Heir to Arab, Persian and French cultures, the charismatic Mad Sheer Khan carries within him the wisdom of travelers and the fire of brilliant artists.
Armed with his electrified and magical Dilruba (the sitar’s violin), the “turbaned guitarist” confronts his Afro-Asian origins with the most telluric urban vibrations.
Internationally recognized since his fruitful meeting with Nico (Drama of Exile 1 & 2), the muse of the Velvet, he also obtains a supported recognition in the very closed world of the London electro underground with among others, Nasha in collaboration with the Australian of Third Eye, Gus Till (Flying Rhino), without forgetting Simon Postford (Hallucinogen) with Industrial Suicide Tribe and Jami Cato (Faithless). His album Talisman recorded in 1996 is still alive, the track “Concrete Sunblock” became a flagship track of downtempo and made the world tour in 2007 on the compilation “Illumination” of Youth (Killing Joke) on Liquid Design.
Since his first lp Rahmann, with the participation of Didier Lockwood, Guem, Louis César Ewandé (polydor, 1980 – Muséa, 1998-Belle Antique, Japan, 2012), is compared by the press to Magma and Mahavishnu Orchestra, through the incredible and essential “1001 Nights” pacifist and unifying record (Erato/Warner-Elecktra -Nominated RFI Awards 2000, Songlines ) which brings together brilliant soloists, Subramaniam, Allah, and 7 singers : Navajo-Mary Redhouse, Algerian-Fela Ababsa, Israeli-Nourith, Iranian-Parvin Gavdan, Tibetan-Kunchok Lama, Indian-Sharmila Roy and Malian-Mamani Keita, Mad Sheer Khan, continues his pacifist journey in the line of the rebellious 70s from which he comes.
Numerous meetings with Nico of the Velvet Underground, Michael Hutchence (INXS), Sapho, Sting, Nilda Fernandez, Jean-Louis Aubert, Keziah Jones, Michael Riley and many others during which Mad Sheer Khan initiated since the 1970s the arrival of traditional oriental instruments in the rock (Buzuk fretless in 1975, electric Oud solid body connected on Marshalls in 1980, Saz rock-metal in 1985, electric Sitar solid body in 1987, Dobro sitar in 1994) and worked on several prototypes with luthiers such as Jacobacci, Pierre Jaffret and Philippe Dubreuille.
After the success during 5 years of tour in all Europe of the “Samarkand Hotel Tour” (Muséa/Nomad studio 2003) : “The best transposition of Hendrix ever heard to this day” (Mondomix), Mad followed a new tour in 2008 “Rock the Roots”, resulting from the album ” DemoNcracy “. The press will note “Mad Sheer Khan then abandons the legend for the reality with which he seems to have a serious desire to fight. His single “War” transposes the initial Vietnam to the current wars. A magnificent tribute to his friend Nico with whom he recorded in 1981 this same “Orly Flight”, hymn to illegal exiles. Extremely committed titles, in English and in French, “Mine”, “Kissinger”, “Guantanamo” and titles of hope, “Believe”. A solidarity tour where several schools of percussion were invited on stage, urban percussion, news obliges, on oil drums! Followed by the public who were at the rendezvous and by the press: “power of melodies and rhythms on which Mad poses his voice so exceptional, … musical immigration successful to judge the enthusiasm of the audience! “A superb blues voice, an electro rock carried by Afro-Oriental rhythms ” An Indian violin sometimes soothed and sometimes galloping on the unexplored territories of the psychedelic.
No less committed than the previous album, like Woody Guthrie tagging his guitar with this message “This machine kills fascits”, Mad Sheer Khan delivers in May 2012 “Far Oued”.
A rare and surprising album… Thus the songs of struggle of Mad Sheer Khan – because that’s what it is – are colored at the bend of the songs, of instruments as exotic as the dilruba or the Indian harmonium, of tribal percussions, but without ever losing foot with the electronic modernity
Ferarock
Some musicians are warriors of sound, defying conformism with a humble audacity, Mad Sheer Khan is of that caliber
Camille Larbey, Longueur d’Ondes
A message, an album resolutely turned towards the future; Far Oued begins with “Within you without you” (G. Harisson), Indian pearl of the album “Sergeant Peppers” of the Beatles of 1967, also played with the dilruba and inspired by Ravi Shankar. George Harisson gave birth to this song on a harmonium on his return from India, an inescapable tribute to life.