Percussion Pioneer Trilok Gurtu Returns to India with Israel’s Castle In Time Orchestra

Trilok Gurtu is not an easy man to pin down and perhaps even more difficult to impress. By his own admission, the experimental and cutting-edge percussion genius is very selective about who he performs with and the number of performances he takes on. “I just want to have a good time playing my music,” he says over the phone. 

In 2017, he was invited to perform in Jerusalem by Israel’s Castle In Time Orchestra, a 22-member ensemble co-founded by Matan Daskal and Shalev Ne’eman. With everything from funk and electronic to jazz and rhythmic influences from Indian and African music in the mix, Daskal terms their improvisational live collaboration as “a meeting between different cultures and generations.” He adds, “Trilok’s skills are beyond incredible. He carries with him a rich past full of knowledge, intelligence, and talent. He influenced the way we compose, and we are truly inspired and humbled to share a space with him.”

Their collaborative magic is now making its way to India, with two shows – titled Harmonies In Time – organized by music management Mixtape taking place on February 9th at Mumbai’s NCPA and on February 11th at New Delhi’s 1AQ. It marks Gurtu’s first performance with an orchestra in India, plus his return to playing in the country after three years. For Castle In Time, Daskal notes that it’s their India comeback at these two shows, following their short run of four concerts in 2020. Daskal says, “When we were in India in 2020, I wrote Trilok an email from the hotel, saying ‘it could be amazing if one day we will perform here together,’ and I can’t believe that this day is coming soon.” 

Gurtu, for his part, notes that their first performances in Israel were very well-received. “I’m looking forward to play to my folks, after a long time. What happens is that the people in India really don’t know what I do or have done. It comes here very late. So I’m happy to perform in front of them,” he adds. Inspired by Sadguru Ranjit Maharaj and his teachings, Gurtu says that through collaborations like Harmonies In Time, he gets to learn how other musicians approach music. “We have to adapt to each other and they’re doing a fantastic job,” he says of Castle In Time Orchestra. 

In the six years since their previous meeting, Gurtu holds that nothing will have changed in their collaboration, even though a smaller iteration of the orchestra (comprising 11 members instead of the original 22) is headed to India. “We’re getting [vocalist] Chandana Bala to sing. We’re doing something different but the impact will be the same.” Daskal says the orchestra has been through a few changes since 2017. “We have expanded our research in real-time composition using sign languages such as soundpainting and conduction, tools that allow a rich and spontaneous interaction in rehearsals and on stage,” he adds. 

Presently rehearsing separately in India and Israel and coordinating their ideas through remote calls, the artists will soon get together in a room to hash things out. Daskal says, “ I think a key aspect of the rehearsals in India would be re-tuning into our nonverbal communication.” 

They’re working with Gurtu’s arrangements and tunes, with a “collective improvisation” in store in Mumbai and New Delhi, as the veteran artist terms it. He adds, “It’s improvised but t’s planned. It’s not like how we do it here with ‘Hum stage pe dekh lenge. (we’ll figure it out on stage).’” 

Hormones In Time w/ Trilok Gurtu and Castle In Time Orchestra perform at NCPA in Mumbai on February 9th and at 1AQ in New Delhi on February 11th. Get tickets for Mumbai and New Delhi.