Eighties rock band, Foreigner, to perform with Niladri Kumar

Come February 13, and the 1980s rock act, Foreigner, will perform with Mumbai’s sitar maestro, Niladri Kumar, as a part of their five-city tour.

Come February 13, and the 1980s rock act, Foreigner, will perform with Mumbai’s sitar maestro, Niladri Kumar, as a part of their five-city tour. The band, most famous for their single, Waiting for a girl like you may not have managed to recreate the same magic in the last two decades, but Kumar is keyed up to play with the American classic rock legends.

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“I don’t agree with the notion of musicians being past their prime,” says the inventor of the zitar, a modified version of the electric sitar. “Musicians aren’t like sportsmen. Their creative genius doesn’t age, it matures.”

While the geriatric balladeers came out with their last album Can’t Slow Down in 2009, Kumar has been busy performing in India and abroad, as well as providing soundtrack for movies like Bunty Aur Babli and Dhoom 2. This time round, Foreigner’s set list comprises a mix of old and new songs, while Kumar is still working out his play list.

“I will be opening for the band. I’m excited about collaborating with them. At the end of our individual sets, we’ll jam together and see how it turns out,” beams Kumar, who has previously jammed with artistes like John Mclaughlin and Zakir Hussain, but never with a rock outfit.

“Personally, it’s a big deal for me. I’m interested to see how different cities in India react to two different genres, western rock and Indian classical, at one concert.”

Foreigner will perform with Niladri Kumar on February 13 at St Andrews Auditorium.

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