When Hot Madras opens with the cerebral "Hymn of India," one might assume that this is a jazz-fusion release. The tune isn't unlike something Chick Corea, Al DiMeola, Joe Zawinul, or Scott Henderson might do if they were intent on incorporating elements of Indian music, but on the whole, this instrumental CD isn't about jazz-fusion. After "Hymn of India," Hot Madras becomes much calmer and more reflective and, for the most part, offers a likable blend of Indian, pop, and new age music. The only real fusion numbers that comes after "Hymn of India" are "The Last Forest" and the evocative "Benam." Though this part-Swedish, part-Indian group uses traditional, time-honored Indian instruments like the santour and tabla drums, it also uses electric bass and electric keyboards -- western instruments that are prominent in modern, western-influenced Indian pop but aren't used in traditional acoustic Indian settings. Thus, Hot Madras won't appeal to purists, who would be better off sticking to artists like Ravi Shankar and Bikram Ghosh, but world music enthusiasts who are open to a more contemporary approach will find this to be a fairly interesting, if uneven, effort.
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