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Dhruv: Voyage 2

By Ian Patterson
October 2, 2024
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Nine years after the genre-busting Voyage (Wah Wah Records, 2015), Indian guitar/composer Dhruv Ghanekar returns with the second leg of his ongoing journey of musical discovery. Not that Ghanekar has been idle in the interim, with compositional credits to soundtracks for a host of films and documentaries. Still, it feels like too long a wait between solo outings. Indian folk music is at the root of both albums, but whereas Voyage saw Ghanekar revel in an Indo-jazz fusion colored by Americana, on Voyage 2 his palette is much more global in scope. To his already rich stew Ghanekar adds Brazilian, African and Balkan folk rhythms, hip-hop, rap and drum and bass.

Despite the cornucopia of global sounds, and a cast of musicians as long as the titles to a Bollywood epic, at heart Voyage 2 is a celebration of India's cultural diversity. Indian devotional hymns, Rajasthani and Assamese folk songs, wedding songs and the Holi festival all provide the launching pads for Ghanekar's celebratory excursions into jazz funk and broad-church fusion. Indian instrumentation, particularly tabla, dholak and konnokol are deployed sparingly, while a been (or pungi)— used in the ancient art of snake charming—makes a cameo.

The main substance, and the majority of the highlights, however, come courtesy of the wonderful singers: Nandini Srikar on the spiritual-meets-drum-and-bass romp that is "Suprabhatam;" Kalpana Patowary on the reggae-fueled "O Sorothia;" Ila Arun on the romantic Assam folk tune "Bego," built on

Mohini Dey

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Mohini Dey's overtly Red Hot Chili Peppers-inspired bass line; Vaishali Samant on the dance-floor booty-shaker "Jatra;" and Asha Sapera Kalbeliya on the upbeat Rajasthan folk-meets-jazz funk "Rasiya Chuneri.—Twithhese outstanding vocalists, powerful and emotive, are the real stars of the show.

Well, maybe that is a little unfair on Ghanekar, after all, it is his vision that ties all these colorful melodic and rhythmic threads together so convincingly, for the most part, with some questionable rap lyrics aside. A pan-global fusion it may be, but Ghanekar's music hits home most when you feel he is not trying to be all things to all people. An excellent guitarist of the post-

John McLaughlin

guitar
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">John McLaughlin school, he executes several short but biting solos (

Frank Zappa

guitar, electric
1940 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Zappa-esque on "Bego"), while slower, more gently crafted acoustic tunes like "Charkha" and "Assam" are telling of an innate sensitivity and lyricism.

Anyone inclined to pigeon-hole may struggle with the genre-slippery nature of Ghanekar's vision, but to those who care little for such reductions Voyage 2 serves up a hugely enjoyable moveable feast whose infectious energy belies the multiple intricacies at play.

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Track Listing

Suprabhatam; Deuri; Jatra; Bego; Nacho ; O Sorothia; Jadu; Rasiya Chuneri; Charkha; Assam.

Personnel

Dhruv Ghanekar

guitar

Additional Instrumentation

Dhruv Ghanekar: vocals, synthesizers, percussion, keys (1); vocals (2-4, 7, 9, 10) ; Nanindi Srikar: vocals (1); Mohini Dey: bass (1, 4-5); Lindsay D��mello: drums (1, 7); Abhay Nayampally: additional guitar (1); Somashekar Jols: konnokol (1); Kalpana Patowary: vocals (2,6,10); Illa Straight: vocals (2,6); Tim Lefebvre: bass (2,6); Gino Banks: drums (2,6); Terminus Horns: horns (2); Neuman Pinto: backing vocals (2,6); Vaishali Samant: vocals (3); Gina Mirenda: vocals (3); Linley Marthe: bass (3); Harmeet Manseta: keyboards (3); Sam Dechenne: horns (3, 5, 7); Gal Gershovsky: drums (3); Jimena Segares: backing vocals (3); Pablo Molina: backing vocals (3); Krishnik Nair: additional programming (3,5); Ila Arun: vocals (4-5,7,9); Nate Barnes: drums (4); Artur Grigoryan: (4); Taufiq Qureshi: percussion (5); Tony Morra: drums (5); Bob Omulo: vocals (7); Asha Sapera Kalbeliya: vocals (8); Mark Hartsuch: horns (8); Mithu: backing vocals (8); Samda: backing vocals (8); Pun Nath: been (8); Ishteyak Khan: dholka, tabla (9); Rajasthani singers: chorus (9); Naveen Kumar: woodwinds (10); Rajiv Sunderasan: backing vocals (10); Suhas Savant: backing vocals (10).

Album information

Title: Voyage 2 | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Wah Wah Records

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