Beyond Boundaries is a unique event with an objective to strengthen
Indo-German cultural ties featuring Shankar Mahadevan, U.Srinivas,
V.Selvaganesh from India in fusion with Willie Keller, Jonas Hellborg,
Jean-Paul Bourelly from Germany. An endeavour conceptualised and
produced by Panchamnishad and sponsored by Raycon Infrastructure
in a joint venture with Rickmers, Germany. Entry strictly by invitation only.

ARTISTE INFO

SHANKAR MAHADEVAN

Surely the most talented young musician of our times, he is as comfortable with performing Carnatic or Hindustani classical

numbers, as he is with playing jazz or composing ad jingles. His mellifluous voice moves with ease in all the three octaves,

creating the magical melody that is so distinctly Shankar Mahadevan.

NILADRI KUMAR

Niladri Kumar has been hailed as one of the most serious young exponents of sitar representing the fifth generation of

Sitarists. Years of training have exposed him to and enriched his music with the artistic aspects and nuances of diverse

gharana styles. His distinctive style is strongly rooted in classical musical traditions, which appeals to the orthodox as

well as progressive music lovers.

Niladri has an uncanny knack of striking an instant rapport with audiences. He has sincerely attempted to infuse interest and

respect for Indian Classical Music in the younger generation. Charismatic performer that he is, he can easily mesmerize

audiences with his innovative skills and dexterity of his swift and agile fingers tugging at the strings of the Sitar. He has

performed in various prestigious concerts all over the country and abroad.

V.SELVAGANESH

V.Selvaganesh, son of famous rhytmist �Vikku Vinayakrma', is best known for playing �Kanjira', a Carnatic tambourine like

hand drum, with absolute mastery. He has performed in Remember Shakti...- an internationally known fusion music group and has

traveled extensively throughout the world.

JONAS HELLBORG       

Jonas Hellborg's music is as unique as his personal philosophies. The bass virtuoso and composer refuses to be bound by the

rules of convention. He even rejects typical notions of creativity and improvisation and instead sees himself as one who

simply reflects the earthly forces and realities that surround him.

The myriad of innovative musical journeys he's embarked on serve as a testament to that outlook. Hellborg first hit the jazz

scene in the early '80s. He quickly made a name for himself with his innovative bass playing that incorporates chordal,

percussive and melodic approaches. After releasing a couple of solo albums, he was recruited to take part in Mahavishnu, an

updated version of guitarist John McLaughlin's pioneering '70s fusion band Mahavishnu Orchestra. During Mahavishnu's

existence from 1983 to 1988, Hellborg also worked with McLaughlin in a variety of duo and trio formats featuring drummers

Billy Cobham and Trilok Gurtu.

During the early '90s, Hellborg collaborated with Bill Laswell on several recordings, including The Word, a solo effort

featuring drummer Tony Williams and a string quartet. The pair also worked together on Material's boundary-breaking

Hallucination Engine, Ginger Baker's thunderous Middle Passage, and two experimental funk releases by Deadline titled

Dissident and Down by Law. But it's Hellborg's recordings for his own Bardo and Day Eight labels that best showcase his

talents. The labels comprise the bulk of his solo output and find him immersed in a multitude of acoustic and electric

environments. Solo bass releases, duo efforts with frame drummer Glen Velez, and trios featuring the likes of drummers

Michael Shrieve and Apt. Q-258, and guitarists Buckethead and Shawn Lane are just a few of the labels' highlights. Lane, a

highly influential player and composer in his own right, served as one of Hellborg's longest-standing collaborators before

his untimely death in September 2003 due to lung disease. Since the late �90s, one of Hellborg's key interests has been

exploring a unique hybrid of jazz and South Indian classical music. Most of that work has been done accompanied by Lane, who

shared Hellborg's desire to investigate Eastern sounds.

Their first Indian-flavored disc, 1999's Zenhouse, was a beautiful, largely serene effort that offered their personal take on

the raga form. My interest in Indian music goes back to my teenage years of being a hippie,... explains Hellborg. In the late

'60s and early '70s, everyone was into Indian music such as the Beatles, Ravi Shankar and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. When I

started playing seriously, I was into John McLaughlin. Then I started playing with him and meeting all these great Indian

people. So, it's been an ongoing thing for me during my whole career. The first thing that's obvious for a Westerner is the

rhythmic complexity of the music. That was my initial attraction and fascination—the method, teaching, composing and

understanding of rhythms. What also really struck me was the melodic aspect of the music, as well as the intricacies,

ornamentation and variations....

Hellborg's next effort, 2000's Good People in Times of Evil, represented a significant leap forward in his approach towards

Indian music. Along with Lane, the record featured celebrated Indian percussion master V. Selvaganesh, the son of Vikku

Vinayakram, an original member of Shakti. The results were stunning. The album's singularly inventive and exhilarating

musical dialogues cemented Hellborg's reputation as one of modern music's most original and intriguing voices. It also laid

the groundwork for the equally impressive follow-up Icon, released in 2003. For that project, Hellborg also invited

Selvaganesh's brothers, vocalist V. Umamahesh and percussionist V. Umashankar, to take part. The quintet showcased an even

more seamless integration between Western and Indian influences. With its dazzling group interplay, moments of spontaneous

drama and graceful, ethereal passages, Icon represents the best of what's possible within Indian In the new century Hellborg

has in addition to his ongoing work with V. Selvaganesh (latest release Kali's Son with Sitar maestro Niladri Kumar) started

a new Venture with Swedish guitar phenomenon Mattias IA... Eklundh. Their musical vehicle is the group Art Metal... juxtaposing

Indian Music, Jazz... with different newer forms of Metal fusion.

JEAN-PAUL BOURELLY
The internationally acclaimed artist, guitarist, singer, composer and producer Jean-Paul Bourelly is in the true sense of the

word a wanderer among worlds. This not only refers to his musical versatility but also to the fact that he feels at home in

different continents. For years he went back and forth between the USA and Germany and never lost his own identity. Jean-Paul

was born 1960 in Chicago and lives in Berlin since 1979. He creates his own world the same way he does every time he writes

new music.

Influenced by blues and funk, it is jazz that gives him the necessary musical freedom. Next to his 12 solo albums are many

gold records he earned as a producer decorating his walls. The fact that Jean-Paul belongs to the best of his craft is

evident in the many collaborations he had with famous musicians like Cassandra Wilson, Pharaoh Sanders, Alvin Jones and Miles

Davis, just to name a few