Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.
Ranjit Barot: Bada Boom (Abstract Logix, 11/16/10)
Ranjit Barot: “Dark Matter”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/05-Dark-Matter.mp3|titles=Ranjit Barot: “Dark Matter”]Dividing his formative years between England and India, Ranjit Barot falls at the crossroads of two cultures, with an aesthetic that draws heavily on Indian harmonic and rhythmic accents and R&B and jazz-rock fusions. In addition to having dozens of film scores credited to his name, Barot is also known as one of the most versatile drummers in the world, and most recently a part of the impressive roster of contemporary Indian musicians on John McLaughlin’s Floating Points.
But now Barot is finally taking a break from the film scripts and featured spots to make his debut as a leader. Bada Boom is Barot’s long-overdue solo debut, an album showcasing a musical approach crafted and shaped from a long career of session playing and film scoring. As a bilingual play on the Big Bang theory (“bada” is Hindi for “big”), Bada Boom is an epic in concept with a cast of players following suit, including John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orhestra) and legendary Indian tabla player and close family friend Zakir Hussain.