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Jai Uttal
Jai Uttal is a pioneer in the world music community. His eclectic East-meets-West sound has put his music at the forefront of the world beat movement. Uttal's musical roots embrace a rich variety of cultures and traditions that span the globe and the centuries. From the hillbilly music of the Appalachian mountains to the passionate strains of Bengali street singers, from the haunting rhythms and melodies of ancient India to contemporary electric rock sounds, Uttal's music distills the essence of diverse musical forms.
Uttal grew up in New York City, beginning study of classical piano at the age of seven. He later learned to play old time banjo, harmonica, and electric guitar. His musical interests encompassed a wide variety of styles, and over the years he experimented with many forms of musical expression. Eventually this led him to the work of India's national living treasure, Ali Akbar Khan. At the age of 19, Uttal moved to California to become a student of Khansahib's for traditional voice training and to learn the sarod, a 25-stringed Indian instrument. Later he traveled to India, where he was deeply inspired by the Bauls, the wandering street musicians of Bengal. Uttal settled among them, communicating only through music, which ultimately helped establish his unique style.
When Uttal returned to the U.S., his music had been transformed. He continued to study Indian music diligently while also performing in reggae, Motown, punk, and blues bands. The combination of Uttal's exceptional vocals and exotic instrumentation produced a new and captivating sound. In 1991 Triloka Records released his debut album, Footprints, featuring world music innovator Don Cherry. The album received critical acclaim and led Uttal and his band, the Pagan Love Orchestra, to international prominence. By the time his second album, Monkey, was released in 1993, Uttal and the Pagan Love Orchestra had an enormous fan base with a top-10 record on the world music charts. In 1994, Beggars and Saints was released, a tribute to the Bauls of Bengal, and again the album received international recognition, solidifying Uttal's position as a world music visionary. During this time, Uttal also produced two CDs for his teacher Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Combining the brilliance of Khansahib's playing and composing, with Western orchestration, Journey and Garden of Dreams became extremely popular in the Indian community.
Uttal's fourth release, Shiva Station, features traditional devotional chants from the Himalayas and the Bengal region of India. On Spirit Room, released in 2000, Uttal performs traditional Indian sitars, tablas, African rhythms, and modern jazz innovations. |
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