Dhruv Ghanekar and Nandini Srikar lead “Suprabhatam,” the primary monitor off Ghanekar’s new album ‘Voyage 2.’ Photos: Storm Sen (Ghanekar), Courtesy of the artist (Srikar)
Composer and guitarist Dhruv Ghanekar presents the primary glimpse of his upcoming fusion album Voyage 2 with “Suprabhatam” that includes vocalist Nandini Srikar, bassist Mohini Dey and guitarist Abhay Nayampally. “‘Suprabhatam’ is sacred on so many levels and this is an entirely surprising and new way at looking at it that I think will shock the listener,” Ghanekar says.
With Voyage 2 – releasing on Ghanekar’s Wah Wah Records on Jun. 27 – serving a sequel to his 2015 album Voyage, the artist tells Rolling Stone India that the 10-track album has been within the works for a number of years now. It began with recording melodies with vocalists Kalpana Patowary and veteran voice Ila Arun. “By a happy coincidence, most of my principal artists on this project are women, which was not premeditated but seems rather preordained. I have always been drawn to powerful voices with a lot of character, and every voice on Voyage 2 is an authority in the culture she represents,” he says.
Everything from konnakol to drum and bass, Carnatic guitar and jazz-fusion take heart stage on Voyage 2, which kicks off with the dexterous and euphoric “Suprabhatam.” An evergreen Sanskrit prayer that has, up to now, been given life by the likes of the late legendary vocalist M.S. Subbulakshmi, Srikar provides supplies a robust basis for Ghanekar and his collaborators like Dey and Nayampally to color over. Ghanekar provides, “I had worked on ‘Suprabhatam’ in 2019 with Nandini but was reluctant about releasing it as I feared some backlash to the treatment and abandoned it for a long time. But eventually summoned the courage to finish it after I played it to [konnakol artist] Somashekhar (Jois) and Abhay (Nayampally) who are my collaborators on the song. They were very supportive and enthusiastic about the treatment and that gave me the confidence to finish the song.”
Voyage 2 has “Suprabhatam” for its opening monitor, which was very a lot intentional based on Ghanekar. The remainder of the album has been born out of Ghanekar’s journey across the globe. “From Costa Rica to Boston, Paris to Denver, Nashville to New York City, and, of course, much of it being assembled here in my studio in Mumbai,” he provides.
In addition to the likes of Dey, ace drummer Gino Banks, percussionist Taufiq Qureshi, bass guitarist Tim Lefebvre are additionally amongst instrumentalists featured on the album.
By means of summing it up, Ghanekar calls Voyage 2 “one big genre-less groove party.” Featuring all girls vocalists on the entrance and instrumentalists like Dey and Mauritian bassist Linley Marthe, Ghanekar says “the most important cohesive quality” of the album is its celebration of ladies. Intentionally recorded as an album that he’ll take dwell to levels – one thing Ghanekar says he labored on extra with this than Voyage in 2015 – “Nacho” is the groove and dance centerpiece of Voyage 2. “The live show will be one big groove party and I am looking forward to getting back on the road,” Ghanekar provides.