HT Kala Ghoda Arts Festival: Maestro Rahul Sharma creates magic, wows crowd with melodies

The concert featured a mix of melodies from his albums, his international performances, as well as some traditional Kashmir folk music

The weather on Sunday evening was the perfect complement to santoor exponent Rahul Sharma as he performed on Day 2 of the HT Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. He presented his trademark fusion of santoor, tabla, drums, bass guitar and keyboards, thrilling the audience that had gathered for the LIC Music Festival co-powered by Fox Life.

Mukundraj Deo (left) and Rahul Sharma at the HT Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, at Cross Maidan on Sunday. (Pratik Chorge/HT)

“The weather is nice; not as cold as Kashmir, but really nice. Would you like to hear a melody from Kashmir?” asked Rahul Sharma, in the middle of his performance, which the audience responded to with delighted cheers.

The concert featured a mix of melodies from his albums, his international performances, as well as some traditional Kashmir folk music. It even included jazz, which illustrated how the santoor could fuse beautifully with the guitar and drums. Not only was every seat taken, more than 100 people stood by the barricades, enjoying the performance. “In a single show, various forms of music were woven together with a brilliance that only someone like Rahul Sharma could deliver,” said Harshal Shah, 72, an Andheri-based businessman who was accompanied by his younger brother.

“People must attend the festival as there is something for everyone — a mix of fusion, classical, folk, Bollywood and international music,” said Nayaab Udhas, co-curator of the music section.

Sharma ended his performance with a piece that allowed each of his instruments to shine individually, eventually fusing the different forms together.

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