RishteNajma adds a psychedelic sound to her list of eclectic influences on her 2009 'Rishte' album with Grammy nominated guitarist Gary Lucas. Using the Blues, soft rock, psychedelic sounds and Indian influences ‘RISHTE’ stands out as another milestone in terms of crossover music. The eclectic experiences, richness and musical sensibility of both artists have brought to life a very unique and soulful album. The reviews were brilliant worldwide. In particular, Skip James', 'Special Rider Blues' was singled out by critics for Najma’s stunning arrangement & vocal performance. The overwhelmingly positive reviews of 'Special Rider Blues' provided the initial inspiration for "FIVE RIVERS".
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Description
Najma and Gary have been fans of each other’s work for many years. Gary's enormous admiration of Najma's artistry developed when he first heard her 1989 critically acclaimed album "Atish”. Najma became an admirer of Lucas’s after hearing Jeff Buckley's "Grace" album. After their meeting in London, Najma and Gary instantly decided they wanted to collaborate on a project. Some of Gary's past collaborators have been Buckley, Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart), Joan Osborne and most recently Chris Cornell to name a few. After mixing the album in the USA, Najma and Gary performed all their new material for first time together on May 3rd 2008 to a sold out audience in New York.
By simply using guitars, tabla, vocal and the occasional violin, ‘RISHTE’, once again, stands out as another milestone in terms of crossover music. Gary’s wizard playing incorporates psychedelic sounds, the blues, soft rock and other eclectic sounds and Najma provides the Indian influences with Urdu / Hindi lyrics and soothing sublime seductive Indian vocal melodies.
The overtone of ‘Rishte’, is yet another superb collaboration of east and western ideas that open the doors to a new genre of Ghazal and the Blues. By using the southern US blues styling with the odd slide guitar or electric by shuffling rhythmic strums, bending, winding acoustic notes on guitar has an analogy and synergy with the naturally flowing Indian vocals. The cover of Skip James’s ‘Special Rider Blues’ proves that the concept, of Ghazal and Blues are connected, as the vocal styles and musicality share the same passion. By writing some songs based on the Ghazal and using some blues arrangements takes the Ghazal on another musical path that is equally mesmerizing. There is a perfect synergy. The lyrics are predominantly in Urdu, as Najma felt very strong that the exotic vocal ‘Aalaap’ or exotic waling often taken as the eastern element was not what she wanted to do. More importantly, Najma wanted lyrics on this album that would attract an audience that understood, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and other similar dialects. As with Blues and C/W the songs tell a story and this was something that intrigued Najma, so the lyrics on Rishte also tells stories, which was a new approach to the lyrics of a Ghazal as they generally relate to a romantic notion and emotion. The arrangement of certain pieces has also in many ways challenged Najma as a vocalist and composer but she has been able to adapt and mould herself in different musical modes and has been able to move with the times. In essence the eclectic experiences, richness and musical sensibility of both artists have brought to life a very unique and soulful album; another new genre seems to have appeared, Ghazal and the Blues.
Najma and Gary have been fans of each other’s work for many years. Gary's enormous admiration of Najma's artistry developed when he first heard her 1989 critically acclaimed album "Atish”. Najma became an admirer of Lucas’s after hearing Jeff Buckley's "Grace" album. After their meeting in London, Najma and Gary instantly decided they wanted to collaborate on a project. Some of Gary's past collaborators have been Buckley, Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart), Joan Osborne and most recently Chris Cornell to name a few. After mixing the album in the USA, Najma and Gary performed all their new material for first time together on May 3rd 2008 to a sold out audience in New York.
By simply using guitars, tabla, vocal and the occasional violin, ‘RISHTE’, once again, stands out as another milestone in terms of crossover music. Gary’s wizard playing incorporates psychedelic sounds, the blues, soft rock and other eclectic sounds and Najma provides the Indian influences with Urdu / Hindi lyrics and soothing sublime seductive Indian vocal melodies.
The overtone of ‘Rishte’, is yet another superb collaboration of east and western ideas that open the doors to a new genre of Ghazal and the Blues. By using the southern US blues styling with the odd slide guitar or electric by shuffling rhythmic strums, bending, winding acoustic notes on guitar has an analogy and synergy with the naturally flowing Indian vocals. The cover of Skip James’s ‘Special Rider Blues’ proves that the concept, of Ghazal and Blues are connected, as the vocal styles and musicality share the same passion. By writing some songs based on the Ghazal and using some blues arrangements takes the Ghazal on another musical path that is equally mesmerizing. There is a perfect synergy. The lyrics are predominantly in Urdu, as Najma felt very strong that the exotic vocal ‘Aalaap’ or exotic waling often taken as the eastern element was not what she wanted to do. More importantly, Najma wanted lyrics on this album that would attract an audience that understood, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and other similar dialects. As with Blues and C/W the songs tell a story and this was something that intrigued Najma, so the lyrics on Rishte also tells stories, which was a new approach to the lyrics of a Ghazal as they generally relate to a romantic notion and emotion. The arrangement of certain pieces has also in many ways challenged Najma as a vocalist and composer but she has been able to adapt and mould herself in different musical modes and has been able to move with the times. In essence the eclectic experiences, richness and musical sensibility of both artists have brought to life a very unique and soulful album; another new genre seems to have appeared, Ghazal and the Blues.
The reviews and feedback for this album have been phenomenal, a few are listed below:
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Songlines, Top of the World Review, Nigel Williamson, July 2009
Cyclic Defrost issue 22, Bob Baker Fish, Australia, July 2009 A World of Music, Con Murphy, Saturday July 11th 09 UK Ethnic Now A World of Music, Con Murphy, Saturday July 11th 09 UK World Music Charts Europe September 2009 RISHTE No 4 World Music Charts Europe August 2009 RISHTE No 7 |
Review Extracts
To hear Akhtar climb the musical spheres on “Woh Dhin” as Lucas’ guitar launches into the land of a thousand bumble bees, or to marvel at their transfixing transformation of Skip James’ “Special Rider Blues” into outré expression is to understand what creativity is truly capable of. This collaboration is all about magic, because there has not been anything like it made before. It is bending consciousness to take us somewhere new, and deep into its different emotional states we come to realize suddenly we are standing somewhere we have not been. There are moments of pure blues bumped up next to flights of melodic bliss, and by the end of the album comes the realization that, really, no names need to be given. Like life at its best, it just is.
Sonic Boomers Review July 09
As for Akhtar, her voice is a heaven-sent gift. If she had made this album with that other noted blues aficionado, Robert Plant, it would surely sell a million and win a Grammy.
Nigel Williamson Songlines Top of the World Review June 2009
Pitting her gilded tones against vigorous, bluesy strumming from American guitarist Lucas, this album’s best tracks pack an intensity that could give her belated, but much deserved, recognition.
Mark Hudson, The Daily Telegraph June 09
Rishte is dynamic and challenging, a 21st century Indo-Amercian blues fusion that suggests the West and East can communicate with much greater ease than many of our politicians would allow us to believe.
Garth Cartwright, Folk Roots June 09
‘The record you did together is an absolute masterpiece and should catapult the so-called world-music (musics of the world - les musiques du monde would be a better term) to a new level’.
Karl Lippegaus, German national Radio Deutschlandfunk, June 6th 09
Whether the songs concern themselves with humble submission to destiny ('Rishte') or the pangs of unrequited love ('Behaal'), celebrate burgeoning romance ('Naya Dhin') or reflect on the ephemerality of life ('Pensif Khayal'), the mutual compatibility and commitment of Akhtar and Lucas are apparent throughout, and the resulting album (which also contains an intriguing visit to Skip James's 'Special Rider Blues' and a powerfully atmospheric song, 'Soul Taker', inspired by English witch legend) is, quite simply, ravishingly beautiful and comes unreservedly recommended.
The Vortex Website, Con Murphy, July 09, UK
There have been many attempts to combine the blues with the music of the Indian subcontinent, but seldom have they been as interesting or successful as the new collaboration between guitar wizard Gary Lucas and ghazal-diva Najma Akhtar
ABC National Radio, The Daily Planet (Australian radio program) - Andy Copeman June 2009
One of the most interesting fusion of sounds is to be found on ‘Strings on Naya Dhin’ where folk-blues guitar and tabla combine over a vaster musical landscape that seems to be influenced in part at least by Bollywood film soundtracks. In contrast ‘Fragrance’ has a distinctly country-folk feel reinforced by the use of slide guitar. English vocals are provided by Akhtar on the blues-inflected ‘Special Rider Blues’ while echoey vocals predominate over a tabla and sitar backdrop on ‘Aksar’. In some respects this recalls the Taj Mahal project of a few years back bringing together blues and African traditional sounds, yet is a good deal more ambitious in successfully combining Indian and blues sounds. A potential candidate for rootsiest album of the year.
Tim Stenhouse UK Vibe website July 09
As she navigates the fast syllables on Behaal, Lucas leaps in with a psychedelic solo, while Parda is a stunning baroque-folk raga. Indeed, far from being some polite fusion project, Rishte is vital and red-blooded, nodding back to Davy Graham’s East-West musical explorations, and standing comparison with his best work.
Mojo (4 STARS) July 09 – Mike Barnes
Indo-blues would be an easy term to fall back on, but aside from a flighty cover of Skip James's Special Rider Blues, the southern US blues stylings are restricted to the odd slide guitar or electric wig-out and Lucas's trademark bending, winding acoustic notes. Mostly, Lucas provides shuffling rhythmic strums in counterpoint to babbling tabla drum (and violin on two tracks) over which Najma carves out sweeping, swooping vocals. She really does possess the most gorgeous range of vocals, full of colour and playfulness and fluency,The songs are mostly self-written, Lucas providing the guitar parts and Najma the melodies and lyrics (usually in Urdu, but also once or twice in English, a language that does not quite accommodate the full fluent diction of the singer) on songs that possess an almost timeless ethereal quality and ability to sweetly seduce over and over again. A wholly satisfying mix.
Asia / Pacific Reviews Global Music Culture - Con Murphy Saturday 13 June 2009
Sonic Boomers Review July 09
As for Akhtar, her voice is a heaven-sent gift. If she had made this album with that other noted blues aficionado, Robert Plant, it would surely sell a million and win a Grammy.
Nigel Williamson Songlines Top of the World Review June 2009
Pitting her gilded tones against vigorous, bluesy strumming from American guitarist Lucas, this album’s best tracks pack an intensity that could give her belated, but much deserved, recognition.
Mark Hudson, The Daily Telegraph June 09
Rishte is dynamic and challenging, a 21st century Indo-Amercian blues fusion that suggests the West and East can communicate with much greater ease than many of our politicians would allow us to believe.
Garth Cartwright, Folk Roots June 09
‘The record you did together is an absolute masterpiece and should catapult the so-called world-music (musics of the world - les musiques du monde would be a better term) to a new level’.
Karl Lippegaus, German national Radio Deutschlandfunk, June 6th 09
Whether the songs concern themselves with humble submission to destiny ('Rishte') or the pangs of unrequited love ('Behaal'), celebrate burgeoning romance ('Naya Dhin') or reflect on the ephemerality of life ('Pensif Khayal'), the mutual compatibility and commitment of Akhtar and Lucas are apparent throughout, and the resulting album (which also contains an intriguing visit to Skip James's 'Special Rider Blues' and a powerfully atmospheric song, 'Soul Taker', inspired by English witch legend) is, quite simply, ravishingly beautiful and comes unreservedly recommended.
The Vortex Website, Con Murphy, July 09, UK
There have been many attempts to combine the blues with the music of the Indian subcontinent, but seldom have they been as interesting or successful as the new collaboration between guitar wizard Gary Lucas and ghazal-diva Najma Akhtar
ABC National Radio, The Daily Planet (Australian radio program) - Andy Copeman June 2009
One of the most interesting fusion of sounds is to be found on ‘Strings on Naya Dhin’ where folk-blues guitar and tabla combine over a vaster musical landscape that seems to be influenced in part at least by Bollywood film soundtracks. In contrast ‘Fragrance’ has a distinctly country-folk feel reinforced by the use of slide guitar. English vocals are provided by Akhtar on the blues-inflected ‘Special Rider Blues’ while echoey vocals predominate over a tabla and sitar backdrop on ‘Aksar’. In some respects this recalls the Taj Mahal project of a few years back bringing together blues and African traditional sounds, yet is a good deal more ambitious in successfully combining Indian and blues sounds. A potential candidate for rootsiest album of the year.
Tim Stenhouse UK Vibe website July 09
As she navigates the fast syllables on Behaal, Lucas leaps in with a psychedelic solo, while Parda is a stunning baroque-folk raga. Indeed, far from being some polite fusion project, Rishte is vital and red-blooded, nodding back to Davy Graham’s East-West musical explorations, and standing comparison with his best work.
Mojo (4 STARS) July 09 – Mike Barnes
Indo-blues would be an easy term to fall back on, but aside from a flighty cover of Skip James's Special Rider Blues, the southern US blues stylings are restricted to the odd slide guitar or electric wig-out and Lucas's trademark bending, winding acoustic notes. Mostly, Lucas provides shuffling rhythmic strums in counterpoint to babbling tabla drum (and violin on two tracks) over which Najma carves out sweeping, swooping vocals. She really does possess the most gorgeous range of vocals, full of colour and playfulness and fluency,The songs are mostly self-written, Lucas providing the guitar parts and Najma the melodies and lyrics (usually in Urdu, but also once or twice in English, a language that does not quite accommodate the full fluent diction of the singer) on songs that possess an almost timeless ethereal quality and ability to sweetly seduce over and over again. A wholly satisfying mix.
Asia / Pacific Reviews Global Music Culture - Con Murphy Saturday 13 June 2009
'Rishte' performance reviews
Najma Akhtar and Gary Lucas at the Barbican 17th September 2010
World Music Central, Thursday 25th June 2009, USA
Najma Akhtar and Gary Lucas Jazz café London Thursday 15th July 2010
World Music Central, Thursday 25th June 2009, USA
Najma Akhtar and Gary Lucas Jazz café London Thursday 15th July 2010
'Rishte' Quotes
- This collaboration is all about magic, because there has not been anything like it made before – Sonic Boomers*
- Her (Akhtar’s) voice is a heaven-sent gift – Songlines*
- (Lucas is) Without a doubt, the most innovative and challenging guitarist playing today – fRoots*
- Far from being some polite fusion project, ‘Rishte’ is vital and red-blooded, nodding back to Davy Graham’s East-West musical explorations and standing comparison with his best work –Mojo *
Press Cuttings
