It came to a dream true for Berlin-based sitarist Sebastian Dyer when he took stage with six other stars, spreading his roots around the world, to perform at the Goethe-Jentrum Trivandrum in Thiruvananthapuram on 13 February. This was the first film. The concert of the collective, known as string theory. Performance started with a piece in Rag Jog in Deepchandi Lock, After compositions in Jinjoti, Kafee, Puria Dhanashree, Bhairav, Bindavani Sarang and Darbari Canada Rags.

Most of the Sitarists settled in the German capital from Berlin to String Collectors – Dewar from South Africa, Handong Roy from South Africa, Anurag Sharma from India, Tina Bartel aka Trilli, Mathius Sedel and Susain Critsman (who cannot participate in the concert Were) from Germany. Alexandra Konchuk from Russia fulfills a sitarist, with three decades of experience. He was accompanied by Indian ambush Ritnasri Iyer on Tabla.

“It began practically,” says Sebastian, a faculty of Fanny Hance Music School in Berlin. “Except two members, others study there. Typically, when you learn Western equipment such as guitar and violin, you play them in a band and you have classes with them as an orchestra. This was not the case with the sitar. So I wondered why not a sitar comes with collective, ”says Sebastian.

Sebastian Draer from Germany | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

For many musicians, his first attempt with instruments was through the prestigious English Rock Band, The Beatles. It was thanks to the band that Alexander came to the heavenly sitar Pandit Ravi Shankar, who was the band’s head guitarist George Harrison’s associate and guru. A Protease Alexandra of Mahotram Sabri and Ustad Rafiq Khan, soon turned from the guitar to the sitar and even bought a copy of Ravi Shankar’s autobiography. My music, my lifeImitation of the chromosome of the sitar on the cover. “This was my first practice,” he says.

Alexandra Konchuk from Russia | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Will, who is from Johannesburg, also listened to Ravi Shankar and Beatles while growing up. When she got the vinyl record of Ravi Shankar’s concerts for sitar and orchestra in her father’s collection, her interest increased. Seoul to handong, who found Sebastian after a long discovery, is a similar story.

Dewar from South Africa | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Handong Royu from South Korea | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Anurag Sharma of Haryana, the only Indian musician in the group, started listening to sitar music to get concentration while working as an IT professional. “It was like a ‘forbidden’ music because it was difficult to learn and in my circle no one heard it,” says Anurag, who started training under Sebastian, when he moved to Berlin for work.

Anurag Sharma from India | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

He was influenced by the German pop band, which shows the instrument in his songs, unlike others, saying Mathius of Berlin.

Mathius Cedel from Germany | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“I started playing the sitar because music touched me deeply. I could not understand this. I did not know that but it cried me a lot. So I wondered why it doesn’t learn, ”says Trilli of Berlin who found a Shopis sitar in his basement, a heritage from his grandparents who were missionaries in Kerala. The composer took this tool to the sebastian, which was asked to train him on. Recalling the sebastian, he said, “I laughed and said that I can’t teach you in it.”

Tina Bartel from Germany | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Initially trained by Gisella Tarvit at Potsdam, Germany, and later by Partha Chatterjee from Kolkata, Sabstians explain how foreign artists often begin to learn to means as adults. “I was 20 when I began to learn,” Sebastian says that currently teach 12 students in his music school.

A striking difference between European and Indian classical music is the presence of strict notes in the east and the presence of the space between notes in the latter, says Sabstians. “There are rules, but they do not make it more difficult. Instead, it is like grammar for a language, which gives you the freedom to express things correctly, ”he says.

The global popularity of Indian classical music is closely related to the presence of Indian migrants, with Will, who grew up among a large group of Indians in Johannesburg. During his college days as an architecture student, he was conveyed to other original equipment such as Sarod and Tabla through his Indian classmates.

The sitar music culture in Berlin takes place only in small circles, Sabstian states that the recent drawback of Indian artists traveling to Germany is mentioned. “The big names came to Germany from the 70s to the 90s and also in the early 2000s. Many veteran artists have either passed away and remuneration is also called less, ”says Sebastian.

“Earlier people will thrill the events characterized by Indian music. Now, everyone can go to India and not brand alone attracts people. This is something special because it is from India. It is a classical art form and should be promoted in such a way that many organizers do not understand, ”he says.

However, the sebastian string is hopeful about the principle. “I have other music ideas and still have much to find a lot. I hope it can bring new audiences, and motivate people to learn. This is a chance to attract this generation and it would be great to offer a new sound culture, ”he says.