Adolygiadau / Reviews
All About Jazz Undod/Unity review
Khamira was born when Welsh jazz-folk band Burum—trumpeter Tomos Williams, bassist Aidan Thorne and drummer Mark O'Connor—toured India in 2015. There they collaborated with guitarist Aditya Balani, sarangi player & vocalist Suhail Yusuf Khan and tablaist & vocalist Vishal Nagar. The blend of Welsh traditional melodies, Hindustani classical music and jazz enthused all; two years later Khamira released its eponymous debut, a distinctive, if occasionally tentative-sounding, world music offering.
Five years on, Khamira returns with the significantly bolder Undod/Unity. The personnel and the concept remain largely unchanged, though the Indo-Welsh fusion sounds more fully realized, the playing more consistently assured. This greater musical maturity is doubtless the fruit of playing together practically every year since the band's inception—no small feat in itself. Sarangi and guitar are more prominent second time around, with Balani's pedals injecting fleeting waves of electronic-esque psychedelia.
It is the guitarist's "Eleven Eleven," a melodious slice of contemporary Indo-jazz fusion, complete with Nagar's konnakol break, which opens the account. Khamira acknowledges the influence of the Pat Metheny Group, and there is a certain resemblance here, particularly in the melodic lines woven in unison by guitar, trumpet and sarangi.
An even bigger influence, arguably, is late '60s and early '70s-era Miles Davis. Khamira's interpretation of "Great Expectation"— Davis's broiling, tabla and sitar-infused behemoth from a 1969 session, later released on Big Fun (Columbia, 1974)—toggles between searing, guitar-driven jazz-rock and muted trumpet lyricism. It is an overt tip of the hat to Davis, whose influence is also felt more subtly in Khamira's trance-like rhythmic language and William's plaintive muted playing.
Khamira's beating heart, however, lies not so much in '60s or '80s-inspired iterations of jazz fusion as in the juxtaposition of Welsh and Indian melodies. The title track, with a groove based on a Hindustani melody which digs its talons in and does not let up, takes shape around "Ffarwel Aberystwyth," a Welsh sailor's lament. Two contrasting solos, one of fiery precision from Balani, and a lilting Sufi vocal improvisation from Yusuf Khan, provide lift-off.
The Yusuf Khan-arranged raga "Saraswāti: Goddess of Music"—a Carnatic melody adopted by the Northern Hindustani sarangi—is the most overtly Indian of the compositions, both in form and execution. Yusuf Khan's playing is a delight and, tabla shadowing apart, the band applies judiciously unobtrusive accompaniment. Welsh folk melody, beautifully presented by Williams, gives way to Yusuf Khan's susurrus vocals on the peaceful "Dod Dy Law/ Nāyakī Kānrā." There is beauty and fire alike in Thorne's "Arjun Nagar," while "Marwnad yr Ehedydd (The Lark's Elegy)" closes the album on a serene note, steered by Yusuf Khan's yearning lyricism on sarangi.
Attempting to harness two such great musical traditions is perhaps akin to trying to lasso a river. But with the borderless, seamless fusion that is Undod/Unity, Khamira seems to have cracked it. A significant stepping stone along a little travelled path, and one which still offers almost infinite possibilities.
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JazzMann Review
****
An outstanding follow up to the group’s excellent début. It is to be hoped that Khamira will be able to continue their fruitful trans-continental collaboration for many years to come.
“Undod / Unity” has been a long time coming with more than two years passing between the time of recording and the eventual album release. But it’s been well worth the wait and despite the logistical problems the recent Welsh Tour was a triumph with the band delivering a brilliant performance at Chapter that helped to bring the music even more sharply into focus.
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Khamira Live at RWCMD January 2022
Indo-Welsh jazz band Khamira start off a short stint of Welsh live dates in preparation for the recording of their second album with an evening of music from Miles Davis’s 1970s albums at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) in Cardiff. Gary Raymond was there.
It’s a bold move, to offer up an evening of interpretations of Miles Davis’s 1970s output, one that would be daunting enough if half your band didn’t live a couple of continents away. Khamira is a band born of the India-Wales year of cultural collaboration established to commemorate seventy years of Indian independence from the British Empire in 1957. This is the second time since 2016 that the Indian members of the band have been to Wales, continuing a collaboration that has so far yielded successful tours of Wales and the subcontinent, and one very good self-titled studio album. The last time they were here, they rounded off a nationwide tour by bringing the tent down at the Hay Festival. This visit will garner a second album, a project that for a while looked like being something of a pipe dream, and it’s to the credit of Wales Arts International and the British Council that they both continue to find ways to facilitate these musicians, and getting them in a room together. What the second album will produce is not obvious this evening, as the bulk of stage time is given over to Davis. But this is a shrewd move by the driving force behind the band, Tomos Williams. As good as Khamira is, they are yet to be a serious pull to anyone other than those in the know. They simply cannot benefit from the publicity of a sustained presence on any circuit. A full capacity Dora Stoutzker Hall at Cardiff’s Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama suggests a healthy curiosity for what a band will do with the infamously aggressive electro-funk period of Miles Davis’s most controversial period. It’s a rare thing to see this music performed live. Williams, maybe taking a punt, has trusted his passion for this music will translate into bums on seats. His faith is repaid, and Khamira does a sterling job with the material. They may prove to not have the same levels of aggression (some of those live recordings of Davis in the early seventies are terrifying), but then they also don’t have the Himalayan mounds of cocaine that contributed to Davis’s edge in those days either, and in the end, the chilled-ness Khamira bring to the material is not only welcome but feels somewhat appropriate for the setting.
Read the full review here
Khamira Reviews (released 2017)
AP Reviews
by Adrian Palant
EXHILARATING and mesmeric, the eponymous debut release from seven-piece Khamira fuses Welsh folk, jazz and rock with Indian classical music.
It was a masterclass at the Berklee-affiliated Global Music Institute in New Delhi by the four Welsh members of this band (who are united in separate jazz/folk outfit, Burum) which led to the concept of combining a standard jazz quartet of trumpet, piano, bass and drums with the Indian colours of sarangi and tabla, plus vocals/Konnakol and guitar. Blurring the edges of genres and cultures here feels entirely organic, summoning the seminal ’70s fusion experiments of John McLaughlin and Miles Davis, as well as finding a modern-day crossover connection with artists such as Dwiki Dharmawhan and Dewa Budjana.
New arrangements of traditional Welsh songs and Indian classical melodies are combined with two original compositions to deliver fifty-five minutes of extensive, instrumental splendour. Particularly impressive is the versatility of Suhail Yusuf Khan’s stringed sarangi in partnering so melodically with Tomos Williams’ trumpet and Aditya Balani’s electric guitar; and the incisive, often rapid top-note resonances of Vishal Nagar’s tabla accentuate the rhythmic grooves of Dave Jones (piano), Aidan Thorne (electric bass) and Mark O’Connor (drums).
It’s a sound world which increasingly engages, as Khamira’s palette is so varied and the blends so intriguing.
Slow-release Pan O’wn y Gwanwyn (The Song of Spring) awakens to spacial trumpet and sarangi conversations before launching a lurching, saturated jazz/rock pulse underpinned by tremulant organ and thrashing percussion; and Basant‘s heady, vocalised Indian flavours – including the ‘jugalbandi’ of sarangi and tabla – are complemented by gravelly electric bass and urgent trumpet improv.
Jazz-grooving, eleven-minute Answers reinforces that this is an immersive, progressive experience, rather than a collection of snappy, individual ‘tunes’ – but this band’s open and ever-changing landscape, here with exquisite Paulo Fresu-style muted trumpet, becomes so appealing. Ffarwel i Gymru / Morey Nain shimmers to plaintive trumpet and a sustained sarangi thread, supporting its beautifully inflected Indian vocal; and the vibrant, contemporary jazz piano of Dance of Nothingness prompts bluesy guitar and frenzied sarangi.
The initial, Eastern serenity of Y Gwydd (The Weaver’s Song) belies the enthralling explosion of drums, tabla, Konnakol and electric piano to be revealed later, very much in the spirit of jazz/world fusion; and wistful hymn Hiraeth am Feirion (Longing for Meirionnydd), pairing trumpet and sarangi over the gentle ebb of tabla, creates a restrained yet anthemic sundown.
Released on 2 May 2017, Khamira is available as CD or digital download from Bandcamp. Catch a ten-minute video impression here.
RocknReel magazine (RnR)
Jazz Journal, 2017
Buzz Magazine
Cylchgrawn Barn
Adolygiadau Byw / Live Reviews
India meets Wales in thrilling musical fusion
WELSH jazz/folk met classical Indian music in surely one of the most groundbreaking evenings jazz music has enjoyed in Narberth, at SpanJazz's latest gig at the Plas Hyfryd Hotel.
Khamira ('yeast' in Hindu-Urdu) fuses Indian classical and jazz musicians with Burum ('yeast' in Welsh), a Cardiff-based jazz/folk outfit.
And the result was simply stunning.
Familiar folk songs from Wales ('Pan Own y Gwanwyn'/'Y Gwydd') were woven into the rhythms of tabla drums and the sitar-like tones of the bowed strings of the sarangi to create a new and unique world music sound.
The partnership has been developed over number of years between Burum and a jazz conservatoire in Delhi.
It began in November 2015 when Burum travelled to India to tour and joined forces with three great Indian musicians: Aditya Balani on guitar, Suhail Yusuf Khan on sarangi and vocals, and Vishal Nagar on tabla and vocals.
Extended improvisations and complex interplay between the instruments were often breathtaking, particularly those between drummer Mark O'Connor and the tabla. But there was much else to rave about, from the captivating singing of Suhail to the percussive voice music of Vishal, and the excellent and fiery keyboard work of Dave Jones to the almost sitar-like sounds of Aditya's guitar.
Then, of course, there was the Miles Davis-inspired trumpet of Tomos Williams and the thumping bass lines of Aidan Thorne.
Currently on a two-week tour of Wales, catch Khamira if they come your way.
By Eifion Jenkins, Western Telegraph, 26th May, 2017
JazzMann Reviews
by Ian Mann
This début album impresses with its mix of excellent original compositions and skilful arrangements of traditional Welsh and Indian material ****
The Welsh band Burum have been a fairly regular presence on the Jazzmann web pages thanks to their enjoyable and innovative blending of jazz and traditional Welsh folk music. Co-led by brothers Tomos Williams (trumpet) and Daniel Williams (tenor sax) the band have released three albums to date in “Alawon (2007), “Caniadau” (2012) and “Llef” (2016) with the last two reviewed elsewhere on the Jazzmann. I’ve also enjoyed a number of live appearances by the group at the Queens Head in Monmouth and a particularly impressive theatre performance at the 2014 Brecon Jazz Festival.
Also in 2014 Burum were invited to tour in India, an occurrence that sowed the seed for the Khamira project which sees Burum members Tomos Williams (trumpet), Dave Jones (piano), Aidan Thorne (bass) and Mark O’Connor (drums) collaborating with three Indian born musicians, Aditya Balani (guitar), Suhail Yusuf Khan (sarangi, vocals) and Vishal Nagar (tabla vocals).
Khamira’s cross cultural approach is similar to that of Burum but the addition of new instruments, plus voices, adds a whole new dimension to the music. The three Indian musicians all have strong ties to the West with Balani having studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, USA. Nagar is now based in San Francisco and is involved in a variety of jazz and world music projects.
Khan has worked with the British musicians James Yorkston (guitar, vocals) and Jon Thorne (double bass, vocals) as part of the trio Yorkston, Thorne, Khan releasing the album “Neuk Wight Delhi All Stars” in early 2016.
Of course the idea of blending jazz and Indian music is not new, John Coltrane and other members of the 60s avant garde incorporated Indian scales and rhythms into their music and these experiments were followed by the more obviously cross-cultural sounds of John Mayer, Collin Walcott, John McLaughlin and others. Khamira slots neatly into this lineage but the addition of traditional Welsh folk music to the mix is more unusual and adds an extra frisson of interest and excitement to this project. The material on Khamira’s eponymous début album includes traditional Welsh folk tunes, Indian classical melodies and two original compositions by Balani. The band have also emphasised the influence of the Pat Metheny Group and of Miles Davis’ 1970s ensembles.
“Khamira”, the album, was recorded in summer 2016 at Red Kite Studios near Llandovery by an engineering team comprised of Martin Levan and Donal Whelan. The recording was supported by the International Branch of the Arts Council of Wales. It appears on the Wales based Bopa label, also the recorded home of Burum.
The album commences with Tomos Williams’ arrangement of the traditional Welsh tune “Pan O’wn y Gwanwyn” (“The Song of Spring”) which begins with a delicate duet between Balani’s guitar and Williams’ trumpet. Williams’ horn is also teamed in dialogue with the exotic sounds of Khan’s sarangi, the traditional bowed instrument of India and Nepal with its three main playing strings and up to 35-37 sympathetic or resonating strings. When the full band plays the music is almost symphonic in scale and one can understand where the comparisons with Metheny come from, the sound is similarly cinematic and richly coloured and textured.
“Basant” is more obviously Indian in origin and features the sounds of Khan’s sarangi and vocals and Nagar’s tabla and voice. Rooted in Hindustani classical music the piece also features the contributions of the Burum members but is most notable for the stunning ‘jugalbandi’ (or duet) between Khan and Nagar that concludes the performance. The instrumentation may be exotic but effectively it’s the kind of instrumental duel (or ‘cutting contest’ if you will) that will be familiar to listeners of both jazz and rock music.
Guitarist Balani is the most obviously ‘Westernised’ of the three Indian musicians and his lengthy “Answers” is a genre straddling composition embracing the sounds of East and West. Thorne takes the first solo on electric bass, his melodic playing underscored not only by O’Connor’s drum kit but also by the patter of Nagar’s tablas. Meanwhile the composer soars on his guitar solo, but also offers quieter moments of reflection, while Jones’ also piano adds a welcome touch of lyricism. Williams’ trumpet takes off with a dramatic solo towards the end of a work that is rich in terms of both instrumental colour and dynamic contrast.
The segue of “Ffarwel I Gymru / Morey Nain” commences with the lonely wail of Williams’ trumpet above a sitar like drone (presumably generated by Khan) and the rustle of O’Connor’s percussion. Khan’s vocals add emotional depth, still underpinned by that drone, and Williams’ trumpet, now heard in conjunction with Nagar’s tablas is similarly evocative.
“Dance of Nothingness” is the second original composition from Balani and again combines the sounds of East and West in another sophisticated piece of work with contrasting solos coming from the excellent Jones on piano followed by Khan on sarangi. Both soloists play with skill and passion and they are followed by Balani himself on guitar on one of the album’s most dynamic and energetic pieces.
Williams’ arrangement of the Welsh traditional tune “Y Gwydd” (“The Weaver’s Song”) features Jones deploying an electric piano sound in a possible nod towards Miles Davis’ 70s bands. But the central feature of the piece is the dynamic percussive dialogue between O’Connor and Nagar, something which must be a real highlight of the group’s live performances. Nagar also contribute dramatic vocal percussion (or ‘konnokol’) as Khamira keep the energy levels up and the pot bubbling.
The album concludes with Williams’ arrangement of the Welsh folk tune “Hiraeth am Feirion” (“Longing for Meirionnydd”) which conjures up an appropriately melancholic feeling of home sickness through its melodic, lilting blend of sarangi, trumpet and guitar. Balani’s soaring guitar combines with the rich, rounded sounds of Williams’ trumpet to evoke something of the grandeur of the North Wales landscape on this elegiac album closer.
Like its close musical relative Burum the Khamira group impresses with its skilful blending of superficially dissimilar musical elements, in this case jazz, folk and Indian music. This début album impresses with its mix of excellent original compositions and skilful arrangements of traditional Welsh and Indian material. But it’s the quality of the playing that really makes the album stand out, everybody performs well to create a cohesive and distinctive group sound, but the individual contributions also sparkle and there are great solos from both the Welsh and Indian contingents throughout the album.
Khamira’s first public performance was at the British Council Theatre in New Delhi in 2015 and they have also performed at festivals in Goa and Kolkata with an appearance due at Seoul Music Week in South Korea on May 19th 2017.
Khamira will then undertake a tour of Wales as part of the UK/India 2017 series of events celebrating the 70th anniversary of Indian independence. This tour will be supported by the Arts Council of Wales in conjunction with the British Council. A tour of India is planned for January 2018.