Om Keshav is a stroke of luck for world music in every respect: Two exceptional artists show here, what can arise, when musical cultures get involved in a mix of styles: West meets East! The result is a snapshot cast in grooves and melodies.

The Background: Why the two came together at all. This event has many reasons. But it does not begin in a village in southern India, as it would be appropriate for a musical fairy tale, but takes us back many years, to the south German city of Munich. From there the legendary world tour of EMBRYO started with concerts in concerts in Turkey, Afghanistan and India.

EMBRYO and Karnataka College of Percussion met in 1979 at a festival in Bombay and spontaneously made music together. It was a moment in the development of world music.**

Charlie Mariano met Karnataka College of Percussion in 1980 in Munich, Germany. When the rock group EMBRYO, (in which Charlie Mariano regularly performed as a guest solist), Mr. T.A.S. Mani and 10 other musicians had invited KCP to their first European tour. R.A. Ramamani, however, was not with them on this very first tour, she was preparing for the birth of Karthik and was also in Bombay with the formation of her first fusion band “Jazz Yatra” with Luis Banks and Ramesh Shotam, among others.

Since then, R.A. Ramamani and KCP have frequently met with western rock and jazz musicians in Europe. Charlie Mariano leads this musical dialogue whenever he can. This confrontation between the US-American saxophonist and the Indian composer and singer has existed for a generation. Both have explored their own possibilities as well as the possibilities of the other…

Serious not furious. Through such a long, intensive interaction with each other has created something like a family structure, which audibly characterizes this work.

Two strong personalities face each other during the recording of “Om Keshav”: Charlie Mariano is convinced that the music stands for itself. R.A. Ramamani, who believes that the soul determines the quality and beauty of the music. Despite these opposing and thanks to an intensive rehearsal period in the rooms of the Karnataka College of Percussion, in only four days of concentrated studio work, in which all the pieces were right from the first take, a surprisingly coherent album emerged.

With the exception of one of Charlie Mariano’s compositions and one by Karthik all compositions are by R.A. Ramamani. Her son Karthik participates on “Om Keshav” and contributes one composition. All lyrics are old and are from the South Indian language.

Tracklist

1. Shantaakaaram (05:44)
2. Krishna Hare (10:02)
3. Guru’v Govinda (10:28)
4. Radhe Shyam (11:48)
5. Margosa (Neem Tree) (08:55)
6. Bhajana Binare (06:53)
7. Om Keshav / Shanti (Peace) (08:35)