Shakti (band)

Shakti were a fusion band formed by English guitarist John McLaughlin, Indian violin player L. Shankar, percussionists Zakir Hussain (on tabla) and T. H. "Vikku" Vinayakram (on Ghatam)[1] in 1974. The band played acoustic fusion music which combined Indian music with elements of jazz. The band's Hindi name means, in English, "creative intelligence, beauty, and power."[2]

Shakti
Shakti in 1976
Background information
Genres	Jazz fusion world music
Years active	1974–1978
Labels	Columbia
Associated acts	The Mahavishnu Orchestra The One Truth Band Remember Shakti
Past members	John McLaughlin L. Shankar Ramnad Raghavan Vikku Vinayakram

In addition to fusing American and Indian music, Shakti also represented a fusion of the Hindustani and Carnatic music traditions, since Hussain is from the north region of India while the other Indian members are from the South.

The group came together in 1974, after the dissolution of the first incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and toured fairly extensively during the period 1975-1977; it made only sporadic appearances (with personnel changes) thereafter.

After 1977 the albums which L. Shankar recorded with Z. Hussain and T. H. "Vikku" Vinayakram stayed close to the music made popular by Shakti. Some twenty years later McLaughlin and Hussain put together another band with the same concept, called Remember Shakti, including V. Selvaganesh (son of T. H. "Vikku" Vinayakram ), mandolin player U. Shrinivas and eventually Shankar Mahadevan.

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.[3]