Shakti (band)

{{Short description|Jazz fusion band formed in 1973}}

{{Other uses|Shakti (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Shakti

| alias = Turiyananda Sangit (in the early days)

| image = JohnMcLaughlan-kl.jpg

| landscape = yes

| caption = Shakti in 1976

| alt = A quartet performs acoustic music to the audience while being covered by a dark stage-light.

| background = group_or_band

| origin =

| genre = {{flatlist|

• Jazz fusion
• world

}}

| years_active = 1973–1978; 2020–present

| label = {{flatlist|

• Columbia

}}

| website =

| spinoffs = Remember Shakti

| current_members =

• John McLaughlin
• Shankar Mahadevan
• Ganesh Rajagopalan
• V. Selvaganesh

| past_members =

• Zakir Hussain
• L. Shankar
• Ramnad Raghavan
• Vikku Vinayakram
• U. Srinivas

}}

Shakti is a fusion band founded by English guitarist John McLaughlin and Indian violinist L.Shankar with percussionists Zakir Hussain (on tabla) and Vikku Vinayakram (on ghatam).{{Cite web|title = John McLaughlin - Remembering Shakti|url = http://www.innerviews.org/inner/john-mclaughlin.html|website = Innerviews: Music Without Borders|access-date = 2016-02-14|last = Innerviews}} Initially formed in 1973 under the name “Turiyananda Sangit” (a name coined by Sri Chinmoy that translates into english as “The pinnacle of delight in music”),{{Cite web|url=https://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/aum-1426|title=Turiyananda Sangit|website=Srichinmoylibrary.com|access-date=19 September 2023}} with a lineup consisting of McLaughlin, L.Shankar, Ramnad V. Raghavan (on mridangam) and Eve McLaughlin on Tanpura & Shruti box.{{Cite web |title=Shakti are back! The Indo-jazz super-group marks 50th anniversary with 2023 tour and new album |url=https://www.jazzwise.com/news/article/shakti-are-back-the-indo-jazz-super-group-marks-50th-anniversary-with-2023-tour-and-new-album |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=Jazzwise |language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/100075818299666/videos/before-shakti-became-known-under-this-name-they-were-called-turiyananda-sangit-a/936353873916091/|title=Before Shakti became known under this name, they were called Turiyananda Sangit, a name given to them by Sri Chinmoy, literally translated as 'the... | By John McLaughlin Archive |website=Facebook.com|access-date=19 September 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/aum-1426|title=Turiyananda Sangit|website=Srichinmoylibrary.com|access-date=19 September 2023}} Eve McLaughlin left the project, and Zakir Hussain was added on tabla and the group name changed to “Shakti” (meaning "creative intelligence, beauty, and power."{{Cite web |last=Innerviews |title=John McLaughlin - Remembering Shakti |url=https://www.innerviews.org/inner/john-mclaughlin.html |access-date=2020-12-26 |website=Innerviews: Music Without Borders |language=en}}) as the band wanted a name that “listeners in the West could relate to”.{{Cite news |title=Grammy winner returns to his ‘best’ audience |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/grammy-winner-shenkar-of-shakti-returns-to-his-best-audience/cid/1681078 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240221184544/https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/grammy-winner-shenkar-of-shakti-returns-to-his-best-audience/cid/1681078 |archive-date=2024-02-21 |access-date=2025-01-15 |language=en}} Raghavan also didn't stay with the project beyond the first album, and Vikku was added (on ghatam) for the remainder of Shakti’s early career. The group played acoustic fusion music which combined Carnatic music with elements of jazz.

File:Turiyananda Sangit 1975 poster with L.Shankar, John McLaughlin, R.Raghavan.jpg

In addition to fusing Western (Jazz, Celtic folk, Classical music) with Eastern music, Shakti also represented a fusion of the Hindustani and Carnatic music traditions, since Hussain was from Northern India while Shankar and Vikku are from the South.{{Cite web |title=Khabar: The Legends of Shakti |url=https://www.khabar.com/magazine/cover-story/the-legends-of-shakti |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=Khabar.com}}

The group came together after the dissolution of the first incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and toured fairly extensively during the period 1975-1977. After 1977, the albums which Shankar recorded with Hussain and Vikku stayed close to the music they had popularized in Shakti.

Two concerts at the Montreux Jazz Festival (July 6, 1976 and July 8, 1977) are included among the 17 CDs of the box set Montreux Concerts by John McLaughlin.{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/fr/John-McLaughlin-John-McLaughlin-Montreux-Concerts/release/2515097 |title=John McLaughlin – John McLaughlin Montreux Concerts |date= February 2019 |website=Discogs.com |access-date= 11 February 2019}}

File:Shakti performing with Larry Coryell, standing in for John (who had injured his hand) at a concert in India in 1982.jpg

Between 1982 - 1984, Shakti regrouped for reunion tours in India, this time with L.Shankar performing on his double violin.{{Cite web |last=Kusnur |first=Narendra |date=2023-01-16 |title=COVER STORY: Celebrating 50 Years of Shakti |url=https://rollingstoneindia.com/cover-story-celebrating-50-years-of-shakti-intervew-mclaughlin-zakir-hussain/amp/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Rolling Stone India |language=en-US}}

In 1997, McLaughlin and Hussain put together Remember Shakti, including V. Selvaganesh (son of T. H. "Vikku" Vinayakram ), electric mandolin player U. Shrinivas and eventually vocalist Shankar Mahadevan.

The band reformed in 2020,{{cite web|url=https://ragajunglism.org/writings/john-mclaughlin-interview/|title=John McLaughlin interview: discussing Shakti's 2020 reformation|website=Raga Junglism|access-date=26 June 2023}} and released their first album as Shakti in 46 years, This Moment, on 23 June 2023.{{cite web|url=https://guitar.com/news/music-news/john-mclaughlin-shakti-new-album/|title=John McLaughlin's Shakti announce their first studio album in 46 years|website=Guitar.com|last=Ng|first=Scott|access-date=26 June 2023}} The album will be supported by a world tour including India, Europe, and United States under the name Shakti50. Violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan joined the band as a full time member. The band also performed a live set for the Tiny Desk Concert.

In 2024, Shakti won the Grammy Award for the Best Global Music Album for the album This Moment.