Ensemble of tradition and modernity

The presence of the younger generation at the event went on to show that the youth were are as interested in classical music as their older counterparts.

Many were interested in listening and understanding the diversity of Indian musical gharana styles but with an added zing of world music styles.

The concert, which featured the maverick sitar player Niladri Kumar, had a surprise guest in the form of Pandit Jasraj, who came to see the band perform.

“I heard Niladri Kumar for the first time 10 years back and would say that if you have not heard Pandit Ravi Shankar during his youth, you should listen to Pandit Niladri. He plays beautifully,” said Pandit Jasraj.

The event featured a new kind of sound with Niladri Kumar playing not only the sitar but also his incredible innovation called the zitar, a four-string instrument which is able to prolong the sounds of the ragas, unlike the sitar. This innovation gave a peek into the music of the band, who had improvised the classical music in such a way that it could be enjoyed by a global audience. 

The event started out with a flute solo by Rupak Kulkarni, who was soon joined on drums by Gino Banks. Soon, the jugalbandi paved way for Niladri Kumar on the zitar and Agnello on the keyboards. The sound of the instrument was simple yet the deep tones added a new dimension to the music.

The tabla, played by Vijay Ghate, added pace to the music piece. But what was completely breathtaking was the pulsating climax just before which the music developed the character of an incoming wave finally leaving the audience only with the stagnant tones of the zitar. This was followed by a jugalbandi of the flute and tabla, which was mischievous and fast-paced.

Another great moment during the evening was the guitar solo by Elvis which was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.

The next piece had Niladri Kumar taking up the sitar letting the audience enjoy
the beautiful music.

The concert featured around six original compositions from the band, each piece being unique and extending the boundaries of music itself.

The evening was a success and allowed the music lovers to witness the wonderful
combination of Indo-Western music.