Shankar’s clarinet offers an interesting backdrop to Chal chal sakhi, expertly sung by Ankita Joshi, with the tabla and cajon adding a compelling layer. The 4-part Aa re chanda actually plays seamlessly. Sandeep Mishra’s sarangi underscores the Alaap, while Devendra Pal Singh’s vocals take over Exposition that blooms with a pleasant tune, accentuated by guitar, tabla and violins. Shankar features his enchanting clarinet in the 3rd part, Improvisation that sparkles with a different rhythm, while Devendra impeccably closes the harmonium-led Tillana.
Vijay Prakash’s dependable vocals prop the somber Dil hai namazi that perks up with Shankar clarinet, even as Vijay ends it on a superb high, supported by Gaurang Desai’s drums. Nikhita Gandhi is pitch-perfect with her vocals in Kashti, layered with Shankar’s clarinet and Varun Sunil’s percussion. HN Bhaskar’s violin rules over Dhuan dhuan‘s alaap, while Shankar lends his vocals—sounding like a mix of A R Rahman and Lucky Ali!—to the song’s next part, Lost in Smoke, with Bhaskar’s violins continuing its impressive run. Raashi Kulkarni’s piano opens Shakthisree’s Amaidhi thaedi, a pensive tune carrying Madhan Karky’s impressive verse set to a mesmerizing melange of music, right into the second part, Meditation, featuring Shankar’s soul-stirring clarinet solo!
Yaad, with Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s lines offers an impressive tune to Nirali Kartik and Jomy George’s tabla to indulge in, while Shankar beautifully adapts a hyper-catchy traditional Malayalam folk tune in Aadiyillalo anthamillalo, sung with punchy verve by Job Kurian. Udaan is almost a filmy pathos tune, but it comes alive thanks to the orchestration led by Shankar’s clarinet and Vidya Iyer’s vocals. For someone like Shankar who was introduced to Indian musical idioms late, from an outsider’s perspective, Filament is a phenomenally rich and impressive musical expression. It is apparent that Shankar has imbibed Indian music with a lot of love.
Keywords: Shankar Tucker, Filament, Kartik Shah, Nirali Kartik, 300, #300
Buy: Filament on iTunes.
