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Karmana is the debut album by Scottish guitarist and composer Simon Thacker in duo with Polish cellist Justyna Jablonska, supported by Creative Scotland, the first album to consist entirely of Simon’s music and reimaginings. The centrepiece is the epic six movement Karmana suite for guitar and cello, inspired by the belief in music as a medium of transcendence. The monumental 13 minute Ruaigidh Dorchadas/The Highland Widow’s Lament heralds a new frontier for Scottish music: beautifully sung by the incomparable Karine Polwart, it features huge textures and sonic detail, extending the backwards recording technique pioneered by Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles with up to 25 simultaneous guitars and 7 cellos. Other special guests include tabla master Sarvar Sabri in an explosive trio and one of the finest exponents of the Romany tradition, singer and violinist Masha Natanson, in a reimagined Romanian Roma song. The album is completed by Simon's unique take on a particularly beautiful Gaelic lament and a Polish whirling dance cello feature for Justyna.

Karmana: Simon Thacker and Justyna Jablonska

Live performance of the new trio lineup of pioneering intercultural group Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti, a traditional Baul song from the mystical Bengali folk tradition reimagined by Simon Thacker
Simon Thacker: classical guitar
Raju das Baul: voice/khamak
Sarvar Sabri: tabla

Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti with Raju das Baul play Menokaa Maathaay Dilo Ghomtaa

The Romanian Roma song "La Carciuma De La Drum" (At the pub down the road) reimagined by Simon Thacker (guitar), with Justyna Jablonska (cello) and special guest Masha Natanson (voice/violin. from the debut album Karmana ttp://www.simonthacker.com/shop

Karmana

08 La Carciuma De La Drum, Excerpt

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Karmana, the debut album by guitarist and composer Simon Thacker in duo with Polish cellist Justyna Jablonska, supported by Creative Scotland, the first album to consist entirely of Simon’s music and reimaginings. The centrepiece is the epic six movement Karmana suite for guitar and cello, inspired by the belief in music as a medium of transcendence. The monumental 13 minute Ruaigidh Dorchadas/The Highland Widow’s Lament heralds a new frontier for Scottish music: beautifully sung by the incomparable Karine Polwart and featuring huge textures and sonic detail, extending the backwards recording technique pioneered by Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. with up to 25 simultaneous guitars and 7 cellos. Other special guests include tabla master Sarvar Sabri in an explosive trio and one of the finest exponents of the Romany tradition, singer/violinist Masha Natanson, in a reimagined Romanian Roma song. Karmana can be pre ordered at

11 Aruna Excerpt

Karmana, the debut album by guitarist and composer Simon Thacker in duo with Polish cellist Justyna Jablonska, supported by Creative Scotland, the first album to consist entirely of Simon’s music and reimaginings. The centrepiece is the epic six movement Karmana suite for guitar and cello, inspired by the belief in music as a medium of transcendence. The monumental 13 minute Ruaigidh Dorchadas/The Highland Widow’s Lament heralds a new frontier for Scottish music: beautifully sung by the incomparable Karine Polwart and featuring huge textures and sonic detail, extending the backwards recording technique pioneered by Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. with up to 25 simultaneous guitars and 7 cellos. Other special guests include tabla master Sarvar Sabri in an explosive trio and one of the finest exponents of the Romany tradition, singer/violinist Masha Natanson, in a reimagined Romanian Roma song. Karmana can be ordered now at http://www.simonthacker.com/shop.html

10 Ruaigidh DorchadasThe Highland Widow's Lament Excerpt

ttp://www.simonthacker.com/shop
Karmana, the debut album by guitarist and composer Simon Thacker in duo with Polish cellist Justyna Jablonska, supported by Creative Scotland, the first album to consist entirely of Simon’s music and reimaginings. The centrepiece is the epic six movement Karmana suite for guitar and cello, inspired by the belief in music as a medium of transcendence. The monumental 13 minute Ruaigidh Dorchadas/The Highland Widow’s Lament heralds a new frontier for Scottish music: beautifully sung by the incomparable Karine Polwart and featuring huge textures and sonic detail, extending the backwards recording technique pioneered by Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. with up to 25 simultaneous guitars and 7 cellos. Other special guests include tabla master Sarvar Sabri in an explosive trio and one of the finest exponents of the Romany tradition, singer/violinist Masha Natanson, in a reimagined Romanian Roma song.

09 An t-Iarla Diùrach Excerpt

07 Obyrtac Excerpt

06 Finale From Karmana, Excerpt

05 The Chariot Of The Mind From Karmana, Excerpt

04 Ouroboros From Karmana, Excerpt

03 Half Moon Dreaming From Karmana, Excerpt

02 Albedo From Karmana, Excerpt

01 Initiation From Karmana, Excerpt

"Abre Ramce" originally sung by Esma Redzepova, reimagined by Simon Thacker (guitar), featuring Polish cellist Justyna Jablonska and traditional Roma singer/violinist Masha Natanson.
From their"Songs of the Roma" programme, a new Romani musical journey and vision for gypsy music which premiered at the prestigious Made in Scotland showcase at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2016.
www.simonthacker.com/songs-of-the-roma
www.simonthacker.com
www.justynacello.co.uk

Abre Ramce, Simon Thacker/Justyna Jablonska/Masha Natanson

www.simonthacker.com/songs-of-the-roma

Ederlezi (also known as Djurdjevdan), one of the most beautiful traditional Roma melodies, reimagined by Simon Thacker (guitar), featuring Polish cellist Justyna Jablonska and traditional Roma singer/violinist Masha Natanson.
From their"Songs of the Roma" programme,  a new Romani musical journey and vision for gypsy music which premiered at the prestigious Made in Scotland showcase at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2016.
www.simonthacker.com/songs-of-the-roma
www.simonthacker.com
www.justynacello.co.uk

Ederlezi: Simon Thacker/Justyna Jablonska/Masha Natanson (Songs of the Roma)

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Live performances by Indian/Western supergroup Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti of one of the most ambitious and exciting intercultural programmes ever assembled, with new works by legendary American pioneer Terry Riley, British modernist master Nigel Osborne, India’s greatest composer Shirish Korde and visionary Scottish guitar virtuoso Simon Thacker, performed by four renowned musicians, with Jacqueline Shave on violin, Sarvar Sabri on tabla and Japjit Kaur on voice. Please see the Rakshasa group for the acclaimed recently released studio recordings.

Sava Ghund Chuk Ke by Surinder Kaur arr Thacker (excerpt) performed by Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti

Track 10 from the Trikala double album by Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti, a haunting digital delay driven soundscape. Nirjanavana is Sankrit for the deserted or haunted forest.

Trikala

Nirjanavana

Track 8 from the Simon Thacker's Ritmata album Tàradh, an introductory solo improvisation to the epic quartet Quadriga in 5. Consus was a mysterious God in ancient Roman religion, associated with harvest, grain, subterranean stores and agricultural plenty, as well as the cult partner of the goddess of abundance, Ops. Consus was represented by a grain seed. The etymology of Consus has been lost in time, with suggestions it could be derived from the Latin verb conserere "to sow", condere “to store” or consilium, "council, assembly". These are all perfect metaphors for the parent scale of the “supra-raga” and my memories of elaborating it into a soundworld. It is the kernel that instigated these latest explorations and improvisations, one of which has been preserved in this recording as Consus (which was entirely improvised in the studio). It is also the, until now, subterranean (=subconscious) repository that created the wealth and abundance of Quadriga in 5. (track 9 on the album).

Tàradh

Consus

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Sample from "Rakshasa" by Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti, Multani by Simon  is based on the raga of the same name and is in a fast 15 beat time cycle. "Rakshasa" is released on Slap The Moon Records.

"A thrilling CD which develops innovations enjoyed in these musicians' first CD and offers a generous 73 mins of exciting music.Simon Thacker is a restless innovator, and this great compendium ends with an enthralling piece which incorporates "reverse recording" of his guitar with notes, instead of decaying, crescendoing to demoniacal effect. The presentation is colourful and exciting too, and this is likely to become one of our recordings of the year." Musical Pointers

Multani by Simon Thacker, Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti - RAKSHASA - track 10 clip

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Clips from the acclaimed debut album by Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti: Rakshasa. Setting a new benchmark for Indo-Western collaboration, Rakshasa features 73 minutes of new music written for the group by some of the world's greatest music creators. 

This is Simon Thacker's arrangement of a beautiful Punjabi lovesong originally sung by Surinder Kaur and Asa Sing Mastana

Main tenu yaad aavanga arr Thacker, Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti - RAKSHASA - track 12 clip

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Clips from the acclaimed debut album by Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti: Rakshasa. Setting a new benchmark for Indo-Western collaboration, Rakshasa features 73 minutes of new music written for the group by some of the world's greatest music creators. This track is a Punjabi folk song originally by Narinder Biba reimagined by Simon

Kahnu Marda Chandariya Chamka arr Thacker, Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti - RAKSHASA - track 11 clip

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Clips from the acclaimed debut album by Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti: Rakshasa. Setting a new benchmark for Indo-Western collaboration, Rakshasa features 73 minutes of new music written for the group by some of the world's greatest music creators. This is a Punjabi song reimagined by Simon, originally by Surinder Kaur

Shava Ghund Chuk Ke arr Thacker, Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti - RAKSHASA -  track 13 clip

Tracks from some of the projects and ensembles led by visionary Scottish guitar virtuoso Simon Thacker, including Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti, Simon Thacker's Ritmata, Karmana and the Nava Rasa Ensemble. CD store: http://www.simonthacker.com/shop

Simon Thacker

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