Trilok Gurtu is an Indian percussionist and composer whose work has blended the music of India with jazz fusion and world music.

A world class, virtuoso percussionist, Trilok has attracted a world class set of collaborators over a long career; these started with John McLaughlin in whose trio, Trilok flourished as the featured soloist for 4 years, other jazz greats continued this path - Joe Zawinul, Jan Garbarek, Don Cherry, Bill Evans, Pharoah Sanders, Dave Holland were all attracted to Trilok's burning sense of rhythm. Of course he is deeply rooted in the Indian tradition, so it is no surprise to see that collaborations also took place with the glitterati of Indian musical society - his mother, Shobha Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, L. Shankar, Shankar Mahadevan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, The Misra Brothers and Sultan Khan. World music has become an established genre in which Trilok has further “ploughed his own furrow” with his own group, to great effect, performing and recording with Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare, Angelique Kidjo, Neneh Cherry, Omara Portuondo, Tuvan throat singers, Huun Huur Tu, to such effect that Rita Ray of BBC Radio described him as “a serial collaborator”.

Trilok Gurtu was born into a highly musical family in Bombay, India where his grandfather was a noted Sitar player and his mother Shobha Gurtu, a classical singing star and constant influence. He began to play practically from infancy at the age of six. Eventually Trilok traveled to Europe, joining up with trumpeter Don Cherry (father of Neneh and Eagle Eye) for two years; touring worldwide with Oregon, the highly respected jazz group and was an important part of the quartet that L. Shankar led with Jan Garbarek and Zakir Hussain.

The composer and band leader had evolved from the Trilok of earlier years: consummate musicianship now joined entertainment skills as his humorous presentations for the group, between bouts of serious music, brought uproarious laughter from his spectators.

Trilok's versatile wide vision within other projects has continued with contributions to the work of Adriano Celentano, the Grammy Award winning “Gracias” by Omara Portuondo, Marcus Miller, Angelique Kidjo, Bill Laswell, Sheila E, Tigran Hamasyan, Pedro Javier Gonzalez, Gianna Nannini, Niels Petter Molvaer and Carles Benevent. He has also recently performed with the classical percussion star Martin Grubinger and continues to tour with master musician Jan Garbarek.

With his unique genius which has played a major role in creating some of the finest works of his fellow master musicians, amongst others, John Mclaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Dave Holland and Jan Garbarek, Trilok Gurtu continues to define and redefine his position as one of the percussive art's greatest innovators of all time. Although his approach to playing and composing is non-stylistic, it is built upon a solid and deep understanding of many global styles. His drumming and composing are universal, personal and fueled by tremendous love and discipline.