Shakti announce 50th Anniversary Headline Shows at Eventim Apollo on 27 and 28 June
Mike Flynn
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
The legendary Indo-jazz group – who feature founding members John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain alongside current stars Shankar Mahadevan, Ganesh Rajagopalan and Selvaganesh Vinayakram – announce UK dates and new album This Moment out Summer 2023
Revolutionary Indo-jazz ensemble Shakti, formed by pioneering jazz fusion guitarist John McLaughlin and pre-eminent tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, announce their return to the UK with a special 50th Anniversary show at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on 27 and 28 June.
The special show follows news of the group’s forthcoming new album This Moment – Shakti’s first new studio album in 46 years. And with the recording of their new studio album now complete, the group are eager to continue their pan-global dialogue.
Alongside McLaughlin and Hussain, Shakti’s current line-up features one of India’s most famous musical stars, singer Shankar Mahadevan, alongside violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan and percussionist Selvaganesh Vinayakram (son of original Shakti ghatam player T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram).
Commenting on the on the band’s evolution, Zakir Hussain said: “In our initial incarnation, we did not always have the time nor the means to explore. Now, with the decades of individual musical experiences we all have poured into this, the result reveals an extraordinary depth and level of interaction within this band.”
Shakti emerged in the mid-1970s out of the deep artistic and spiritual connection between guitarist John McLaughlin and Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain. Shakti’s cross-cultural musical conversation dissolved boundaries with uncommon passion, grace, and dexterity – awakening subsequent generations of musicians to the possibilities of such hybrids in the process.
See the April issue of Jazzwise for an exclusive interview with John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain - tickets go on-sale this Friday 24 February, for more info visit serious.org.uk/events/shakti