String Concept, a Berlin-based sitar band that includes worldwide musicians, makes its debut in Thiruvananthapuram

It was a dream come true for Berlin-based sitarist Sebastian Dryer when he took the stage with six different sitarists, their roots unfold internationally, to carry out on the Amphitheatre at Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum in Thiruvananthapuram on February 13. That was the debut live performance of the collective, often known as String Concept. The efficiency started with a bit in raag Jog in Deepchandi taal, adopted by compositions in Jhinjoti, Kafi, Puriya Dhanashree, Bhairav, Brindavani Sarang and Darbari Kanada raags.

The string collective from Berlin largely consists of sitarists settled within the German capital — Will Dewar from South Africa, Handong Ryu from South Korea, Anurag Sharma from India, Tina Bartel aka Trilli, Matthias Seidel and Susanne Kretschmann (who couldn’t attend the live performance) from Germany. Aleksandr Konanchuk from Russia, a sitarist with over three many years of expertise, completes the ensemble. They had been accompanied by Indian exponent Retnasree Iyer on the tabla.

“It began relatively pragmatically,” says Sebastian, a school on the Fanny Hense Music College in Berlin. “Besides for 2 members, the others examine there. Normally, once you be taught Western devices such because the guitar and the violin, you play them in a band and you’ve got lessons with them as an orchestra. This wasn’t the case with sitar. So I assumed why not give you a sitar collective,” says Sebastian. 

Sebastian Dreyer from Germany
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For a number of musicians, their first tryst with the instrument was by way of the long-lasting English rock band, The Beatles. It was due to the band that Aleksandr got here throughout the late sitar participant Pandit Ravi Shankar, who was a collaborator and guru of George Harrison, the band’s lead guitarist. Aleksandr, a protege of Mahotram Sabri and Ustad Rafique Khan, quickly switched from guitar to sitar and even purchased a replica of Ravi Shankar’s autobiography My Music, My Life, imitating the sitar virtuoso’s posture on the duvet. “That was my first train,” he says.

Aleksandr Konanchuk from Russia
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Will, who’s from Johannesburg, too listened to Ravi Shankar and The Beatles whereas rising up. His curiosity piqued when he discovered a vinyl document of Ravi Shankar’s Concerto for Sitar & Orchestra in his father’s assortment. Handong from Seoul, who discovered Sebastian after an extended search, has the same story.

Will Dewar from South Africa
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Handong Ryu from South Korea
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The one Indian musician within the group, Anurag Sharma from Haryana, began listening to sitar music to get focus whereas working as an IT skilled. “It was form of a ‘taboo’ music as a result of it was tough to be taught and no person in my circle listened to it,” says Anurag, who started coaching underneath Sebastian after he moved to Berlin for work.

Anurag Sharma from India
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Matthias from Berlin, says, he was influenced by German pop bands, which featured the instrument of their songs, in contrast to the others.

Matthias Seidel from Germany
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“I began taking part in sitar as a result of the music touched me very deeply. I couldn’t perceive it. I didn’t know why nevertheless it made me cry loads. So I assumed why not be taught it,” says Trilli from Berlin, who discovered a showpiece sitar in her basement, an heirloom from her grandparents who had been missionaries in Kerala. The musician took this instrument to Sebastian asking him to coach her on it. “I laughed out and stated no I can’t train you on this,” remembers Sebastian.  

Tina Bartel from Germany
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Initially educated by Gisela Tarwitt in Potsdam, Germany, and later by Partha Chatterjee from Kolkata, Sebastian factors out how international artistes typically begin studying the instrument as adults. “I used to be 20 years previous after I began studying this,” says Sebastian at the moment instructing 12 college students in his music faculty.

A placing distinction between European and Indian classical music is the presence of strict notes within the former and the importance of areas between the notes within the latter, says Sebastian. “There are guidelines, however these don’t make it tougher. As an alternative, it’s like grammar for a language, which supplies you the liberty to precise issues correctively,” he says. 

The worldwide recognition of Indian classical music is carefully associated to the presence of the Indian diaspora, says Will, who grew up amongst a big group of Indians in Johannesburg. Throughout his faculty days as an structure pupil, he was uncovered to different native devices equivalent to sarod and tabla by way of his Indian classmates.

The sitar music tradition in Berlin solely occurs in smaller circles, factors out Sebastian referring to a current dearth of Indian artists travelling to Germany. “Massive names had come to Germany from the 70s till the 90s and likewise early 2000s. Many veteran artistes have both handed away and remuneration can also be stated to be low,” says Sebastian.

“Earlier individuals would throng occasions that includes Indian music. Now, everyone can go to India and the model alone doesn’t appeal to individuals. It could actually even have an aftertaste of exoticism to say one thing is particular as a result of it’s from India. It’s a classical artwork kind and needs to be promoted as such, which many organisers don’t perceive,” he provides. 

Nevertheless, Sebastian is hopeful about String Concept. “I’ve different musical concepts and there’s nonetheless loads to discover. I hope that this will convey new audiences, and may inspire individuals to be taught. It’s an opportunity to draw this technology and it could be nice to supply a brand new sound tradition,” he says.