Raag Bhairavi | Niladri Kumar & Pandit Subhankar Banerjee | Sitar & Tabla | Music of India

#darbarfestival | Sitarist Niladri Kumar plays Mishra Bhairavi, named for the goddess of destruction, replete with chromaticism, double-stops, and extraordinary string bends. Learn more about the music Niladri Kumar is known for his expansive modern sitar style, stretching the boundaries of classical music. Trained under his father, a disciple of Ravi Shankar, he was recognised as a prodigy. He has since developed an extraordinary technical command of his instrument, complete with dextrous double stops, whispering string bends, and rapid taans [fast improvised lines]. He makes forays into film composition and is the inventor of the ‘zitar’ - a curious hybrid of electric guitar and sitar. Today he tours extensively with Zakir Hussain’s groups as well as a solo artist. “In Harry Potter, there’s a wand choosing scene where the wand and its user need to have a connect. The sitar too broadly works in a similar style. Only after the instrument and the artiste warm up to each other, the musical spark begins and th