6 Moons.com, December 2002
The sympathetic sitar strings of Irshad are furiously at work to make one instrument alone sound like a complete orchestra.
Product Description
This ground-breaking album is from one of the greatest sitar/surbahar virtuosos Irshad Khan. This marks his unparalleled versatility in todays world of sitar music with his entry into the realms of worldbeat fusion music. Those who are drawn to the sound of the Sitar and Surbahar (bass sitar), but who perhaps feel daunted by the complexities of classical Indian music, will find much to enjoy in this album. Awakenings highlights Irshad's gifts as a melodicist by keeping the rhythms simple and precise, the song lengths shorter (they average about ten minutes each), and the improvisations accessible. Expanded instrumentation also lends the album a more global flavour, with Middle Eastern, Spanish, Indian, African and Western percussion drums, didgeridu, violins, cellos, double base, guitar, saxophone, piano and other sounds. Besides the recording is also excellent, thus enabling the listener to appreciate the subtle atmospheres which result from the blending of these various elements.