presents
Emam and Friends

Albums

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Best Of - Vol I: 1994-2009
2021
Best of Emam & Friends albums from 1992 to 2009:
Indian Dream
Is This Real?
Instruments of Devotion
Sacred Insanity
Voices of the Goddess
Jai Ganesha
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Artur Lesicki (guitar) - Asif Ali Khan (sarangi)
Dave Lewis (drums) - Deepak Ram (bansuri)
Emam (tabla) - Gari Hegedus (oud)
George Brooks (sax) - Indu Prakash (vocals)
Irina Mikhailova (lead vocals) - Kai Eckhardt (bass)
Leroy Critcher (electric guitar) - M. H. Khan (sitar)
Manose (bamboo flute) - Matthew Montfort (guitar)
Moses Sedler (cello) - Mukesh Sharma (sarod)
Naushad Ahmed (tabla) - Paul Grant (santur)
Ravi Rohtgi (dholak) - Robert Szydło (bass)
Sami Khan (sarod) - Sivamani (drums)
Steve Robertson (drums) - Suzanne Sterling (vocals)
Taufiq Qureshi (timbale) - Turkantam (12 string guitar)
Tytus Wojnowicz (oboe) - Zoltán Lantos (violin)

Best Of - Vol II: 2013-2020
2021
Best of Emam & Friends albums from 2013 to 2020:
Instruments of Devotion Vol II
In Your Eyes I See
Ode to Chebiji - EP
Emam & Friends 2020
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Ahsan Ali (sarangi) - Arshad Khan (tabla)
Daniel Berkman (kora) - Emam (dumbak)
Ghulam Ali (sarangi) - Gino Banks (drums)
Jim Dooley (drums) - Julien Moretto (violin)
Kai Eckhardt (bass) - Lewis Patzner (cello)
Łukasz Sobołak (drums) - Mahalakshmi (vocals, keyboard)
Marcin Spera (acoustic bass) - Matthew Montfort (guitar)
Mukesh Sharma (sarod) - Prasad Salunke (nagara)
Prateek Chaudhuri (sitar) - Robert Szydło (bass)
Sławek Dudar (saxophone) - Ziya Tabassian (zarb)

Emam & Friends 2020

Being locked in during the Coronavirus pandemic in Goa gave me a good chance to create another album which I think is my best so far. I reached out to some great musicians in Poland and added them to tracks that we had recorded earlier and never released.
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Ahsan Ali (sarangi) - Arshad Khan (tabla)
Dave Lewis (drums) - Deepak Ram (bansuri)
Emam (tabla, dumbak) - Gari Hegedus (oud, mandocello)
Geetika Varde (vocals) - Indu Prakash (vocals)
Irina Mikhailova (vocals) - Julien Moretto (violin)
Kai Eckhardt (bass) - Łukasz Sobolak (drums)
Mahalakshmi (vocals, keyboard) - Manose (bansuri)
Matthew Montfort (guitars) - Michał Rudaś (vocals)
Moses Sedler (cello) - Mukesh Sharma (sarod)
Robert Szydło (bass)

Ode To Chebiji - EP
2020
"Ode to Chebiji" is a two part piece dedicated to the spirit of our beloved friend Cheb-i-Sabbah. Included are also "Re-Mix" versions of the two pieces.
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Arshad Khan (tabla)
Emam (dumbak)
Julien Moretto (violin)
Kai Eckhardt (bass)
Mukesh Sharma (sarod)
Prasad Salunke (nagara)
Ziya Tabassian (zarb)

In Your Eyes I See
2019
A listener's ideal musical journey, featuring 21 musicians from 7 countries. A fusion of Indian classical, jazz, Middle Eastern, Eastern European music and rock.
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Ahsan Ali (sarangi) - Arshad Khan (tabla)
Dave Lewis (drums) - Emam (tabla, dumbak)
Ghulam Ali (sarangi) - Gino Banks (drums)
Julien Moretto (violin) - Kai Eckhardt (bass)
Mahalakshmi (vocals, keyboard) - Marcin Spera (bass)
Mukesh Sharma (sarod) - Piotr Baron (saxophone)
Robert Szydło (bass) - Zoltan Lantos (violin)

Instruments of Devotion Vol III
2019
Kirtan melodies presented instrumentally so you can sing along with them. Sing along and have a great time with some master musicians playing for you!!
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Ahsan Ali (sarangi) - Arshad Khan (tabla)
Daniel Berkman (kora) - Emam (dumbak, tabla)
Marcin Spera (bass) - Mukesh Sharma (sarod)
Prateek Chaudhory (sitar) - Sławek Dudar (saxophoe)

Sacred Insanity
Re-Mastered 2019
A World Beat album with influences from Jazz, Rock, Indian, Turkish, Eastern European, Spanish, New Age, Folk, and Devotional music.
We re-mastered a great album and made it sound even better!
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Emam (tabla, dumbak) - Gari Hegedus (oud, mandocello)
Geoffrey Castle (violin) - George Brooks (saxophone)
Jillian Speer (vocals, guitar) - Kip Richardson (drums)
Manose (bansuri) - Matthew Montfort (guitars)
Moses Selder (cello) - Phil Baker (bass)
Shabda Kahn (vocals) - Sivamani (drums)
Tom Grant (piano)

Instruments of Devotion Vol II
2013
Instrumental interpretations of devotional music from India (Kirtan).
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Ahsan Ali (sarangi) - Arshad Khan (tabla)
Daniel Berkman (kora) - Emam (dumbak, tabla)
Marcin Spera (bass) - Mukesh Sharma (sarod)
Prateek Chaudhory (sitar) - Sławek Dudar (saxophoe)

Longing for the Divine
2010
Indo-Fusion-Jazz-Kirtan!
Yashoda and Emam's interpretations of traditional sacred music from India, presented in a world fusion style.
featuring Yashoda (vocals)
Ahsan Ali (sarangi) - Arshad Khan (tabla)
Daniel Berkman (kora) - Emam (dumbak, tabla)
Marcin Spera (bass) - Mukesh Sharma (sarod)
Prateek Chaudhory (sitar) - Sławek Dudar (saxophoe)

Live in Poland
2012
Live recordings from Poland.
Summers of 2011 & 2012 in Wrocław and Warsaw.
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Emam (dumbak, tabla)
Marcin Spera (bass)
Michał Rudaś (vocals)
Mukesh Sharma (sarod)
Wiesław Prządka (accordion)

Jai Ganesha
2009
Emam's compositions come to life, thanks to great musicians from around the world!
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Asif Ali Khan (sarangi) - Dave Lewis (drums)
Deepak Ram (bansuri) - Emam (dumbak, tabla)
Gari Hegedus (oud) - Geetika Varde (vocals)
Indu Prakash (vocals) - Kai Eckhardt (bass)
Moses Selder (cello) - Mukesh Sharma (sarod)
Robert Szydło (bass) - Taufiq Qureshi (tabla, percussion)
Yashoda (vocals) - Zoltan Lantos (violin)

Global Fusion
2005
Best of Emam & Friends first 5 albums:
Indian Dream, Is This Real, Instruments of Devotion, Sacred Insanity, Voices of the Goddess
and previously unreleased pieces.
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Emam (tabla, dumbak) - Gari Hegedus (oud, mandocello)
George Brooks (saxophone) - Irina Mikhailova (vocals)
Kai Eckhardt (bass) - Manose (bansuri)
Matthew Montfort (guitars) - Moses Selder (cello)
Naushad Ahmed (tabla) - Robert Szydło (bass)
Sivamani (drums) - Suzanne Sterling (vocals)
Tytus Wojnowicz (oboe) - Zoltan Lantos (violin)

Voices of the Goddess
2003
Brings together Jazz, Indian, Eastern European, Rock and New Age music; featuring two goddesses with divine voices!
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Artur Lesicki (guitar) - Emam (tabla, dumbak)
Gari Hegedus (oud) - Irina Mikhailova (vocals)
Kai Eckhardt (bass) - Matthew Montfort (guitars)
Moses Selder (cello) - Piotr Baron (saxophone)
Robert Szydło (bass) - Steve Robertson (drums)
Suzanne Sterling (vocals) - Tytus Wojnowicz (oboe)

Instruments of Devotion
1995
Instrumental interpretations of devotional music
from India in a light classical style.
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Emam (dumbak, tabla) - Matlub Hussain Khan (sitar)
Naushad Ahmed (tabla) - Ravi Rhotgi (dholak)
Sami Khan (sarod) - Zoltan Lantos (violin)

Is This Real?
1995
"Is This Real is a masterful tapestry of musical traditions woven together into an uplifting new sound. It creates a musical experience that transcends boundaries."
India Currents - Dec/Jan 1995
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Emam (dumbak, tabla) - Gari Hegedus (oud, violin, mandocello)
Habib Khan (sitar) - Matthew Montfort (guitars)
Naushad Ahmed (tabla) - Taufiq Qureshi (tabla)
Zakir Hussain (tabla) - Zoltan Lantos (violin)

Indian Dream
1994
"This virtual United Nations of an ensemble has created some of the freshest, most entertaining and accessible World Fusion music ever!"
PJ Birosik - Awareness Magazine Jan, 95
Featured musicians in alphabetic order:
Deepak Ram (bansuri) - Emam (tabla, dumbak)
Matlub Hussain Khan (sitar) - Naushad Ahmed (tabla)
Ravi Rhotgi (dholak) - Taufiq Qureshi (percussion)
Turkantam (guitars) - Zoltan Lantos (violin)

Navratri In Hairakhan
April 1992
Devotional music of India (Kirtan and Bhajan), recorded digitally at Hairakhan Vishwa Maha Dham, ashram of Maha Avatar Babaji in the Himalayan Foothills, featuring lead vocals by Ashok Chopra, violin by Zoltan Lantos, tabla by Naushad Ahmed, and dumbak by Emam.

"Something about well-rendered, authentic Indian devotional music has the power to draw one up and out... The violin work of Zoltan Lantos is superb here, as always...percussion section of tabla, dholak, and dumbak is a call to happy feet and dancing."
Heartsong Review - Fall 94/Winter 95