Shakti -

Shakti was an Indian ethno-jam band that collaborated with guitarist John McLaughlin on three albums in 1976/77 on Columbia/CBS.

Members: John McLaughlin (acoustic guitar), Shankar (violin), Zakir Hussain (tabla), Vikku Vinayakram (ghatam, mridangam), Ramnad Raghavan (mridangam)

Background

Shakti emerged in the early 1970s as a fully acoustic fusion ensemble built on equal dialogue between South Indian classical traditions and modern jazz improvisation. The group formed in 1973 under the provisional name Turiyananda Sangit, reflecting John McLaughlin’s immersion in Indian philosophy and devotional practice, before adopting the name Shakti—chosen for clarity and resonance with Western audiences. From the outset, the project rejected electric amplification and fixed song structures, favoring extended rhythmic cycles, raga-based melodic development, and collective improvisation.

John McLaughlin entered the project after a decade at the forefront of electric jazz-rock, having worked with Tony Williams, Miles Davis, and his own Mahavishnu Orchestra. By the early 1970s, he sought a stripped-down, acoustic setting that emphasized rhythmic precision, modal exploration, and spiritual intent over volume and harmonic density.

L. Shankar came from a background in Carnatic vocal and violin traditions, alongside early exposure to Western classical and jazz idioms. A child prodigy with formal training across melody and percussion, he developed a highly vocalized violin style that translated gamakas, phrasing, and rhythmic articulation directly from South Indian vocal practice into instrumental form.

Zakir Hussain, trained from childhood in Hindustani tabla under his father Alla Rakha, had already begun bridging Indian and Western idioms through collaborations in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His approach combined classical tala mastery with a flexible sense of pulse shaped by jazz and rock contexts encountered after relocating to the United States.

T. H. “Vikku” Vinayakram completed the core ensemble with ghatam and kanjeera, extending Carnatic percussion vocabulary into a lead rhythmic voice. His technique transformed the clay pot from timekeeping support into a melodic and conversational instrument capable of rapid tonal shifts and contrapuntal exchanges.

The early lineup also included Ramnad V. Raghavan on mridangam during the project’s formative phase, reinforcing its Carnatic foundation before Vinayakram became a permanent member. Rehearsals and early performances focused on developing a shared rhythmic language rather than fixed compositions, with McLaughlin studying Indian rhythmic cycles and ornamentation while contributing structural pacing and improvisational strategy drawn from jazz.

By the time Shakti entered the studio and stage in the mid-1970s, the group had already refined a distinctive ensemble method: long-form pieces unfolding through tempo modulation, call-and-response phrasing, and layered rhythmic tension. These principles shaped their live performances and directly informed the material recorded for their first albums, establishing Shakti as a model for sustained, non-hierarchical East–West collaboration rather than a soloist-led fusion project.

Shakti With John McLaughlin

Shakti released their debut album Shakti With John McLaughlin in April 1976 on Columbia. It documents the ensemble’s July 5, 1975, performance at Southampton College, Long Island.

The album introduces Shakti’s East–West acoustic fusion with expansive improvisations shaped by guitarist John McLaughlin and violinist L. Shankar over percussive frameworks by tabla player Zakir Hussain, mridangam player Ramnad Raghavan, and ghatam/mridangam player T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram. The group’s telepathic interplay and elastic rhythmic phrasing are central to their dynamic real-time constructions, which blend Indian classical and jazz-rooted phrasing in extended thematic arcs. McLaughlin composed “Lotus Feet” and co-wrote the remaining pieces with Shankar.

Shakti With John McLaughlin unfolds in three movements that showcase precise instrumental dialogue, extended structural arcs, and deep variations in tempo and texture. “Joy” opens with a burst of forward-driving motion: guitar and violin swap high-speed phrases over cascading tabla cycles. The ensemble shifts from dense unison lines to sudden pauses, then regathers momentum as solos stretch and recede. McLaughlin and Shankar alternate spotlight turns, each raising the tension through tight intervallic runs and abrupt dynamic pivots. Midway through, the interplay thins to bare guitar phrasing before ramping back with volleys of bowed and plucked motifs, matched by fast shifting rhythmic support.

“Lotus Feet” serves as a reflective interlude. McLaughlin opens with reserved, arpeggiated figures that float above a quiet pedal drone. Shankar enters with long, gliding shapes that curl around the guitar’s inner voice, while the tabla enters late with subtle percussive accents that frame the slow collapse of the final cadence.

The 29-minute suite “What Need Have I for This – What Need Have I for That – I Am Dancing at the Feet of My Lord – All Is Bliss – All Is Bliss” moves from suspension to saturation in wide arcs. A slow drone underpins early guitar figures that expand gradually, allowing violin to enter with curved lines that merge and separate. At seven minutes, the ensemble accelerates: tabla and ghatam push forward, triggering cascading violin phrases and sharply angled guitar runs. By the midpoint, the instruments converge in clipped unison statements broken by rapid solo exchanges. A long percussion stretch follows, where Zakir Hussain’s extended tabla solo transitions seamlessly into layered rhythms across three percussionists. The final minutes return to a steady flow of paired guitar–violin phrases, easing into a gentle coda. Across the album, the group builds tension through restraint and precision rather than force, letting variation in phrase shape, ensemble density, and rhythmic symmetry generate forward motion.

A1. “Joy” (18:13)
A2. “Lotus Feet” (4:44)
B1. “What Need Have I for This – What Need Have I for That – I Am Dancing at the Feet of My Lord – All Is Bliss – All Is Bliss” (29:03)

McLaughlin produced the recording with engineering by Joseph D’Anna and Stan Tonkel. Nathan Weiss served as manager.

Shakti With John McLaughlin features photography by Apeksha Bacciagallupi and Pranavanada, lettering by Danny Wong, and cover design by Marie de Oro. The album peaked at No. 194 on the US Billboard Top LPs and No. 37 on the Jazz Albums chart.

A Handful of Beauty

Shakti released their second album, A Handful of Beauty, in March 1977 on Columbia.

The album refines Shakti’s Indo-Western acoustic synthesis with more concise studio-crafted arrangements. Guitarist John McLaughlin and violinist L. Shankar shape intricate modal dialogues over polyrhythmic percussion by Zakir Hussain (tabla) and T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram (ghatam, kanjira, vocals). The material balances brisk rhythmic exercises with extended improvisational arcs, interspersed with traditional forms adapted for ensemble settings.

McLaughlin and Shankar co-wrote three pieces and arranged the traditional “Kriti.” Shankar contributed “Lady L,” while McLaughlin composed the closing piece.

“La Danse du Bonheur” opens with percussive vocal phrases that cue a rapid, tightly braided ensemble line—violin and guitar trace contoured phrases over high-velocity tabla and ghatam pulses, creating overlapping cycles with sharp directional shifts. “Lady L” lowers the intensity, moving in staggered rhythmic patterns where violin and guitar double a drifting theme, then pause for open-spaced refrains that stretch against the tempo. “India” unfolds with a drone-centered framework; guitar arpeggios shift beneath drawn-out violin contours, giving way to a rising internal pressure that builds without explosion.

“Kriti” returns to quick, forward-leaning motion. The quartet passes rhythmic fragments between hands and strings, layering short, clipped phrases that occasionally spiral into brief, locked cycles. “Isis,” the longest piece, opens in a restrained register with soft guitar gestures and sparse violin lines that slowly draw tighter. Midway, percussion takes over with six unbroken minutes of rhythmic variation—tabla and ghatam alternate fast-slow patterns before falling into deep resonance, then rejoin the strings for a tightly resolved coda. “Two Sisters” closes the album on a subtler plane: the violin leads with curved, expressive phrasing while McLaughlin counters in slow parallel arcs, pulling the album inward after its earlier surges. Across all tracks, the ensemble moves with precision and elasticity, letting the pacing and interwoven timbres drive rather than expand into excess.

A1. “La Danse du Bonheur” (4:48)
A2. “Lady L” (7:23)
A3. “India” (12:31)

B1. “Kriti” (2:58)
B2. “Isis” (15:11)
B3. “Two Sisters” (4:41)

Sessions took place in August 1976 with McLaughlin producing. Dennis MacKay served as lead engineer with assistance from Steven Berkowitz and Stephen W. Tayler.

A Handful of Beauty features photography by Richard Laird. The album reached No. 168 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 32 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

Natural Elements

Shakti released their third album, Natural Elements, in November 1977 on CBS.

The album presents Shakti’s most accessible studio set, blending their acoustic Indo-fusion with streamlined forms and shorter thematic statements. McLaughlin alternates between nylon-string guitar and vocal phrasing alongside violinist L. Shankar, whose melodic leads interlace with the intricate multi-hand percussion of Zakir Hussain (tabla, bongos, timbales) and T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram (ghatam, kanjeera). The material incorporates compact motifs, conversational exchanges, and occasional vocal cues, showcasing rhythmic finesse across fluctuating tempos.

McLaughlin composed three pieces and co-wrote four with Shankar, who contributed one track individually.

“Mind Ecology” opens in a rapid-fire trance mode: McLaughlin’s circling arpeggios lock against a spiraling tabla pattern, while Shankar’s violin cuts angular lines across the dense rhythmic bed. “Face to Face” follows with a slower, spacious intro, then lifts into a cycling figure where violin and guitar exchange phrases over a propulsive, rolling cadence. “Come On Baby Dance With Me” compresses those mechanics into under two minutes, with sharp metric turns, precise tempo shifts, and interlocking motifs that pass between players. “The Daffodil and the Eagle” stretches out with staggered pacing and heated midsection interplay—Shankar’s lines shift from languid glides to accelerating tension as McLaughlin drops tightly clustered chord bursts against loose percussion bursts.

“Happiness Is Being Together” begins with triangle accents and galloping rhythm; violin phrases sweep into high-register flares before an unexpected choral passage bends the mood toward festive syncopation. “Bridge of Sighs” drops the pulse, leaving room for spacious phrasing and phrased dynamics—notes trail off slowly, then snap back in brief unison. “Get Down and Sruti” hinges on layered percussion: tabla and ghatam solo in succession before voice percussion (konnakol) enters, folding back into a locked ensemble cycle. “Peace of Mind” closes with restrained counterpoint—guitar and violin settle into curved, measured phrasing, letting resonance and contour lead over intensity. The album’s pacing flows between high-density ensemble peaks and tempered duets, relying on close instrumental dialogue and detailed rhythmic precision rather than theme development or harmonic shifts.

A1. “Mind Ecology” (5:48)
A2. “Face to Face” (5:58)
A3. “Come On Baby Dance with Me” (1:59)
A4. “The Daffodil and the Eagle” (7:03)

B1. “Happiness Is Being Together” (4:29)
B2. “Bridge of Sighs” (3:52)
B3. “Get Down and Sruti” (7:03)
B4. “Peace of Mind” (3:21)

McLaughlin produced Natural Elements in July 1977 in Geneva, Switzerland. Paula Scher handled the design, with illustrations by John Alcorn.

Postlude

Shakti disbanded after Natural Elements but regrouped briefly between 1982 and 1984 for a series of reunion performances in India, with L. Shankar now playing his custom-made double violin. In 1997, John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain reactivated the group under the name Remember Shakti, joined by percussionist V. Selvaganesh (son of Vikku Vinayakram), electric mandolinist U. Shrinivas, and later vocalist Shankar Mahadevan.

In 2020, the ensemble reformed as Shakti and released This Moment on June 23, 2023—their first studio album under the original name in 46 years. The release was supported by the Shakti50 world tour, with performances across India, Europe, and the United States. Violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan joined as a full-time member, and the group also recorded a live session for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series.

This Moment won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album. Their 2026 live release Mind Explosion [50th Anniversary Tour Live] earned two Grammy nominations, including another nod for Best Global Music Album.

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