Awards. He also worked on the soundtrack for the 2002 film Queen of the Damned with Jonathan Davis and Richard Gibbs and recorded eight songs of which five were picked for the movie. His father V. Lakshminarayana was a renowned Carnatic vocalist and violinist and his mother L. Seetalakshmi was a trained singer and played the veena. often performing solo concerts that lasted between two and three hours. By the age of 17, Shankar had become a highly sought after violinist, performing regularly on national television and recorded several albums. At Wesleyan University, he studied world music and learnt the music systems of different cultures. Shankar had always been open to experimentation in music. He often merged Carnatic & Hindustani styles in his performances which he designed and had it made by Ken Parker of Stuyvesant Sound in New York. The instrument made its debut in 1981 on Phil Collins' acclaimed solo album, Face Value, as well as on Shankar's own album, Who's to Know. He made a prototype with cardboard and spent about a year and a half improving the design. According to Shankar, “It was not easy to get anyone to take my violin seriously until I crafted one myself putting it together piece by piece and then suddenly they responded”. He and Parker spent hours testing various materials and forms and he made sure that both necks were equally strong to avoid a tendency to predominantly play on only one. In addition to providing a wide range of 5 ½ octaves, playing on one neck produces a sympathetic effect on the other. The horizontal rib can be positioned beneath the chin or supported against the chest (Indian style) while playing. According to him, “It’s musically more satisfying”. Prior to that, Carnatic violin had been primarily a solo instrument or used as an accompaniment in vocal concerts. They recorded several albums as the Violin Trio.

The original line up, formed in 1973 consisted of Shankar on violin, John McLaughlin on guitar, R. Raghavan on mridangam, Mahalakshmi Eve McLaughlin (tamboura) and Tanima (shruti box). Before Shakti became known under this name, they were called Turiyananda Sangit, a name given to them by Sri Chinmoy, literally translated as 'the pinnacle delight in music’ Zakir Hussain was later added on tabla and the name was changed to Shakti as the band members wanted a name that “listeners in the West could relate to”

The group disbanded in 1978 and as Shankar put it, ‘I felt enough time wasn’t given to rehearsals and I wanted to do it right’. During this period, Shankar took on the role of playing the electric violin and toured alongside Frank Zappa, succeeding Jean Luc Ponty in the position. The experience led to Zappa producing and contributing lyrics for his debut 1979 American solo album, Touch Me There. In 1979, Shankar briefly joined McLaughlin's One Truth Band, which also included Fernando Saunders on bass, Stu Goldberg on keyboards, and Tony Smith on drums, to record the studio album, Electric Dreams. In 1982 during the brief Shakti Reunion tour in India, Shankar (on the double violin) performed with Larry Coryell, alongside Zakir Hussain & TH Vikku Vinakaram. Coryell filled in when McLaughlin had injured one of his playing fingers. Shakti regrouped again in 1997 under the name Remember Shakti. However, the new line up excluded Shankar.

Shankar met Frank Zappa in 1978 while they were both working at a pop festival in Germany and during a casual jam session, Zappa extended an invitation for him to play with his band in New York. Following the dissolution of Shakti, Shankar toured briefly with Zappa, which resulted in him signing the violinist to his label. In 1979, they released 'Touch Me There,' an album that featured Shankar's electric five string violin and vocals alongside guitarist Phil Palmer and drummer Simon Phillips. The album was produced in England, featuring a British rhythm section. Most of the compositions were Shankar's, while Zappa handled the arrangements and wrote the lyrics that were included in the album. According to Zappa, “it's got a lot of stuff that's' definitely going to hit the radio right where it lives.”

In the 1980s, Shankar released several albums under the ECM label, his first being "Who’s To Know," featuring his double violin and accompanied by Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman on mridangam and Zakir Hussain on tabla. According to ECM reviewer, Tyran Grillo, the album “will ever remain an ECM jewel” owing to Shankar's signature style and melodic sensibility. In 1984, Shankar released his second ECM album, ‘Vision’, accompanied by saxophonist Jan Garbarek and trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg. In an AllMusic review, Richard S. Ginell describes the album as "an ethereal tour de force” that is reassuringly easy to listen to. According to J. D. Considine from The Washington Post, Shankar's “solo recordings avoid entirely the excesses of fusion jazz” and instead, “pursue a plangent serenity that suggests a transcendence unheard in jazz.” and that while traditionalists in the Carnatic music sphere may find Shankar's modern touches unconventional, “the music soars in ways that far outsoar its criticism.” and in that same year, he composed and performed vocals and double violins on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, along with composers Jack Lenz and John Debney. Shankar has also performed with Elton John, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Yoko Ono, Stewart Copeland, John Waite, Charly García, Steve Vai, Ginger Baker, Nils Lofgren, Jonathan Davis and The SFA and Sting.