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Ancient Future is a musical ensemble popular in theworld music genre. Founded inSan Rafael, in theBay Area ofNorthern California,United States in 1978, it is one of the fusion subcategory[1] ofworld fusion music, blending centuries-old music traditions, along with mixing them with modern music, such as jazz, rock or reggae. The band leader isMatthew Montfort.
Formed in late 1978 byMatthew Montfort, Ancient Future coined the term "world fusion music" to describe its use ofIndian,African,Balinese,Middle Eastern, andSouth Americanrhythms, the rich harmonies ofEurope, the peaceful melodies ofAsia, and other musical traditions within a contemporary framework. Montfort, the group'sguitarist, became fascinated by North Indian classical music during his college years, prompting him to travel toJava,Bali,China, and elsewhere in Asia to study the intricacies of musical traditions passed down from generations to generations. Over the years, Ancient Future has expanded its musical vision through collaborations with noted masters of various world music traditions who are now an integral part of what is today more than just aband; Ancient Future has grown to become a large chamberensemble of 28 performers from around the world with over a dozen similar ensembles within it, enabling Ancient Future to realize its core mission of creating world fusion music.
The originalU.S. members of Ancient Future looked beyond their roots for inspiration by studying with master musicians of manyworld music traditions, from Balinese gamelan directorMadé Gerindem toNorth Indian sarod masterAli Akbar Khan. They use their knowledge of world music to create something new and uniquely their own that is respected bypundits from othercultures whosetraditions are a part of the mix. Ancient Future also mixes together ancient music traditions together modern music forms, such asjazz,rock,reggae, and others.
Through cross cultural exchange and collaboration, Ancient Future has created a rich musical world of tradition and innovation. In addition to their originalmusic based on world traditions, the many ensemble variations also perform traditional music from the cultures of the individual master musicians who perform with the band. This provides aneducational experience for the audience that is intended to excite people about world traditions and show how those traditions can make contemporary culture richer.