Aligning with their monumental 50th anniversary, Shakti has marked the occasion by delivering their first studio album in over 45 years. Dubbed This Moment, the collection finds guitarist and bandleader John McLaughlin and master Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain as well as their collaborators and guests, turn out a world-class set of music that intermingles with Eastern and Western influences and traditions. 

“This Moment, the new ‘studio’ album, is a true labor of love. The music on this recording represents a quantum leap in the musical evolution of Shakti. It represents 50 years of working and playing together beginning in 1973. The numerous concerts we have played, the number of times we have been together working on our musical development have brought us to the point where it has all been brought together here and now in the 21st Century. This album is a crystallization of 5 decades of love and dedication. Our musical evolution recorded here is really a revolution in the history of Shakti,” offered McLaughlin. 

The set offers new compositions and performances from the troupe, comprised of McLaughlin (guitar, guitar synth) and Hussain (tabla), joined by vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan, and percussionist Selvaganesh Vinayakram, who cut into an impressive display of improvisation, steeped in a vast network of global music heritage, connecting a series of movements to highlight the vocal and instrumental range of the players.

“We took advantage of the fact that we were all isolated during the lockdown, and John ji took the lead. So, from remote places all over the world, files were going back and forth, we had a common Dropbox, everybody listened to it, put their part, brought it back, exchanged comments on a WhatsApp group, oh my god! how we executed this album This Moment is really remarkable. It was an experience and we really enjoyed the process,” added Mahadevan. 

To mark the momentous occasion, the group will embark on a series of tour dates in support of This Moment, beginning with the European leg of the tour, which will pick up with a two-night stand at London’s Hammersmith Eventim Apollo on June 27 and 2, followed by a sprinkling of addition Euro stops, which arrive before the band’s U.S. tour, which features appearances from Béla Fleck, Bill Frisell, John Scofield and Jerry Douglas at select stops. Read more.

To purchase This Moment or stream the new album, visit this link.