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K. Sirdhar |
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K. Sirdhar, Sarod Player 
Two
music traditions co-exist in India, that of the North (Hindustani)
and of the South (Carnatic). They share the same basic systems but
differ greatly in the instruments used, by the Ragas played, and by
the concept of musical expression. It is very rare for musicians to
master both traditions; Sridhar has done so. K.Sridhar was, from very early childhood, initiated into the Carnatic music tradition by his mother, a descendent of fourteen generations of musicians including Narasimha Bhagavater, a master of Carnatic music in Tanjore. From the age of five Sridhar was the pupil of Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar of the Dagar School, the foremost master of the rudra veena and specialist in the traditionally classical and devotional Dhrupad Dhamar style of the North. The sarod is an instrument of great complexity and few musicians choose to play it. Sridhar's study of Hindustani music was long, rigorous and disciplined, in the old style of learning. There are no pupils learning this way now in India. At the age of 12 Sridhar became the youngest member of Ravi Shankar's orchestral group. At 25 he was granted the honorary title "Sur Mani" (Sky Jewel) at the famous festival of Kal-Ke-Kalakar in Bombay. Sridhar started touring out of India in 1982. He has given hundreds of concerts worldwide. He has conducted seminars in Indian music and has forged exciting links with musicians of various disciplines: jazz, flamenco, Arabic, African, Persian and European classical. The spiritual teaching he received from his Sufi guru gives his music a quality described as "the kind of music that opens our hearts" with rare intensity, an exceptional profundity and much virtuosity but without being esoteric. He has made 11 recordings and has composed numerous soundtracks for films including the French film, Pondicherry: Juste Avant L'Oublis, which received the prestigious Jean Vigo Award in 1988. Currently Sridhar is a recording artist for Peter Gabriel's RealWorld Records. In his latest recording for them, Arab Path To India, Sridhar explores the profound connection between Arabic and Indian musical roots. For the past twenty years, Sridhar has traveled the world performing in such diverse locales as Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, Sweden, Singapore, Taiwan, the UK and the USA. He has played at numerous WOMAD festivals around the globe and has been featured on British, Irish, and French TV Anil Datar (Tabla): Anil Datar is an acclaimed Tabla artist who has been receiving training for several years from Tabla maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, one of India's topmost percussionists. Anil has been performing regularly for classical vocal and instrumental music, dance and light music in the USA. Among the artists of note he has accompanied are Irshad Khan (Sitar), Ulhas Bapat (Santoor), K. Sridhar (Sarod). Anil has been teaching Tabla and conducting workshops and lectures in the midwest USA for the last five years. He has also recorded three CDs accompanying reputed artists of Indian classical music. Anil lives in Chicago, IL.
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