Sarod maestro Anupam Shobhakar talks to 'The Perfect Voice' about his instrument KaliMa and how music transcends all barriers and boundaries
In a rich gathering of music and art, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival saw music maestro Anupam Shobhakar perform, treating audiences to his beautiful blend of Indian and Western music. The Brooklyn-based composer, record producer and sarodist will mark Holi with a new album, Liquid Reality that combines the Hindustani classical tradition with global sounds.
He’s invented the KaliMa, an instrument that combines the guitar with the sarod. In a conversation with The Perfect Voice, Shobhakar talks about music transcending barriers of language and region.
Can the sarod play western music?
It’s totally incumbent on the musician behind the instrument. No instrument plays Indian or western music on its own. I would encourage a deep listen to an album called, Still Point: Turning World. This was a collaboration between me and guitarist Joel Harrison. The meeting of eastern and western ideas goes quite deep in it. We tried to stay away from the shallow, exotic ways these things are done sometimes by musicians from all styles. I follow that mantra myself — learn and respect all music equally.
How does music transcend barriers and boundaries?
Music is one of the only mediums that does so. It’s the very reflection of human existence. You can have two people of totally opposite cultures in terms of language or food or appearance but if they have instruments, they will communicate musically and a bridge will be born. This is a profound thing. Even animals respond to music. It’s truly a transcendent medium of communication.
What's the concept of Liquid Reality?
Liquid Reality is my new album coming out on AGS recordings and I’m very excited for it. As a global musician and composer, it really highlights the ethos of international unity for me as I live in the most diverse part of the world culturally which is New York City. It features very diverse music from a modern adaptation of ghazal to a reshaped shakti classic to fiery duos for guitar and kanjira to deep episodic Brazilian inspired music. It has some of the greatest players and improvisers alive today.
When you collaborate with artistes who excel in different forms of music, how do you manage to put diverse styles and sounds together?
It all comes down to the writing and the integrity of your ideas and aesthetic evolution. I don’t like to think of music as any different from how one puts food together. If you have good taste - your food will taste good. Music and art in general are very similar.
What exactly is the KaliMa and how does it help you express your music?
KaliMa is my new fretted and fretless double-neck guitar. Being a child of both worlds, of western and eastern musically, it was very important for me to have an instrument that covers both universes. Now from my sarod repertoire to my western rock and jazz influences - the KaliMa helps me cover it all. As for the name - my family have been Kali worshippers for generations. I wanted to honour their legacy by naming the instrument KaliMa. This instrument was commissioned in 2023 and made by a wonderful luthier from Istanbul, Turkiye by the name of Ave Guitars. He’s a one-man Stradivarius when it comes to guitar building and given how young he is, his skill is unparalleled globally according to me.
How does it create sounds that are similar to Indian and western music?
The sounds any instrument creates are up to the instrumentalist. If I want to play a two-hour rendition of say Raga Marwa on it KaliMa allows me to do just that. If I want to explore deep western harmony or just go all out playing rock and metal, the KaliMa allows and blesses that side too.
What kind of music have you created on the KaliMa?
My new Album Liquid Reality is entirely composed on the KaliMa. I have been playing Indian classical concerts all over the world on it and my trio called the Kalki trio as well with Swami selva Ganesh on kanjira and Amit Mishra on tabla. The music tends to flow more naturally for me through this instrument I call KaliMa.
What inspires your music?
I don’t think I have any external inspiration because music is pretty awe inspiring to begin with. If my mind is at ease - the music flows naturally for me. The challenge and craft come into capturing the ideas and then setting them free!
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