Texas Gypsy Fire

Japanese dub, Taiwanese rap, Mexican ska… we’ve heard them all. And, in the mix-and-match free-for-all of world music, there are still thousands of combinations waiting to be soldered together, new sounds to be forged. The fusion of Tamil, Gypsy and Texan musical traditions, however, is surely one of the more original. This is no gap-in-the-market novelty, however. It’s all perfectly natural. Oliver Rajamani grew up a country music addict in India and, somewhat perversely, it wasn’t until he moved to Texas that he started to investigate the musical instruments of his homeland. Texas Gypsy Fire is Rajamani’s artistic vision made flesh, one that successfully unifies those otherwise disparate elements and creates a soundscape that, while clearly set on those wide-open Texas plains, references the equally lonesome experiences of displaced Gypsies. Some fiery flamenco guitar adds piquancy too. His voice, often reminiscent of David Byrne at his most plaintive, suits the task well, and Rajamani’s able to call upon the assistance of big-name honky-tonkers like Willie Nelson and Dale Watson to supply extra local flavour, and the singer-songwriter Edie Brickell also contributes.

On the downside, while the unhurried nature of Texas Gypsy Fire is surely deliberate, nothing would have been lost had a tad more tightening and trimming been undertaken. This is a fascinating concept nonetheless.