An experiment heard around the world: The making of L Subramaniam’s Global Fusion

In the seminal album by the Carnatic violinist, musicians from around the world combine instruments and vocals in new ways.

L Subramaniam arrived in California in 1973, a heady moment for what was being called “East-West fusion”.

Ravi Shankar had paved the way, first with a series of albums with Richard Bock’s World Pacific label — which would later champion Subramaniam too — and then with his performances at the Monterey Pop Festival and at Woodstock.

A whole generation of American and European musicians was now looking East for inspiration.

Subramaniam, who played on Shankar’s iconic 1974 album Shankar Family