Berklee Indian Ensemble featuring Ustad Zakir Hussain - Lady L (Live at Berklee)
Pre-Save “Lady L” on all Streaming platforms: ffm.to/bie_lady_l and visit berkleeindianensemble.com for more info. The Berklee Indian Ensemble proudly presents “Lady L” featuring Grammy-winning Indian tabla master, Ustad Zakir Hussain. This track is the second single off the Ensemble’s debut album, “Shuruaat” (Summer 2022 release).
Composed by L. Shankar and John McLaughlin, "Lady L” was originally performed by 'Shakti', the 1970s indo-jazz fusion group and appeared on the group's second studio album titled "A Handful of Beauty". The group featured John McLaughlin (guitar), Zakir Hussain (tabla), L Shankar (Violin) and Vikku Vinayakram (Percussion).
One of our listeners inspired us to go further than the Shakti album credits for the origins of this composition. It is possible that L. Shankar was inspired by Bharathiyar’s “Vellai Thamarai” - They use the same raga, and the title, “Lady L” and lyrics offer a clue.
Vellai Thamarai is a song for Goddess Saraswathi. While the lyrics never mention her by name, they allude to her innate talent, skill, and attributes. Perhaps Lady L stands for Lady Lotus, as Goddess Saraswathi sits on a lotus flower. We’re curious to learn more, so feel free to add comments and enlighten us!
In 2019, Berklee College of Music presented Ustad Zakir Hussain with an Honorary Doctorate. It was the perfect opportunity for our Berklee Indian Ensemble musicians to reinterpret such an iconic composition and collaborate on this live performance with Ustad Zakir Hussain as part of our week-long celebration of the maestro’s life and musical accomplishments leading up to his Honorary Doctorate ceremony.
“Lady L" composed by L. Shankar and John McLaughlin
Arranger: Amir Darabi
Producer: Emanuel Keller
Co-Producer: Artistic Director, BIX, Annette Philip
Artist Relations: Senior Director, Global Engagement, Middle East & India, Clint Valladares
Assistant Manager, BIX: Rohith Jayaraman
Assistant, BIX: Lydia Renold
Visiting Artist
Tabla - Ustad Zakir Hussain
Berklee Indian Ensemble musicians:
Guitar - João Perrusi - Brasilia, Brazil
Cello - Emanuel Keller - Jerusalem, Israel
Carnatic Violin - Apoorva Krishna - Bengaluru, India
Piano - Amir Darabi - Tehran, Iran
Keyboards - Fryderyk Hoang Dong - Warsaw, Poland
Electric Bass - Jack Schwenke - Canberra, Australia
Percussion - Thomas Antonio Debelian - Oslo, Norway
Drumset - Noa Kahn - Ra'anana, Israel
Recorded live at Berklee Performance Center, Berklee College of Music
Video Editing: Kevin Greene
Multitrack Recording Engineer: Tarik Mahrour
Mixing Engineer: Mark Wessel
Mastering: Jonathan Wyner
Special thanks - Giri Subramaniam, Rohith Jayaraman, Anindo Bose, Viveick Rajagopalan
About the Berklee Indian Ensemble:
Founded in 2011 by faculty member Annette Philip, the Berklee Indian Ensemble is one of the largest and most diverse ensembles at Berklee. Apart from performing original compositions and arrangements, the Berklee Indian Ensemble tours internationally; presents a wide array of South Asian folk, classical, and contemporary music; and has collaborated with various world-renowned artists, garnering over 285 million views for their viral videos to date.
Ustad Zakir Hussain:
Facebook: / zakir-hussain-22955051480
Instagram: / zakirhq9
Twitter: / zakirhtabla
Website: www.zakirhussain.com/
Berklee Indian Ensemble (BIE) & Berklee India Exchange (BIX):
Social Media links: beacons.page/berkleeindianens...
KZhead: bit.ly/BIXKZhead
Website: www.berklee.edu/BIX and www.berkleeindianensemble.com
Berklee:
Subscribe: bit.ly/1MjVyEN
Facebook: / berkleecollege
Twitter: / berkleecollege
Instagram: / berkleecollege
Website: www.berklee.edu
FOR Social Media Tags only:
Ustad Zakir Hussain - @zakirhq9
Berklee India Exchange - @berkleeindiaexchange
João Perrusi - @joaoperrusi
Emanuel Keller - @emankellermusic
Apoorva Krishna - @apoorvakrishna
Amir Darabi - @amirmdarabi
Fryderyk Hoang Dong - @fryderykhd
Jack Schwenke - @jackschwenkebass
Thomas Antonio Debelian - @thomasantonio
Noa Kahn - @noakahn
Annette Philip - @annette_philip
Clint Valladares - @clintvalladares
Rohith Jayaraman - @rohithyourboat
Lydia Renold - @lydiarenold
Kevin Greene - @kgreeneproductions
Mark Wessel - @marquisfred
Jonathan Wyner - @jonathan_wyner
Giri Subramaniam - @girisubram
Anindo Bose - @anindobose
Viveick Rajagopalan - @viveick
#Berklee
#IndianEnsemble
#ZakirHussain
Zakir is sitting there looking around like "are none of you going to improvise?... I didn't even practice before I came here."
Man apart from that everything is breathtaking, what is driving me nuts is how Zakir Hussain feeds back at the end of his solo E v e r y cue thrown at him from every musician simultaneously and binding everything together. What a moment! What an energy!
That dude playing piano is enjoying to the fullest
This 11 minutes of eternal bliss can destroy multiple careers.
When east meets west, it's like adding honey and cream to coffee!
What on earth do we need more than this.
Absolutely fucking stunning!! Berklee and it's students are a national and international treasure. And Ustadji is, well, Ustadji in all his brilliance!
Never thought Hindustani+Carnatic+Western classical music mix would be so good.
The original Tune for this was from Bharathiyar's song called Vellai Thamarai, which later adopted as Lady L. Just for the record since the origin of this song is not mentioned in the description.
At the age of 70 such an energetic performance....salute to ustad zakir sir....
11 minutes and 9 seconds of pure bliss. Bought album Shakti in 1976 by coincidence and it became a favorite of mine. Now 44 years rediscovering Indian Fusion music dir lack of a better word. And there is sooo much! Check out all the collaborations of Zakir Hussein. This is the music of 21 Century - new time signatures - promise of finally establishing the tent of Unity for all humankind.
ഇതുകാണുന്ന മലയാളികളുണ്ടോ.. ഉഫ് എജ്ജാ🔥 സാധനം ..❤️❤️❤️
Q: How many time signature you can play? Zakir: Yes
I love the Indian compositions and constructs using ancient and contemporary expressions! Kudos to inclusivity and evolutions among us all!!! Namaste heroes and artists. Otto knows better.
I am really, really interested in meeting those 154 souls that "disliked" this video and understand their thought process. Seriously?!? What was there to dislike about this breathtaking piece of music ???
Imagine Hans Zimmer watching this video and calling Ustad Zakir sir for making his next master piece music
This is what we call; "United Performance of Music", which is also known as "SANGEET".
Once in a while, KZhead manages to transport to heaven with its recommendations ✨ ☺ 👏 This recording was brilliant. Amazing 👌❤🙏
Every music lover is requested to kindly watch the full series of AR REHMAN MEETS BERKLEE on this channel if u haven't seen! Thank me later!
Wasn’t going to comment because everyone else seems to have already gotten the general vibe here but holy shit this was amazing
That drummer girl....OMG! So precise and accurate at following tablas patterns...amazing musicians and amazing performance!
To realise what humans can do, makes me cry
Hussain sir is timeless his tabla will resonate across the universe and generations. how blessed are we to witness a maestro like him in our lifetime
Jeez, the tabla sound really wakes up a certain area of my brain
Incredible! Sadly this will never reach millions of views... but hey, quality > quantity right?
Damn, this was blissful, I feel sad for choosing engineering as a career choice. As a high school student my only passion was playing drums. I always feel like I don't belong among these nerds who have nothing going on in their lives except studying. My dream was to play a big gig and perform a solo. It is still a dream and I get goosebumps just by thinking about it!
My "pranam" To Zakir Hussain Sir
Indian culture and heritage is out of bound,still lots to learn🙏🙏love my India 🇮🇳🇮🇳
Wonderful. I saw Zakir Hussain play with Ali Akbar Khan in '87 in a small London theatre. I was sitting on the floor 2-3 metres from those maestros. 💗
I attended a concert by Zakir Hussain in New York City. I treasure that experience. Not only is he a master technician but his love of music shines out. This Ensemble is like a personification of his musical vision. Reminds me of Shakti and Oregon, but has its own sophistication.
Great! from Korea
Giving this song a cello flavour was a masterstroke.
When someone is playing with Zakir Hussain you know these are the finest of the finest
Wow that cellist is insanely good, love the little details in his bowing and his meends were beautiful. Guitar player was really good too, love the phrasing, the modern jazz harmonic vocabulary and him picking all(or most)the notes added a nice contrast to the previous solo. The rhythm section did amazing jobs interacting with Zakir's playing especially that pianist comping during Zakir's solo. Obvious, Zakir and the violin player are outstanding players. I hope to be 1% as good as these players one day, however unlikely that may be. It did give me a list of new musicians to follow and learn from.
Lovely, I'm in tears here in Sweden💞
Love from Assam (India)
May ma sarasawti keep blessing you all! Bow to Ustad sahab ji pride of India🙏
What ever Zakir Hussain is a part of, I seem to love. Thank you for a life of music in all forms
From Australia...bravo!
This raga is Aabheri and the rendition and arrangement is beyond heavenly with rich cultural overtones This is how the great art of music is painted on the canvas of the mind Berkelee and Ustaad Zakir Wah!
When Zakir Hussain leads, every other instrument becomes a bass guitar
7:40 Is absolute bliss
On my playlist of into the heavens! "How [more] dramatic can an entrance into the heaven be with this playback?"
Salute to Greatest Tablist Ustad Zakir Hussain Saheb 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💐💐💐🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️
that cellist is killin it
Hypnotic 🪔
Oh I needed this... with love from Mullumbimby Australia 🦋🌻😊
从头到尾我一秒都不想断的LIVE。不只是即兴、歌唱性、情绪，也不只是冷静、思考。这是音乐。太牛逼了！
OMG! Why do I feel so elated, so happy, so intoxicated... feel that this should never stop... Oh, it’s L Shankar’s music, Zakir leading, this group of awesome Berklee ensemble creating the magic! Kudos and please never stop.
That's our real world: full of music, joy and harmony.
It’s not just the music itself , it is also these incredible musicians who are immersed in their music that makes this a masterpiece ❤
This piece is so beautiful. I have always loved hearing Shakti play it. This ensemble group with none other than Zakir Hussain leading it, does a splendid job. Lovely, blissful. 🕉
No words to describe this wonderful performance!! Sooo beautiful...How many are watching this in 2022 ?
11.90 minutes of pure bliss, the only time I can feel entirely lost in the moment is with music like this❤️
Indian composition at it's very best complimented by international musicians... Only Berklee could pull off something like this.
He made me fall in love with Tabla. Great Ustad Zakir Hossain
I am blessed that I heard it .... I was at the feet of Lord Krishna I felt.... Sublime and Serene.... Zakir Bhai and this entire crew is outta this chaotic world...
reduced to tears......Fantastic take on one of my favourite Shakti numbers
So underrated. This should cross millions of views by now.
What an experience...
Here a legend of our life time, Ustaad Zakir Hussain ji is teaching us the secret to remain young & relevant : By inspiring the youth & loving & mentoring the youth.
Music. Wah Ustaad , Wah !
boah after long time heard something so fresh and absolute satisfiying brilliant!!
This is a song to fall in love with music... and everybody else! 😍 If you let this music touch your soul, you're close to heaven.
When the art surpasses the stage of hardwork & excellence it becomes spiritual. At this point it is an integral part of an artist, thus moulds in the way the artist desires.
How wonderful, that they gave this song a new life.
Absolute gem!! Don't know why I took so long to unearth this.
"I wish my head was in that tabla's place" On the serious note "BEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD!!" EARGASM!
at first i thought this is just drama but after completing the video i am speechless
I’m crying!!! Soooo good ❤️😭
When the legend meets BIE, Magic is created❤️
Through the Tabla solo, it was amazing to see the time signatures and piano/cellos were trying to come in at various points. It was just amazing to see Ustadji just giving everyone a chance to appreciate the beauty of tabla!
wooowww really it's speechless ❤ from sri Lanka 🇱🇰
That is called melody. The proper value of the creation of music that touches the soul.
"Music has no borders", Truely said.
Magic of Indian classical 🙏👍💐🌼💮
Complexity of Indian music 💓💓💓💓💓
The heights to which we musicians all aspire... Wow!
This is so great! Thank you.
Stunning drumming and syncopation. Love for tha Indian National Theatre of Delhi. You rock and lead us into a broader scope of art. Thank you.
Im truly insired by this and all the outher videos yall are amazing thanks u
9:37 Pure bliss..
Absolutely amazing!
Complex yet beautiful!!❤️
A piece of music full of wonder - wonderful!
Just, thank you for this treat!
Love that Everyone is having so fun! This was amazing!
Now i know how a masterpiece smells like
Gorgeous! These Berkley jams are phenomenal!
One of the best performances I've listened to.Incredible.
Blown away. This is pure magic and hardwork
Time flies by listening to a wonderful composition! So soothing, the rejuvenation one needs!
this is so unbelievably amazing!!!
Absolutely gorgeous! what a great young talent full of spirit! And the ever astonishing and awe-inspiring Zakir ji!!! Big Wah!
What an incredible composition by L Shankar. So brilliantly executed here.
Beautiful. And it becomes even more so when musicians enjoy and perform. A treat to ears and eyes!!
No word can express the feelings u literally have while listening to this master work
what a mix one could cry out of this mesmerising tunes
OMG! Awesome! I could listen to this non-stop
Absolute bliss. Thanks to all musicians.👏👏