John Mclaughlin

OT Your association with India has been a long one. What drew you here initially
John Mclaughlin I am a child of the &rsquo60s, an old hippie. Since the &rsquo60s, I have been researching the culture, history and philosophy of India looking for answers to existential questions that the West didn&rsquot provide. I finally came down in 1975 to find a percussionist for our band Shakti.

OT First impressions of India
John Mclaughlin I had all kinds of pre-conceived notions before I saw India. And my first visit turned out to be all of that plus a lot more How people are able to survive by living on the streets with dignity for a Westerner the experience is staggering I remember being so thrilled that I could kiss the ground.

OT What did you do on your first trip
John Mclaughlin I stayed for a couple of weeks in Mumbai, then I got itchy feet and did the tourist trip. I visited the great caves of Ellora, the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort, the Kali temple and Shri Ramakrishna&rsquos room near Kolkata tourist traps, yes, but also focal points of Indian history. My stay lasted two months. Since then, I have been here more than 20 times.

OT What do you find special about India
John Mclaughlin The experience India gives to the visitor. But the visitor has to be curious and willing to explore. It is the profound atmosphere here that you won&rsquot find anywhere else. For everything else, there is eBay.

OT Most memorable tour
John Mclaughlin It has to be the concert in Australia in 1979. It was a duet with L. Shankar as part of The One Truth Band. At one point during the performance, the music got so great, I broke into uncontrollable laughter. It took me about five minutes to calm down. I was so embarrassed.

OT Any perfect holidays
John Mclaughlin I&rsquove had two recently. I just went with my family to Switzerland for a skiing holiday. The snow was perfect You can&rsquot get better than that. And, early last year, I was in the middle of a US tour and, since it was Easter, my family joined me in New York and we flew down to Jamaica for a week. The weather was fantastic &mdash sunny, not too hot, with a warm sea, great food and lovely people.

OT Any life-changing incident while travelling
John Mclaughlin Some years ago I was touring Brazil, and was swimming off Rio&rsquos Copacabana beach. The waves are very big there, but I enjoy body surfing and didn&rsquot really pay any attention to them. After half an hour, I decided to swim back but got caught between the breaking waves. I wasn&rsquot afraid, but unbelievably sad I had come to Brazil to die. Next thing, someone was pulling me out of the water. When you have an experience like this, you realise just how beautiful and marvellous life truly is.

OT Favourite travel spots in the world and India
John Mclaughlin I still love to visit certain places in Europe, like Switzerland or Venice in Italy, but some of my favourite places in India are, of course, Mumbai and Chennai and the surrounding areas such as Mahabalipuram. Kerala is also a beautiful state.