anjuna
chennani flamenco

Chennai Flamenco

After having recorded Ramajaz's first album, "Anjun" with a very successful launch party at the Penthouse, Leicester Square in May 2006, we decided to embark on making a second album, " Chennai Flamenco."

Dimitri, top Greek saxophonist, and Sharat, classical Indian violinist, were touring in June 2006 around Europe, and joined me at the Trading House Restaurant, London, for a stunning evening of Indojazz. This culminated in us getting together with my good friend
and colleague, Sirishkumar. We recorded over 4 cold, stormy and exciting autumn days in November. Siri, Jazz vocalist, came later to garnish the album with her beautiful dulcet tones.

The tracks

1. Cool Grooves
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This is a funky piece born on a 2-chord sequence.It is a good opener with lots of energy, and shows off all the instruments.It kicks off with Sirish's brilliant vocal tabla antics. It almost makes you want to dance !

2. Prarthana - a prayer
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This is a very serene raga which starts off very calmy, in a beautiful meditative state. It also features Siri's very angelic voice. There is a great interplay between the violin and the piano.

3. Chennai Flamenco
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This is the signature track of the album.It starts off with the dulcet tones of Siri , singing a jazz ballad. It soon merges into an Indian Flamenco,with superb performances by Sharat and Dimitri .

4. Holijaz - Festival of Colour
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This is a raga that starts very gently, and livens up as the sleeping cobra senses the mongoose's sleeky presence. It ends climactically with an explosion of tone-colours.

5. Capetown Fiddles
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This piece depicts a landscape from the eye of a soaring eagle. It is also a marriage of Indo-Scottish fiddle music in a South African township style.

6. Piabla Paintbrush
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I decided to compose this piece alone, and then have the instruments play around me afterwards. It is a gentle, nostalgic and ambient melody, as the tabla is painted alongside the piano. The sax and violin are subtle partners, also painted around the piano.

7. Raag Jog - Evening Melofy
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This is a very vivid and high energy raga, with an introduction from the violin. The theme is not dissimilar to the theme music for Batman! It leads you into a labyrinth of sound and rhythm .Siri makes a statement in the middle, to announce her apparent presence. It is relentless, and there are boundless conversations between the instruments. It finishes with an almighty crescendo , and then golden silence !

8. Roopak
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This is a ballad in a 7 / 4 rhythm.It is lyrical, and features Siri, as she sings a yearning song. There is an uplifting and warm melody with a subtle accompaniment from the tabla.