The album Treekam blends Carnatic ragas and Naga folk tunes with jazz and world music elements

It was while listening to music, over dinner two years ago, that musician-producer Sandeep Chowta and Carnatic guitarist Abhay Nayampally, brainstormed about releasing an instrumental album. After many discussions and compositions, they decided to rope in guitarist Arenlong, from Nagaland. According to Abhay, the idea of fusing Carnatic melodies and Naga folk tunes with jazz and world music elements sounded unique and the result is Treekam, a five-track album released on Sandeep’s Namma Music.

Treekam, the five-track album was released on Sandeep’s Namma Music.
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Special Arrangement

Produced by Sandeep, along with cultural curator Arpito Gope, the album also features British bassist Seb Read, American drummer Jerrod ‘J-Rod’ Sullivan and American keyboardist Tom Schuman (a member of the renowned jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra). Two tracks have chants by Mengu Suokhire and the Nagaland Folkloric group.

American keyboardist Tom Schuman.
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Special Arrangement

Abhay, trained in Carnatic music under mandolin maestro U. Shrinivas, has also performed with Tom for the composition ‘Comfortable Silences’ on the keyboardist’s 2024 album, I Am Schuman. In Treekam, they collaborate on ‘Swan Song’, which is in raga Hamsadhwani. Says Abhay, “He heard a few songs and particularly liked this one. He added his beautiful vision to the track. Hamsadhwani, by itself, is a simple raga, but he added just the right amount of nuances.”

The album also features British bassist Seb Read.
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Special Arrangement

The name Treekam, derived from the Sanskrit word trikam, refers to a triad or convergence. It’s a metaphor for the three musical traditions shaping the record — Carnatic music, sounds inspired by Naga tribal chants and global textures. According to Arenlong, his biggest challenge was to translate traditional Naga music onto the guitar. He adds, “Carnatic music was totally new to me, but I heard a lot of Abhay’s work and found the genre to be rich. The combination worked out well.”

American drummer Jerrod ‘J-Rod’ Sullivan.
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Special Arrangement

Abhay has composed three tunes including ‘Swan Song’. The opening track, ‘Spunky Town’, is based on raga Abheri. Says Abhay, “It’s one of my favourite ragas and though I have recorded it before, I wanted to do something different. The thing about Abheri is that despite being a traditional raga, it has got more contextual value even in the modern setting. It just fits in with what we wanted to do, which was something catchy and a little faster.”

The other track, ‘Divine Directions’, is a mixture of ragas, with Arenlong bringing in his own improvisational touch. Says Abhay, “I started with raga Arabhi but thought I’d switch it up a bit. So I got the completely different Sindhu Bhairavi in the solo. The contrast went off well.”

Arenlong, the Nagaland-based guitarist, said his biggest challenge was to translate traditional Naga music onto the guitar.
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Special Arrangement

Regarding his compositions, Arenlong says, “Nagaland has many tribes which have different types of chants. Yet, by the way the notes are articulated, you can make out it’s a Naga tribal song. The first song, ‘Blending Tunes’, is based on a chant from my tribe, called Ao. The other piece ‘Zakto Tssoa’ is inspired by the Lotha tribe. We added chants as they provide a good layering.”

A winner of multiple guitar competitions, Arenlong is known to create a sound evoking forest rhythms, spirit dances and communal storytelling. Abhay, on the other hand, has used the U. Shrinivas mandolin style to create a distinct Carnatic guitar sound. Treekam is a special experiment for both the artistes.