East-West 'jugalbandi'

It is bound to be a melodious melange of exotic music, with Frenchman Richard Clayderman’s piano notes floating in harmony with Rahul Sharma’s soul-stirring santoor tunes. The duo has had a long association ever since their first venture Confluence garnered a great response worldwide.

On his two-city tour, Clayderman is looking forward to ‘present some exciting music.’ “I will be indulging in some window tourism between Mumbai and Hyderabad,” jests Clayderman.
Friday will see a two-hour long performance at Shanmukhanda Hall beginning with Clayderman’s half-hour solo show followed by Rahul’s fusion band, and ending with a joint performance by the two music maestros.

“Rahul has an extremely innovative and exploratory style, and has emerged as a torch-bearer of Indian music across the globe,” remarks Clayderman. He believes that working with musicians across the globe helps him discover new boundaries of excellence. “You not only come up with melodies which are pleasing to the audiences but also learn a lot as a performer,” he explains.

“Santoor and piano is a beautiful blend,” says Rahul. “I used to listen to Clayderman’s music since the time I was in school, and sharing the stage with him was like a dream come true,” he adds.  
Clayderman says that he likes to perform for all generations. Also, he does listen to Indian folk and Bollywood music whenever he gets the time. “However, I do not like to perform for people who don’t like my work,” he asserts.