Three master musicians, virtuosos of the instruments that have become synonymous with their names — Béla Fleck (banjo), Zakir Hussain (tabla) and Edgar Meyer (double bass) will come together once again to raise funds for hospital equipment for the rural underprivileged. They will be joined by mandolin meastro U. Shrinivas.
At the concert titled ‘Mayurika’ presented by the Shakti Foundation on February 9 at The Music Academy (7 p.m.) the musicians will straddle the world of Indian classical, bluegrass and world music to appeal to a wide spectrum of audience.
Zakir Hussain’s trysts with rhythm have made this celebrated son of legendary tabla artiste Ustad Allah Rakha an international phenomenon. Hailed as the chief architect of the contemporary world music movement, Zakir is the mastermind behind several cross-cultural collaborations that have made music accessible to people around the globe. He elevated the status of the tabla from being an accompanying instrument to becoming an integral sound in collaborative works. A classicist at heart, this child prodigy has been performing for the past six decades.
Bela Fleck has reinvented the sound of the banjo through a remarkable performing and recording career. At home in revered classical concert arenas as much as he is on experimental platforms, Béla, an American known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, has won 11 Grammy awards and has been nominated in more varied categories than anyone in Grammy history.
Edgar Meyer, a contemporary bassist and composer, is known for his technique and musicianship. This American has performed with well-known artistes such as Yo-Yo Ma, James Taylor, Alison Krauss and the trio Nickel Creek.
Says U. Shrinivas, the Shakti Foundation’s ambassador and special guest artiste at the Mayurika concert, “this annual fundraiser that brings together inventive musicians is always looked forward to by the people of Chennai.”
“It gives me great pleasure as always to be performing as I have been with the Foundation since 2000. And every time I hope all of us at the Shakti Foundation are able to take Velan’s dreams and vision forward.”
Donor passes are available at the Shakti Foundation, 9, Manikeshwari Road, Kilpauk. For details call, 26611213 or 97911 94925 or 97911 94929 or log on to support@theshaktifoundation.org or email theshaktifoundation@airtelmail.in
