Once I Wished a Tree Upside Down…

\"Once I Wished a Tree Upside Down…\" is a composition by Indian percussionist and composer Trilok Gurtu, featured as the third track on his 1991 album Living Magic. The piece spans 8 minutes and 2 seconds, showcasing Gurtu’s fusion of Indian classical rhythms with contemporary jazz and world music elements. The album was released on May 21, 1991, under the German label CMP Records in CD format.

Gurtu composed and performed the track, integrating traditional percussion instruments such as the tabla and konnakol (vocal percussion) alongside electronic and acoustic textures. The album Living Magic marked a period in Gurtu’s career where he explored cross-cultural collaborations, blending South Asian classical traditions with Western improvisational techniques. The recording sessions for the album took place in Germany, with production handled by Walter Quintus, a frequent collaborator on CMP Records releases.

The track exemplifies Gurtu’s approach to rhythmic experimentation, layering complex polyrhythms with ambient soundscapes. While specific session musicians for this track remain undocumented in widely available sources, the album as a whole featured contributions from international artists, including saxophonist Jan Garbarek on select pieces. \"Once I Wished a Tree Upside Down…\" stands out for its meditative yet dynamic structure, transitioning between sparse percussion passages and denser, textured climaxes.

Living Magic received attention for its innovative fusion of genres, and the track contributed to Gurtu’s reputation as a boundary-pushing percussionist. The album’s liner notes describe the composition as inspired by surreal imagery, though Gurtu provided no explicit narrative or lyrical content. The CD release included seven original tracks, with this piece serving as a central example of Gurtu’s ability to merge technical precision with expressive abstraction.

No commercial singles were released from Living Magic, and the album remained a niche but influential work within the jazz-world fusion canon. Later reissues and compilations occasionally featured excerpts from the track, though the full 8:02 version is most commonly found on the original 1991 CD pressing. The label CMP Records, known for its focus on avant-garde and cross-cultural projects, ceased operations in the late 1990s, making early pressings of Living Magic sought after by collectors.