Oliver Rajamani (Photo By Gary Miller)
Rajamani
Central Market North, July 19 Filmmakers and photographers call it the golden hour, the period around sunset when low beams of sunshine cast honey-hued shades and dramatic shadows. Stealing the day's heat with the evening's cooling breeze, the golden hour is also summertime Texas' best stage to begin live music au naturel; the outdoor deck of this gourmet grocery's cafe is nestled beneath several large oaks and exudes a warm family vibe. Occupying nearly every table before showtime, the audience was an amalgam of shoppers, free-music seekers, well-heeled wine-sippers, and Rajamani regulars. A steel guitar nowhere to be seen, de rigueur Austin singer-songwriter music this was not. Rajamani chronicles and celebrates Indian folk and the sonic passage of the Roma people, who left India a millennium ago through the Mediterranean, arriving at Spain and flamenco. Touring via lute, Rajamani began a 10-song performance with the sarod (Indian lute), moving to the oud, and ending with flamenco guitar. An Austinite hailing from India, Oliver Rajamani is a musical triple threat -- drums, voice, and strings -- having played with Glen Velez; Tool's favorite Indian percussionist, Aloke Dutta; Tina Marsh; and the Gipsy Kings. His backing trio here -- Steve Marcum on
djembe, Pubcrawler Sean Orr on fiddle, and founding New Bohemian/current Critters Buggin' Brad Houser on bass -- were also world-class. Pulling from last year's local best
Pakiam, the quartet's two sets showcased several ostinato-based compositions, often with references to mystical love, including one by famed Persian poet Shams-od-Din Muhammad Hafez. If Rajamani's music had to be described in one word, it would be spiritual, both in intent and result, his
qawwali-meets-flamenco singing proof enough. This was in spite of occasional technical glitches and an easily distracted audience. In the end, Rajamani's music furthered the Roma India-to-Spain voyage through Texas and beyond.