E. Doctor Smith's Blog

Trilok Gurtu wanders between worlds, although his odyssey never went so smoothly from point A to point B. He didn't just come from India to stay in Europe. His sense of direction is much more complex. He drew circles, spanned nets and created intensely woven networks of influences from various regions and musical epochs. Contemporary terms such as jack of all trades or multitasker are highly unsatisfactory in defining Trilok Gurtu’s depth of spirituality, non-judgmental empathy for different cultures, his unending search for new ways to express himself on the solid foundation of a whole arsenal of traditions. Trilok's long-awaited new album "Massical" will be released at the end of May on the BirdJAM label. Trilok will also perform throughout 2009 to promote the album. Trilok Gurtu was born in Bombay in 1951 in an extremely musical family. His grandfather was a highly respected sitar player and his mother Shoba Gurtu (who died in 2004) was among the most ...

Time sure flies while writing a weekly column for Beyond Chron. Amidst all the hoopla and our side-splitting April Fool's gag, I'd forgotten my own 5th year anniversary as the Arts and Entertainment editor and original webmaster. When my friend Dean Preston first introduced me to Randy Shaw back in 2004, I had no idea what I would be getting myself into. Little did I know that Beyond Chron would become my window into the world of San Francisco politics, housing and community issues, education, film, music and culture. Alongside my fellow columnist and theater critic Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave, we've seen a lot of shows, plays, concerts and films over the years; mostly good, some bad and thankfully, very few ugly. I am nevertheless, extremely grateful for the experience! So before I get all misty-eyed and nostalgic again, I thought I'd revisit the subject of my first ever column for Beyond Chron, the local guitarist, songwriter, drummer and prolific pop-smit...