Anmol Mohara: Across The Sea

Having trained at the Nepal Music Center and later at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Nepali percussionist Anmol Mohara presents his debut album, Across The Sea. He dedicates himself to bringing traditional Nepali music into contemporary contexts, blending Nepali culture and tradition with jazz and other rhythmic genres to create a distinctive soundscape.

Anmol's musical journey began in Nepal, where he spent six years sharpening his talents on tabla, drums and traditional Nepali folk percussion instruments. Following his move to the UK, he claimed two prestigious national awards: UK Young Drummer of the Year and Yamaha Future Beat. Influenced by artists including Oumou Sangaré, Nana Vasconcelos and Nitin Sawhney, he has gone on to perform alongside musicians of the caliber of Gareth Lockrane and Nicholas Meier.

The album has 16 tracks, but half of these are scenes or interludes lasting around a minute or less. All the tracks are original, barring three arrangements of Nepali folk songs. Alongside his drums, vocals and percussion, Mohara also plays traditional South Asian instruments: madal (a two-headed cylindrical hand drum) and nagara (a pair of kettle drums).

Driven by Rory Hudson's bass and Simeon May's flute, "A Rhythmic Guy" allows Mohara to show his feel for rhythm alongside his sense of fun. With Tereza Catarov's soulfully sung verses and chanted Nepali choruses, the piece is a catchy, rhythmic delight. "Conversation" also hits the mark as it moves through sections of traditional music, smooth vocals and modern jazz.

Of the three folk songs, "Sakhiye Ho" presents a warm, intriguing fusion of Eastern textures with bright, swaying rhythms. "Silu" features gentle vocals, saxophone and well-judged electric guitar from Daniel Fawcett-Tuke. The standout is the nine-minute "Sorathi," which weaves excellent spoken word narration of the folk tale drama of Princess Sorathi with ancestral chanting and rhythms. The track showcases thoughtful piano work from Cody Moss and more sparkling flute contributions from May.

Mohara skillfully weaves together his personal narrative with themes of identity and tradition, perhaps most notably on "Migrant," to create a diverse soundscape rooted in his heritage but enhanced by contemporary jazz appreciation and modern production and arrangement techniques. On this bright and entertaining debut, he receives fine support from his fellow musicians as he demonstrates his considerable rhythmic prowess across both traditional and modern percussion instruments.

Comments