It was 6 p.m., sunset, and Mungal Patasar was by the poolside at the Trinidad Hilton, rehearsing for an upcoming show. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man emerge from the pool and shake his head. In that brief moment the sun's rays reflected off his perfect dreadlocks.

"A melody came to my head in a flash," says Patasar. "I began to play it and suddenly I noticed the people were moving and dancing. I called the piece 'Dreadlocks'."

That was three years ago. Now, 'Dreadlocks' is the opening track on Patasar's first CD, Nirvana. The 14 tracks are a culmination of work begun in 1978 when Patasar, playing with ace pannist Len "Boogsie" Sharpe, decided to merge pan and sitar for a sound he called pantar - a word that is also the name of his band.

"The reason was simple," says Patasar. "We live in a small island with different races. I believe if you could find a common ground where everyone can meet, this would go a long way towards bettering communication in our land. We're all God's children and we all deserve an equal place."

Patasar quickly realized his dream would have to involve other people who would embrace his vision. Many of those musicians who follow his musical philosophy are present on this album, including bass guitarist Albert Bushe of Charlie's Roots; musician/arranger Carl "Beaver" Henderson, known for his modern soca style; Earl Carnavon, an old-school keyboardist and keen jazz musician; Dawud Orr, known for his work with André Tanker; Harold Headley, who has an MA in music; and four percussionists: Wayne Tobitt of the Police Band, Tamba Gwinde with his African drums, Nino Quintero, who lends his Latin American rhythms, and Patasar's son Prashant on the tabla.

Patasar and his son are the only two musicians of Indian descent.

"Each member of the band is an important link to the music," says Patasar. "The compatibility of every musician is important. Every musician knows our goal and they find a way to contribute to the goal. While the goal is to promote communication among ethnic groups, the dream is to create a new genre of music.

"When Boogsie and I started in 1978, we found that there was never a meeting place between the African and Indian music, except for Shorty's use of the rhythm in his creation of soca. Boogsie and I found the sitar and the pan blended well together to give a unique sound because they are both vibration instruments. The pan vibrates and when a note is played on the sitar, it vibrates with the next note. The two together absorb each other's vibrations and merge harmoniously."

In pantar, the pan takes its place as an instrument equal in status to the other instruments. Percussion and the marriage between the sitar and the pan are of paramount importance, but Patasar says the percussion must compliment the melody. "Percussion is often perceived in the banal sense in most music, but in pantar, it helps to create the underlying spirituality - a combination of the Indian and African identities. In other words, a Trinidadian identity."

Other Trinidadian ethnic influences merge in what Patasar describes as "the European translation of harmonies." American culture is translated through the jazz, which Patasar says he is close to, spiritually speaking.

"Jazz allows a lot of improvisation, which is important in sitar music, so I found a place among jazz musicians. My forte is really Indian classical and calypso, but jazz allows me to take my music to another personal level."

Each track on this album is rich in rhythm, which winds its way around memorable melodies. 'Dreadlocks' is based on an Indian raga - "…but I didn't stick to the grammar of the raga," says Patasar. He says he used a Nyabinghi rhythm underneath a very prominent reggae bass. The keyboard has an old-fashioned soca groove and the melody is haunting. This song is described on the CD as 'the spiritual emancipation of the African man. A song of praise.'

'Nirvana', the title track of the CD begins with a soft Indian chant. The lyrics are sung in Hindi and English. The tabla and sitar are the stars of this piece. 'Nirvana' is described as 'a merging of the outer and inner selves, which creates the bliss in which the nation must journey through its development.'

Lord Kitchener's 'Old Lady' begins with a jazzy pan solo. Patasar says this track, 'demonstrates the spiritual and intellectual merging of a people.' It also captures the playful spirit of Trinidadians. The pan, sitar and a teasing horn exchange leads throughout the song. This is followed by a remix of 'Dreadlocks'. 'One Unity' is a jazzy tune, which musically praises pantar's philosophy of unity.

The next four tracks make up the Vani Movements 1, 2, 3, and 4, which introduce classical Indian music to a modern generation of Trinidadians. These tracks are described as 'voices of our ancestors echoing through the centuries to caress and reassure the young people of our nation.' The movement begins with a very traditional sitar and an unobtrusive pan making its entry while the tabla joins the bass in developing a strong rhythmic foundation. The spiritual sitar is stalked by the soca bass. The pan emerges an equal partner with the sitar, creating an Indian melody quite effectively around the tabla and bass. The music builds to an emotional frenzy conjuring up images of whirling dervishes. This track is described as 'a friendly contest between the instruments to demonstrate that there could be beauty in differences.'

Track 10 is entitled 'Time Out'. This Marlon Charles composition is about 'a young person celebrating his or her emergence from an addiction. It's a bit sober and cautious for a celebration. There's a feeling that joy is being held back somewhat.

'Ta Pan Jah' also feels a bit heavy-handed at times. The sunshine or the aura is not emerging, but 'Stay Conscious', written by Earl Carnavon, makes a fairly strong statement. All in all, Nirvana is a remarkable CD, bright and bold for its social statement admirably captured through its music and musicians who do justice tot e unwritten creed of music makers: when it comes to music, there are no racial or ethic boundaries.

Nirvana is produced by Carl "Beaver" Henderson. Recording engineers are Treldon Thompson, Martin Raymond, and Sean Poland. It was mixed by Sean Poland for the Rituals record label. All tracks are published by Caribbean Rhythms Publishing Ltd. Except for "Ole Lady" which is published by Ice Music Ltd.

Nirvana will be launched at Pier One in Chaguaramas on November 20.

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