Mangalam is an ensemble that experiments with a mix of Indian music and Western funk. It comes across as a bit artificial, but that may also take some getting used to. The ensemble was founded in 1987 by the Indian musician and composer Rikhy Ray. Since then they have, in their own words, been looking for ways to integrate modern European harmonies and African American rhythms into the old tradition
… of Indian music. Ray plays the "vajra vina", a self-designed version of the veena. He is accompanied by Chella S. Ganesh who plays the percussion instruments kanjira (a kind of tambourine) and ghatam (a ceramic pot). (GO) _more
