Nitin Sawhney’s music is the sound of the post-globalization world, a planet flattened by connectivity and connectedness. And while Sawhney might be of Indian origin, but his music is anything but. Instead, it is a blend of influences from around the planet — samba, flamenco, guitar, and sitar. Nitin’s music is the soundtrack for the lives of a growing tribe — for whom the home and identity are fluid — forever changing and constantly evolving. I think of him as Dylan of the 21st century.
… a poet, a musician who is not hide bound by a style, a geography or an instrument. An artist who sees the human agony in simple human terms. Nitin is one musical maestro who can inspire a symphony of emotions.
Nitin’s music has been part of my immigrant journey, constant reminder of my past but always pointing to a world that is waiting. His song Anthem Without Nation (from the sublime and nuanced Beyond Skin) almost always results in a quiet tear — for it captures the infinite aloneness of someone who leaves everything behind. Who and where do you belong — that feeling is hard to describe — and somehow Nitin manages to turn that into music. I have each one of this nine albums — and the tenth one is going to come later year.
Last week, Sawhney released his newest album, One Zero. It is a direct-to-vinyl album, which includes four new tracks plus some of his more popular tracks. Direct to vinyl means he performed in front of a live audience in a studio and that is the final output. No overdubs, no autotunes, no artificial polish. I like to think of it as a farm-to-table version of music.
One Zero is the essence of Sawhney’s sound — his music, shorn of all veneer. It is raw, it is moving and it is brilliant.T his is the music that just cuts through your soul. Instrumentation is appropriately minimalist — there to enhance the emotion and not to take away from the impact music was and is supposed to make.
There is one track that is a complete standout for me are Nadia (which is one of Nitin’s biggest hits) — Nicki Wells voice is so softly melodic that it transports you to a whole different place. The symbiotic relationship between drums and tabla that are the highlight of OneZero are best showcased on Nadia. And there is I Ask You, featuring Joss Stone. The minimal music is there to simply focus on what is important — Ms. Stone and her voice. I could listen to this song for the rest of my life.
There are many brilliant tracks — Sunset, Henrecia Light, Letting Go and Noches En Vela — and it is hard to play favorites. I have spent the entire day listening to it and let’s just say — I can’t tell you which track to skip. This is who is Nitin Sawhney, the musician! Buy it!
You did it to me, again. Took me a few seconds to crank up Pandora and setup a Nitin Sawhney station. Perfect for reflective times of day and night. Over time, I will decides which album to buy, first.
Thank you.
om, he’s crazy good…. his compositions are complex, i’ve met annoushka and ravi shankar, the composition they’re working on is fascinating, jazz, classical sitar, mahvishnu john mclaughlin touches, lovely enrapturing melody.. call refrain.. man… exquisite. thank you dearly!