Indian sounds are set to get a bigger role in world music with many foreign artists choosing to play tablas and sitars.
The fascination for Indian classical instruments and the 'Indian sound' is certainly growing. While famous bands like Oasis, Coldplay (Life in Technicolor) and the Beatles have dabbled with Indian instruments and sounds at some point, many emerging fusion and world music artists are producing music seeped in Indian musical influences.
The French band called Masala Dosa, which has a following of fusion lovers in France and the UK is currently on a 10-concert tour to India organised by Alliance Francaise. Talking about Electro World Curry, which is the new opus of the French quartet, Masala Dosa sitar player Pierre Jean Duffour says, "I learnt the sitar in Benares in India and studied the tabla in Pushkar. I have also been clued into Asian electronica."
You could also take the band Prem Joshua, which has been touring the country with their latest album Prem Joshua and Band in Concert. The sitar player of the band by the same name, has a love for India and says his classical music goes back a long way. "I have many gurus but my most important teacher is sitar maestro Ustad Usman Khan."
His learning goes back to the early '80s. "I fell in love with Indian music then and learnt several instruments. I guess my roots are in Indian classical but I also have a background in western music like jazz and rock." Though the sitar is the dominant instrument among the sounds in the band, but what stands out most is the fusion, mixing meditative classical Indian ragas.
According to flute player Navin Iyer who has played in several of AR Rahman's compositions, including Slumdog Millionaire and Delhi 6 and has been a part of the world music project Laya Project, the sitar and tabla have become very popular. "Apart from these, there has also been great interest globally in other Indian instruments including the flute," he says.
There are several musicians like him who have been learning these instruments. For instance, Australian sarod player Adrian McNeil learnt the sarod in India for 10 years before moving back to Australia to carry on the legacy. McNeil does international performances and teaches the instrument. So, along with African drum beats and the Chinese flute, it sure looks like our Indian instruments are rocking too.
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