Granddaddy of fusion guitar comes to Seoul

Even though globalization has been a catchword for some time now, it`s only been in the past couple of years that Koreans have embraced the concept of cultural fusion in food, clothing or lifestyles. Guitarist John McLaughlin has been at for decades, combining jazz and traditional Indian rhythms to create his free-spirited, spellbinding music.

McLaughlin and his group will bring their master blend of sounds, cultures and spirit to Seoul next Tuesday night with "Remember Shakti," a performance that revisits the accomplishments of the granddaddy of fusion guitar and brings the energy of jazz fusion to a live audience.

The "Remember Shakti" group includes Zakir Hussain on the tabla, a traditional Indian instrument, V. Selvaganesh on traditional Indian percussion, U. Shrinivas on the mandolin, and Shankar Mahadevan as the lead vocal.

<**1>McLaughlin is one of the best-known jazz guitarists today, having collaborated with artists as diverse as Beck, Carlos Santana and the London Symphony Orchestra. Born in 1942 in Yorkshire, England, he started off as a rhythm and blues guitarist strumming tunes at small clubs around London in the 1960s.

But from the outset, McLaughlin couldn`t be harnessed into one genre of music. Even with the release of his first album, "Extrapolation," in 1969, he showed a penchant for dipping into other styles, bringing electric rock and smooth jazz together. His deft guitar skills and keen ear for experimental sounds gained him the company of the legendary Miles Davis, whom the guitarist worked with after moving to the United States in 1969.

"Remember Shakti" is a tribute to McLaughlin`s seminal jazz group Shakti, which the guitarist formed in 1975 after he had left the Mahavishnu Orchestra, a commercially successful and popular jazz fusion group in the United States. The original Shakti, a term meaning creative intelligence and beauty and power, consisted of Hussain, L. Shankar on the violin and T.H. Vinayakram on percussion.

Although the group disbanded in 1978, McLaughlin teamed up again with members for reunion concerts and albums. The latest incarnation of the group includes original member Hussain and T.H. Vinayakram`s son, Selvaganesh, playing the kanjira, ghatam and mridanga, traditional South Indian percussive instruments.

When the original Shakti first began performing, the term "world music" hadn`t been coined yet and record labels were nervous about the profitability of such an unprecedented blend of sounds. Shakti not only brought together Western and Eastern music through the medium of jazz, but also managed to blend North and South Indian classical music strains together, something that was rarely done even among Indian musicians.

Needless to say, the record company`s worries were unfounded. In the adroit hands of McLauglin, the group went on to become a great commercial and artistic success. In addition to playing with Shakti, McLaughlin has recorded a number of albums with other jazz musicians and groups over the years. The guitarist has also played as a soloist with orchestras, including a performance with the London Symphony Orchestra of "Mediterranean," a concerto for guitar and orchestra that he composed.

"Remember Shakti" begins at 8 p.m. on Feb. 1 at LG Arts Center, located near Yeoksam Station, Subway Line No. 2, Exit 7. Tickets start at 30,000 won. Call (02) 2005-0114 or visit www.lgart.com for more information.

(imoon@heraldm.com)



By Iris Moon