Trilok Gurtu
The grandson of a great sitar player and the son of a star Indian classical singer, Trilok Gurtu began playing the tabla at the age of 6. He became interested in jazz in the 1970s and began playing on Western drums, incorporating the Indian rhythmic signatures that had shaped his childhood. His fiery sense of rhythm won over John McLaughlin, who invited him to play in his trio. Considered one of the most influential percussionists of all time, he has performed four times at the Montreux Jazz Festival and has proved on more than one occasion his ability to break down barriers between music genres, collaborating with some of the greatest names in jazz, pop and world music, including Angelique Kidjo, Gilberto Gil, Eric Clapton, REM, Bob Dylan, Bill Evans…