Niladri’s midas touch transforms classical music to reach out to masses
Although classical music has been the backbone and the ambassador of Indian culture in and across the world for thousands of years, its scope in the present era has been restricted to the classes that have a deep understanding of the aforementioned.
This, on the other hand, has created a need for classical music to penetrate into the hearts and souls of the next generation in a modern manner. A mass population or younger generation is much more receptive to its modern counterpart or a mixed form of Indian and western music. Classical music needs today to protect and popularise.
However, the younger generation is much more receptive towards modern music that has an altogether different approach and has been warmly received among the masses, particularly the youngsters.
Renowned Sitarist Niladri Kumar’s experiment to strike a balance between the two (classical and modern music), has successfully forayed into the hearts of the people in India and across the world. His invention Zitar and electric Sitar too has contributed as a catalyst in the process.
Kumar, who is known also as a global exponent of fusion music –an amalgam of classical and western music performed his pure classical music on Sitar at the Tomb of great music maestro of all times Tansen during the inaugural ceremony of the International Tansen Festival held on 26 December last year in Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh, the birthplace of Tansen who was one of the nine gems in the court of Emperor Akbar. His performance received an overwhelming response from the public.
Kumar believes that the Riyaz (exercise) of music and the practice of Sadhana (meditation) in spirituality is the parallel approaches of connecting with the Supreme Power for an artist and a seeker respectively. He shared this thought while visiting Adhyatm Niketan, a world-famous spiritual centre in Gwalior along with Pandit Kartick Kumar, and Samira. They also met spiritual Sant Kripal Singh, who has been leading the functioning of the ‘Sant Parampara’ of the Ashram since his Guru, Huzur Malik Sahab took ‘Samadhi’. “I could feel the positive vibes in and across the Ashram, that in turn boosts the sense of tranquillity.” Niladri also Said.
Music maestro Kumar has invented ‘Zitar’ -an electric and a modern form of the Sitar that haves five strings, he says that he is still trying to achieve the right balance between performing pure classical and fusion music.
On registering his presence at the renowned music festival, Tansen Samaroh, held every year in Gwalior, Niladri said, “it was like a dream come true for my father and a great pleasure for me. He dreamt of me marking my Haziri (performance of Sitar) at the holy tomb of Tansen Saheb at the music festival, which is known as a confluence of some of the best artists in the line of classical music.” “And I fulfilled a dream of my father who is also my Guru by demonstrating of my art here” he added.
Though there have been many instances when Niladri has composed a music album for mainstream Hindi films. He composed a fusion version of the song ‘crazy kiya re..’ on Zitar which has received an overwhelming response worldwide.
Niladri is the fifth generation Sitar player in his family, trained under his father Kartick Kumar.
Niladri gave his first public performance at the age of six, and now, he has become one of the most sought-after musicians in the country in the line of classical music.
Kumar’s father Kartick who is a famous Sitarist has been honoured with the Madhya Pradesh government’s ‘National Kalidas Award’ by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the recently held international Tansen Music Festival. On this occasion Union Ministers, Narendra Singh Tomar and Jyotiraditya Scindia and Madhya Pradesh Ministers Pradhyumn Singh Tomar, Usha Thakur and Bharat Singh Kushwah were present.
Niladri is known for connecting the traditional Sitar with a punch of modern notes and revolutionising the art of Sitar playing.
Not only this but Niladri is also known as the inventor of his own instrument, the red Electric Sitar, popularised as Zitar.
His ability to balance classical and contemporary music has been able to draw a number of people–both nationally and internationally towards Indian classical music.
Kumar with his presentations with Zitar and Sitar have attracted both the young and the old generations towards the source of his music–the Indian classical music. Niladri’s fingers play effortlessly on the Sitar.
