As a part of the Francophonie 2023 celebration, Alliance Française de Chandigarh in association with the Quebec Government Office in Mumbai and the Consulate of Canada recently presented a unique music project – Geet-Taar & Taal.
The fusion music concert featured Nadaka, the creator & designer of the 24-string guitar ‘Geet-Taar’ instrument, joined by two excellent Indian classical musicians: Ilyas Khan, who played the ancient, bowed instrument Sarangi and Chandrashekar Gandhi on Tabla.
A Cultural Upbringing
Nadaka was born and raised in Québec City and began playing the guitar at a young age. At 16, he decided to travel overseas across the world to India, his adopted country. His love and passion for Indian culture led him to study its music and learn vocals and Indian string instruments – Veena and Sarod. Later he designed and crafted a unique instrument of his own, a 24-string Raaga Guitar specially designed to play the subtle tones of Indian music that he often also likes to call the “Geet-Taar” (singing strings), combining elements of the veena, swarmandal, tanpura, and even guitar; into one. Nadaka is renowned for his virtuosity and signature contemplative sound, which seamlessly combines traditional Indian music with contemporary styles. He has also integrated high-tech electronics into his instrument, allowing him to create orchestral soundscapes.
A Culmination of Music Maestros
At the Fusion Concert, Nadaka was joined by the award-winning Sarangi player & singer — Ilyas Khan, widely known for his traditional performances as well as fusion styles created in collaboration with artists across the world. He is the recipient of awards like the Pandit Omkar Nath Award by the Government of Gujarat for best sarangi player in Gujarat and the Pandit Adityanath Award for best player & best improvisational skills in ragas. He has collaborated with music maestros like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Abdul Sattar Tari Khan, Sabir Khan, Ustad Gulam Ali, Mohammad Hussain, Ahmad Hussain, Aslam Khan and Kathak Dancers — Pandit Birju Maharaj, and Pandit Partap Pawar.
Joining them also was — Chandrashekar Gandhi on Tabla who has shared the stage with great musicians like Pandit Yogesh Samsi, Pandit Ravindra Chary, and Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya. He has also performed at prestigious events like the Saptak Festival, Sawai Gandharva Pune, and the Thiba Festival.
Geet-Taar & Taal is on a tour across India, displaying their musical prowess by performing in 9 cities!
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