Ahimsa: Love is the Weapon of the Brave

Musicians from Kolkata, Los Angeles and Caracas – among them, three disciples of the late sitar legend Ravi Shankar – have got together for the Arohi Ensemble's new release, with music composed by sitar player and activist Paul Livingstone.

They blend sitar with sarod (lute), bansuri (bamboo flute), cello, tabla and the quintessentially South Indian ghatam (clay pot) in a way that the late maestro himself dubbed ‘a very effective and impressive approach.’ The album features intricate rhythms of Indian classical music fused with scales associated with the Indonesian gamelan tradition.

The word arohi in their name is the ascending scale in Indian classical music and it is symbolic of ‘rising’ in general. The title's ahimsa refers to non-violence: the theme is of love (and music) rising to overcome all obstacles by harmonising different musical traditions. The album captivates right from the start with an opening track of meditative vocals from sarod maestro Rajeev Taranath, leading into tabla syllables ushering in a cascading medley of instruments. Although this is East-meets-West fusion it stands out for its seamless, easy-flowing quality, with the Indian element in the ascendant. An extended dialogue between tabla and Eastern drums is particularly ear-catching during the three-movement suite ‘Peloraga’, which uses a five-note Indonesian scale called pelog: it thrives on being combined with Indian rhythms and the free-flowing, high-flying energy of jazz. This is addictive listening.