My favourite Indian Classical-Jazz Fusion Groups -II Mynta - Nordic Ice, Indian Spice

Hi World...

This is my 25th post and I wanted it to be on music…my favourite kind of music…that is Indian Classical-Jazz fusion music…I had already written about my most favourite band, Shakti…

Mynta is another of my favourite Indian Classical-Jazz fusion groups. Mynta’s music is aptly described in their website as ‘a fusion of Nordic Ice and Indian Spice.’ The description is apt because Mynta is a blend of Swedish and Indian musicians.

Mynta was founded in 1979 in Sweden of only Swedish musicians – Santiago Jiminez (Violin), Max Ahman (Guitar), Ola Bothzen (Percussion), and Christian Paulin (Bass). Mynta toured India in 1987 and jammed with Fazal Qureshi (Tabla) [son of the legendary Ustad Alla Rakha & brother of Ustad Zakir Hussain] and Shankar Mahadevan (Carnatic Classical Vocal). Fazal Qureshi was heading an Indian fusion band called ‘Surya’ at that time and this Indo-Swedish combination performed around the world as ‘Mynta-Surya.’ They also brought out an album under this group’s name called ‘First Summer’. This combination subsequently came together as a group and called itself ‘Mynta.’

The Swedish musicians largely play Cool Jazz, and Mynta as a group also focuses on Indian classical, African and Latin American rhythms, Arabic sounds, and Swedish folk music. Shankar Mahadevan’s vocals play the important Indian Classical part in Mynta’s jamming with his soaring alaap-s and singing in both Carnatic and Hindustani traditions. In each piece that Mynta plays, one particular kind of music played by a group member or members is in the foreground, while the other members provide harmonic and rhythmic support.

Anders Hagberg (Flutes, Sax, Keyboard, Vocals), Mikael Nilsson (Percussion, Talking Drum, Udu), and Jan Radesjo (Keyboards) among the Swedish musicians, and Nandkishor Muley (Santoor) and Taufiq Qureshi (Percussion) are also part of Mynta’s musical melange. Mynta has been prolific and has brought out 8 albums, so far apart from performing live in major music festivals all over the world. And all their albums have very nice titles – First Summer, Indian Time, Hot Madras, Nandu’s Dance, Cool Nights, Tea Break, Hot Days, etc. You can sample some of their musical pieces on their website http://www.mynta.net/ … listen to the cool flute on ‘Playing’… and how the bored sounding conversation between the musicians leads to the most unusual vocal-percussion (konakol) with real percussion along with backing jazz in the aptly titled ‘Rapatal’… and the one and only, the most wonderful Shankar Mahadevan, who John McLaughlin calls ‘the voice’, singing Raga Hamsadhwani in Mynta Live… and the very European folkish rhythms with Shankar’s vocals in Ganglat fran Laggars…listen how Shankar’s carnatic aalap slowly fades away and the saxophone which was lingering in the background slowly and unobtrusively comes forward and takes over in Yellow Fellow….I can go on and on…but the taste of the music is in its listening…so, over to you…and tell me how you liked them…

Jai