Last year, at Element Music Festival in British Columbia, Garaj Mahal returned to the stage after a nearly seven-year hiatus. The performance was unexpected, though fans rejoiced at the fact that the wildly diverse jazz-fusion quartet was back together once again.
Seemingly, the energy of the performance gave the band—comprised of Fareed Haque (guitar), Kai Eckhardt (bass), Alan Hertz (drums), and Eric Levy (keys)—new forward momentum, and in February of 2018, they announced their first shows in the United States in seven years. Following Garaj Mahal’s highly anticipated U.S. return, which happened over the weekend in Colorado, today, bassist Kai Eckhardt issued a statement on the status of Garaj Mahal moving forward.
After thanking fans and promoters for encouraging their improbable reunion, Eckhardt notes that the group has received “a stream of very good offers from festivals.” However, he also adds that the group has “virtually no availability from all four members at the same time until further notice” given bandmembers’ children and other responsibilities that make scheduling difficult.
After weighing the options, Eckhardt and guitarist Fareed Haque have decided to move forward with the project as co-leaders. He adds that Garaj Mahal’s lineup will still contain the original members of the group, but to make scheduling work, the group will expand to have a rotating lineup of musicians when others are unable to make it to shows:
We are going to present a couple of new line-ups while at the same time keeping the original members on board as part of the family. Nobody gets fired. Instead we are expanding our inner circle to include some amazing musicians yet to be discovered by many of you. Our long time members are still our musical equals in the mix, but to the degree they are not available, Fareed and I will be in charge of navigating the ship.
Following the announcement that Garaj Mahal is seemingly here to stay, albeit in less traditional lineups than expected, he notes that the group will forge forward into “a time of exploration and venture into the unknown,” adding that, “We are going to rely on the highest level of musicianship within the context of good vibes on stage. Rather than competing with our own legacy, we will allow for something new to be born from the love we have for our fans and the music.” He also explains that given that tumultuous climate in the world right now, the group must act on its mission to “to reach for unity in harmony through music.”
He ends his note by thanking fans again and hoping that they will “share this journey with us, pushing the envelope and learning together with us by trial and error,” before ending with a stanza of Garaj Mahal lyrics that reiterate the band’s desire to help the world come together.
You can read the full statement below, and stay tuned for performance and lineup announcements from the band in the future!
Dear fans and promoters,
After a seven year hiatus, the doors of the Garaj Mahal have opened once again thanks to you, our loyal fans both in Canada and the United States. It was your demand for our return that prompted promoters to reach out to us with great offers – first at Element Music Festival in BC – and then last weekend in Colorado at The Caribou Room and Psychedelic Ripple. Our reunion was highly improbable, almost impossible, but here we are.
Despite our joyous reunion the future of our band ended up looking bleak because of restrictions placed on individual member’s availability. Since our early days, children have come into the mix and economic responsibilities have risen to a new level, keeping part of the team locked into other responsibilities including a year-round contract with another band.
Being the band mediator made me aware of the catch 22 we are currently facing between a stream of very good offers from festivals – and virtually no availability from all four members at the same time until further notice.
This left me with only one of two choices:
To retire the band with a slim possibility of resurrecting it several years from now, or to co-lead with the member who was free to get on board and move ahead right now.
After weighing the pros and cons, consulting with band members, agents and promoters…
I asked Fareed Haque to join forces with me in co-leading Garaj Mahal.
We are going to present a couple of new line-ups while at the same time keeping the original members on board as part of the family. Nobody gets fired. Instead we are expanding our inner circle to include some amazing musicians yet to be discovered by many of you. Our long time members are still our musical equals in the mix, but to the degree they are not available, Fareed and I will be in charge of navigating the ship.
What fans can expect from us in the near future is a time of exploration and venture into the unknown. We are going to rely on the highest level of musicianship within the context of good vibes on stage. Rather than competing with our own legacy, we will allow for something new to be born from the love we have for our fans and the music.
Out there in the world today, there is so much pain, fear, separation and conflict. Because of that we can not stay home and wait right now. Garaj Mahal has a mission to accomplish and that mission is to reach for unity in harmony through music.
With appreciation and humility we thank our fans who have helped us come this far. We hope you will continue to share this journey with us, pushing the envelope and learning together with us by trial and error. We take risks. Sometimes we fall, but surely we will rise.
I shall leave you with a little snippet of Garaj Mahal’s lyrics:
“Rich or poor, black or white,
straight or gay, religious or not,
like it or not,
lessons are learned in the melting pot.
This is not the time to be small,
this is the time to stand tall,
listen to the rhythm of your heart
we all play a part
in the never ending dance of life…”
-Kai Eckhardt
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