Cliff’s recent post about Charanjit Singh reminded me of some other successful “east meets west” music.

Released back in 1998, classically trained tabla player Talvin Singh‘s debut album “O.K” seamlessly blended Indian/ eastern Asian melodies and rhythms with the western dance music styles of intelligent drum & bass and jungle.

The opening track “Traveller” is an epic- sweeping bollywood strings (here played by the Madras Philharmonic Arkestra), rumbling sub bass, Indian flute (played by Rakesh Chaurasia), tabla, raga, some drum & bass beats, and Cleveland Watkiss on vocal duties!

Listening to the rest of the album it’s clear why the album won Singh the Mercury Music Prize in 1999.

For me a classic album.

Talvin Singh – Traveller