After the release of Ali Ayub’s amazing interviews, we thought it only natural to check which sitar-player was the favourite of our readers. Be sure to choose wisely!
Author Archives: savethesitar
The Sarangi
No-one is quite sure what the sarangi’s name is meant to mean. Some argue that it comes from the Persian for ‘three strings’, while others claim that it means ‘a hundred colours’, a reference to its incredible musical range. Whatever it means, one cannot deny that that very name is now synonymous with Pakistani classicalContinue reading “The Sarangi”
From the Archives of Ali Ayub
Hello dear reader! Or better still, dear researcher! Save the Sitar is proud to bring to you the field work of Ali Ayub, a former student at NCA whose graduation dissertation explored the major sitar gharanas found in Pakistan. In 2007 he set off on a journey across the country to interview prominent sitarists andContinue reading “From the Archives of Ali Ayub”
The Ektara
Hmm, well, it has a rather curious name, to be sure. Most instruments have names whose etymologies are extremely hard to trace, leading to a delightful (well, only for those who are interested in such things) research spree as one races from one obscure source to the other. The ektara, on the other hand, hasContinue reading “The Ektara”
The Song of the Surmandal
Niaz Khan is certainly a well-travelled, multi-talented and multi-lingual individual. He has been to many countries around the world, from Russia to India, can sing in many languages, play the surmandal and makes a variety of instruments, from the druza to the harmonium. A man of many talents, as we said before, and certainly oneContinue reading “The Song of the Surmandal”