Shades of Shakti are an intercultural group of musicians bridging the gap between traditional Indian music, classical music and Jazz.
Their performance mesmerises audiences through the intricacy of the musical interplay, the propulsive energy of their melodies, the excitement of their rhythms, and the overall interconnectedness of all the performers on stage.
Since debuting at the Wellington Jazz Festival in 2018, Shades of Shakti have captivated audiences across New Zealand, including standing ovations at the New Zealand Festival of the Arts, Hawkes Bay Arts Festival, and shows across the country.
The collaboration seeks to bring communities together and celebrate human diversity through music, their concerts present an impressive repertoire of original compositions, traditional Indian Ragas, and music from Ravi Shankar's legendary "East Meets West" album, and also quintessential works from John McLaughlin's Grammy Award-winning "Shakti", from which the group drew initial inspiration.
"A truly astounding masterclass in the art of musical fusion" - Rob Harbers (Ambient Blog)
"The ultimate blend of authenticity and virtuosity. Their musicianship is second to none - an eclectic mix of acoustic instruments.” - Chris Gee (Black Seeds, Fly My Pretties, Anika Moa)
“Bringing together musical infl uences from diff erent sides of the world to create something fresh and unique and reinforce the notion that music knows no borders... One of those rare ensembles that transcend into the sonic stratosphere" - Bret McKenzie (Flight of the Conchords)
The musicians:
Justin Firefly Clarke (NZ) is an acclaimed guitar virtuoso known for genre-crossing collaborations and award-winning work across Europe. Now based in NZ, he’s produced “Jess Chambers and the Firefly Orchestra”, “Woolshed Sessions”, and tours with Bret McKenzie. He recently premiered original works performing with the New Zealand String Quartet, and is currently completing a doctorate in composition at Victoria University.
Basant Madhur (India) is a much-respected tabla player and artist of classical Indian music. Born into a family of musicians and studied under Pt. Pawan Kumar Verma. Basant is an Indian Radio & Television performing artist. He moved to New Zealand in 2002 and the Indian music school he founded, Sargam School of Music, has become an important bridge-point between Aotearoa and Indian culture.
Tristan Carter (NZ) is an extremely talented and versatile violinist who has worked with Atlas Ensemble in Amsterdam, traditional musicians in Bangalore, and taonga pū oro musicians of Aotearoa. He currently composes and dances with Java Dance, and is a regular member of Wellington jazz ensemble, “The Troubles” and Balkan band, “Bazurka”. As well as being a well-respected performer and composer of contemporary classical music, Tristan frequently collaborates with film composers such as David Long, and with contemporary producers such as Mara TK.
Thomas Friggens (NZ) is a dynamic drummer who moves fluidly across musical genres. A graduate of the New Zealand School of Music in jazz performance, he was a core member of the acclaimed “Strike Percussion Ensemble” and now collaborates in a range of theatrical settings while touring and recording with groups such as “Sea Mouse”, “Odessa”, and “Sulco d’Alma”, as well as NZ’s leading jazz artists. Thomas recently recorded his own album of jazz compositions with the support of Ngā Hopuranga Puoro Tautito - a SOUNZ recording initiative.
