L. Shankar (Wiki)

AKA: Shankar Lakshminarayana, Shenkar

L. Shankar
New Release

Over the stars

August 16, 2024

With

Vikku Vinayakram
V. Selvaganesh
S. Swaminathan

L. SHANKAR
UPCOMING RELEASE
Full Moon
September 20, 2024

WITH
Abhijit Banerjee

L. Shankar’s Full Moon presents a masterful convergence of India’s rich musical traditions, with an effortless blending of elements from the southern Carnatic, northern Hindustani and world music systems. Known for his groundbreaking work with his vocals and the 10-string double violin, Shankar delivers deeply soulful melodies in an atmosphere that evokes timelessness. His intricate, celestial compositions are marked by extraordinary improvisations and a seamless interplay between his voice, violin, and the tabla to create a soundscape that is both intimate and expansive.

Accompanied by the virtuoso Abhijit Banerjee on tabla—one of India’s foremost percussionists, Full Moon achieves a rare balance of structure and spontaneity. This album is more than just a collection of tracks; it’s an essential experience for both collectors and new listeners alike, that goes beyond mere listening. Full Moon stands as a testament to Shankar’s unparalleled ability to transform traditional forms into a sublime musical experience, inviting the listener to lose themselves in its ethereal beauty.

"All three (Shakti initial albums) are masterpieces, of which the deeply moving and technically astonishing Handful of Beauty will stand tall in recorded history for decades to come.” - Lee Underwood, Downbeat Music Magazine

“Shankar is ranked as one of the top famous male violinists.” - Ranker

“One amongst the greatest violinists of popular music.” - Digital Dream Door

L. Shankar (aka Shenkar) is widely considered a living legend, a pioneer and a musical genius by his peers who hold him in the highest esteem. Shankar has enthralled audiences and critics alike all over the world. A child prodigy who is a virtuoso vocalist, violinist, composer and record producer who has sold over 100 million albums through his solo projects and collaborations with other superstar musicians throughout the world.

Shankar was born in Madras, his parents from Kerala, he grew up in Jaffna, Sri Lanka where his father V. Lakshminarayana was a professor at the Jaffna College of Music. Shankar was exposed to Carnatic music and other styles from an early age. He started studying the vocals at the age of two then violin at five then mridangam at seven. His father was an esteemed violinist, vocalist, his mother L. Seethalakshmi was an excellent veena player and vocalist; all his five older siblings were also proficient in music. At the age of seven, Shankar gave his first public concert, at a Ceylonese temple, Nallur Kandaswamy.

In 1958, following the ethnic riots in Sri Lanka, his family escaped to India. In that year, Shankar and his two older brothers, L. Vaidyanathan and L. Subramaniam formed the Violin Trio along with Palghat Mani Iyer which made history in the 20th century Carnatic music scene. He gained a large following performing with some of the most eminent names in Carnatic music, playing all through India, and was highly sought after by legendary musicians such as Chembai Vaithyanatha Baghavatar, Palghat Mani Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Alathur Srinivasa Iyer and many others.

In 1973, John Mclaughlin and Shankar formed the band Turiyananda Sangeet and they co-wrote all the music for it. The band also included Ramnad Raghavan on the mridangam. Zakir Hussain was later added on tabla and the band name was changed to Shakti. Raghavan didn't stay with the project and T.H. Vikku Vinayakaram was added on ghatam for the remainder of those original Shakti days. The band toured extensively around the world. Shankar co-wrote all of the group's material with John McLaughlin, resulting in the release of three world music albums. According to Downbeat music magazine critic Lee Underwood, "All three are masterpieces, of which the deeply moving and technically astonishing Handful of Beauty will stand tall in recorded history for decades to come.”

He also performed extensively on his Indian classical tours with Zakir Hussain and Vikku Vinayakram that became a big hit globally. He recorded several classical albums with them featuring his groundbreaking Ragam Tanam Pallavi compositions in highly complex rhythmic cycles that were ahead of their time.

He recorded 8 world music albums for the reputed German label ECM and toured extensively featuring renowned musicians such as saxophonist Jan Garbarek, Trilok Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, Kenny Wheeler, Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell and Naná Vasconcelos in many Jazz and world music festivals organized by his label ECM.

Shankar created and designed his own invention, first of its kind the 10-string stereophonic Double Violin, (also known as the LSD - L.Shankar’s Double violin) built by Ken Parker and later adopted by other violinists. The Double Violin covers the entire range of the orchestra: bass, cello, viola and violin.

Shankar is a one-of-a-kind musician venturing in different genres of music. Besides his numerous classical albums, he has released worldwide several pop, rock, electronic dance music hit albums and videos including the musical composition of the 2005 Oscar winning documentary, “Born Into Brothels”. In 1990, Shankar co-produced a one-hour BBC film directed by award winning director H.O. Nazareth. It was nominated as one of the best documentaries at the Cannes Film Festival. Shankar’s work has been featured in the following films: “Queen of The Damned”, “Ali”, “Jennifer 8ʺ, “Robin Hood”, “Jacobs Ladder” and more. Shankar's pop, rock, electronic dance music albums have featured guest artists such as Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, John Waite, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Ginger Baker, Toto, Jonathon Davis (Korn), Natasha Bedingfield, Pat Monahan (Train), Randy Jackson (American Idol) and Patrick Leonard (Madonna) amongst others.

Shankar’s pop DVD, “One In A Million”, became the number 1 DVD in the US spending 4 weeks on top of the U.S. Soundscan/Billboard charts. Shankar has also collaborated with Frank Zappa (who produced Shankar’s solo record for Zappa Records), Talking Heads, Pete Townsend, Lou Reed, Marianne Faithful, Sting, Jeff Beck, U2, The Pretenders, Echo & The Bunnymen, John Lydon (Public Image Ltd.), George Harrison, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Dave Stewart, Pete Townsend (The Who), Jonathan Davis (Korn), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction) and many more. Shankar has worked on numerous soundtracks including the Grammy award winning and controversial “The Last Temptation of Christ” by the legendary film maker Martin Scorsese. He co-wrote many tracks with Peter Gabriel and his vocals were featured in the movie. In 2004 Shankar, composed and performed vocals on Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”. His unmistakable haunting voice was heard all through the movie.

Additional special projects included invitations to perform at The Prince’s Trust Rock Gala 1988 in England, The United Nations Peace Day Festival, and Nelson Mandela's 80th Birthday celebration. The rock extravaganza, Human Rights Now World Tour in 1988, featured Shankar's own group, who were joined in performance by Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel, in addition to several other musicians. Shankar collaborated with the gifted duo Wendy & Lisa (Prince) on their original score for the NBC smash hit TV series “Heroes”. He wrote all his vocal parts and was the featured lead vocalist on the theme and all episodes of “Heroes” and in the “Heroes-Reborn” TV series. His voice is featured on the recent hit TV show Fear the Walking Dead.

In 2020, Shankar released worldwide his critically acclaimed progressive rock album "Chepleeri Dream” by Cleopatra Records from Hollywood which features internationally renowned superstars such as Jonathan Davis (Korn), Scott Page (Pink Floyd), Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction), Norwood Fisher (Fishbone), Tony Levin (John Lennon, Peter Gabriel), Chester Thompson (Phil Collins, Genesis), Josh Lopez Will.I.Am, Black Eyed Peas), Zack Baird (Korn, Beyonce / Jay-Z).

Shankar is currently on a world tour with a supergroup featuring his longtime colleague TH Vikku Vinayakram (of the original Shakti group) and his son V. Selvaganesh (2024 Grammy winner), Fazal Qureshi (son of esteemed tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha) and Swaminathan Selvaganesh.

L. Shankar on Stage with Peter Gabriel and Friends

Album Details:

Over the stars

‘Over The Stars’ features two original members of the pioneering world music band Shakti: L. Shankar and Vikku Vinayakram, along with V. Selvaganesh (current member of Shakti) and his son S. Swaminathan.

The combination of Shankar and Vikku brings back the unmistakable original sound of Shakti with Shankar’s legendary, mesmerizing vocals and violin melodies dominating the auditory experience, while Vikku Vinayakram’s incredible command over the ghatam shines through the whole album. The album also highlights the explosive and pulsating percussion solos of Vikku Vinayakram, V. Selvaganesh and S. Swaminathan, showcasing their virtuosity.

It features the mega-hit song ‘Joy’ from Shakti’s debut album, as well as Shankar's innovative and complex pallavis, which he has popularized over decades through his critically acclaimed solo albums. His pallavis, which are classic innovations of his unique rhythmic cycles, have now been adopted by others.

This album promises a musical odyssey, showcasing the rich heritage of Indian music with a global touch. The performances bear testament to the sublime craftsmanship of these musical stalwarts, making it an incredible venture that elevates the listener to new heights - something not to be missed.

L. SHANKAR - Vocals, Double Violin, Keyboards
VIKKU VINAYAKRAM - Ghatam (Wiki) (T. H. Vinayakram)
V. SELVAGANESH - Kanjeera (Wiki) (Selvaganesh Vinayakram)
S. SWAMINATHAN - Kanjeera (Swaminathan Selvaganesh)

1. JOY (L. Shankar / John McLaughlin) 1:57
2. Kambodi Fantasy, Pt. I (L. Shankar) 15:22
3. Kambodi Fantasy, Pt. II (L. Shankar) 11:07
4. Light Through Darkness, Pt. I (L. Shankar) 14:54
5. Light Through Darkness, Pt. II (L. Shankar) 09:49

L. SHANKAR VOCALS, DOUBLE VIOLIN, KEYS RECORDED AT SRI MUSIC STUDIO, LOS ANGELES & INDIA
VIKKU VINAYAKRAM, V. SELVAGANESH, S. SWAMINATHAN RECORDED IN CHENNAI

ALL SONGS WRITTEN, ARRANGED, PERFORMED AND PRODUCED BY L. SHANKAR
ALL SONGS MIXED & MASTERED BY JEFF GROSS @ STUDIO 144, LOS ANGELES

ALBUM CO-PRODUCED BY V. SELVAGANESH
ALBUM COVER DESIGN BY SPHICO

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
X DOT 25 MUSIC, MAX AHMADI, FRANK ZAPPA, THE ORCHARD, SRI MUSIC, INC, BMI, V. LAKSHMINARAYANA, L. SEETHALAKSHMI, JEFF GROSS, 144 STUDIO, SRI MUSIC STUDIO LA - INDIA, SPHICO, GEOFFREY GALLEGOS, JOHN JORDAN, JORDAN ELECTRIC VIOLINS, IRA GAGON, PIRASTRO. MARY AKHLAGHPOUR (MBA TAX), ANGEL, BRIAN LUCEY, JULIETT ROSE, STEPHEN DAY. ALL MY FANS WHO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF MY WORK NO MATTER WHAT I DO. YOU ROCK - I LOVE U.

L. SHANKAR MANAGEMENT
E - MAIL: theshenkar.management@gmail.com
PHONE: 1 (818) 415 0443

SRI MUSIC, INC., P.O.BOX 26384, LOS ANGELES CA 90026
E - MAIL:  the.shenkar@gmail.com   PHONE: 1 (818) 415 0443

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:   lshankar.com
OFFICIAL INSTAGRAM: theshenkar
OFFICIAL FACEBOOK: Shenkar

L. SHANKAR
JOY: Seethalakshmi Music Inc. (BMI)
KAMBODI FANTASY: SRI Music, Inc. (BMI)
LIGHT THROUGH DARKNESS: SRI Music, Inc. (BMI)

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN
JOY: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. and Chinmoy Music, Inc. (BMI)