Paul Livingstone - Arohi (2003)

Born in Beirut Lebanon, Paul Livingstone is an international performing artist, composer and ensemble leader. In the creative tradition of North Indian classical music, Paul has been rigorously trained for the past 17 years in India and the US to play and improvise ragas (traditional melodic forms) on sitar. He studied under Amiya Dasgupta and Rajeev Taranath at the California Institute of the Arts where he earned his undergraduate & masters degrees in world music. Paul currently continues advanced Indian music studies under Rajeev Taranath and the living legend of sitar Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Paul has focused his studies on a variety of other world music traditions including Jazz, Persian, South Indian, Javanese Gamelan, African (Ghanian Ewe), Macedonian & Brazilian music. Paul plays a 9 string fretless guitar of his own design 'fretless 9' and has also developed a unique style of playing which blends Indian ragas with jazz among other diverse sources. Also evident in his music is the influence of Arabic, flamenco, folk, blues and rock & roll having imbibed this music thoroughly since his youth. Paul now plays a variety of guitars (including 9 & 11 string fretless) and 'world strings' including requinto jarocho (fretted and fretless) from Mexico, Macedonian tambura, Persian setar and Javanese ziter.