‘Instrumental music is gradually taking centrestage’, says Purbayan Chatterjee

CHENNAI: Known for his unique blend of Indian classical music with contemporary world music, sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee is on cloud nine as the video song of Garaj Garaj (Rock) from Bandish Bandits Season 2, clocks more than 2.5 lakh views on YouTube within a week of its release. His connection with music started at a very young age and he has worked with a few eminent personalities.

Notably, Purbayan conceptualised an anthem for the city of Kolkata in 2013, titled Tomake Chai Bole Banchi, in an attempt to make the ‘city of joy’ the first city with an official anthem. The sitarist talks to DT next about his musical journey, the challenges of working with a sitar and the future of classical instruments in the growing contemporary music landscape.

Excerpts from the interview:

You come from a distinguished lineage of musicians. How did your early life and training shape your approach to the sitar and Indian classical music?

My music training started early, with vocals at the age of three. I picked up the sitar for the first time when I was five and a half years old, in Switzerland, on tour with my father. Our family was steeped in traditional classical music for a couple of generations, so initially, I couldn’t see much beyond the scope of classical music parameters that happened later in my life.

What was the creative process when composing or recording your sitar solo for Garaj Garaj (Rock) from Bandish Bandits Season 2? Did you receive any specific direction from the show’s creators or were you given free rein?

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are the most amazing as they give the artiste a free run within a structure that they create. This is the best for improvisational musicians as you can let your ideas run free. Soumil Shringarpure called me on the day of this dub, and I turned up there and saw Paresh Pahuja sitting. It was funny that he asked me to play a little simple so that it would be easy for him to learn. Today it is something he and I laugh about.

The sitar is a complex instrument with its nuances. Could you talk about some of the technical challenges that sitarists face, and how you’ve worked to master these aspects of the instrument over the years?

The sitar is a lyrical, versatile, resonant, and beautiful instrument. One of the many challenges faced is the fact that we are limited to a tuning which is usually between C sharp and D sharp. I’m trying to get beyond this by creating a sitar, which is a four-string instrument and has all the frets. So if we learn to play it the right way, we can technically play from any scale and even play some harmonies on it.

Collaborations often require artistes to step out of their comfort zone. What was the most challenging fusion collaboration you’ve worked on, and what did you learn from it?

Right now, I am working on an album with the five-time Grammy-winning artiste Mark Lettieri, who is the guitar player from the band Snarky Puppy. This is proving to be a lot of fun but also challenging. For the first time, we are exploring songs where there are lots of changes in harmony. The music is simple, not complex. It is foot-tapping and youth-centric but we intend to remain faithful to the original recorded version when we play live. This is one of those challenges which I’m looking forward to.

How do you see the future of classical instruments like the sitar in contemporary music, in India and internationally?

Thanks to a series like Bandish Bandit Season Two, the sitar has been made a centrepiece. The central character Mahi is seen as a traditional person but is also willing to challenge the boundaries and break some of the rules to achieve artistic expression. We recently had the opportunity to play at the Ambani wedding with 25 sitars and flutes. Instrumental music is not only getting big but is slowly taking centrestage.

Music is often a reflection of an artiste’s inner world. How do you channel your emotions, thoughts, and life experiences into your performances, especially when you perform solo?

Artistes must be true to themselves. They must live in the moment and listen carefully. I try to live and breathe every moment on stage. What I give my audience is a reflection of my heart and soul in music. There are no boundaries of culture, language or religion. All you do is listen to a certain phrase or rhythm and respond to it with your heart.

As a leading figure in Indian classical music, how do you envision your legacy? What kind of impact do you hope to leave on the world of music and future generations of musicians? ‎

Through my foundation, PAAMF, I try to help young, talented musicians from various parts of the country come to Mumbai and aspire towards an international career. I want every single person with a passion for music to believe that they can make a great career, provided they also feel that they have the talent to do it. We all have a limited time on this planet but when it’s time for me to leave, I would be happy to see a whole generation of people who believe in themselves to the extent that they’re willing to go all the way to pursue their dreams.