Rishab Rikhiram Sharma Pays Tribute to Asha Bhosle with Neo-Classical Concert in Kolkata
Produced by Team Innovation and District by Zomato, the 10-city Sitar for Mental Health India Tour has emerged as one of the most talked-about live music experiences in the country within the classical music gamut.
Kolkata welcomed sitarist and neo classical musician Rishab Rikhiram Sharma with immense appreciation as over 10,000 attendees gathered at Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, WBTPO for a performance that honoured tradition and culture whilst celebrating the art of experimentation and innovation. Produced by Team Innovation and District by Zomato, the 10-city Sitar for Mental Health India Tour has emerged as one of the most talked-about live music experiences in the country within the classical music gamut.
The evening’s meditative opening set the tone for an emotionally rich musical journey, with Gen Z hot favourite exploring intricate ragas ragas including Bihaag, Kedar, Tilak Kamod and Shyam Kalyan while weaving in his signature fusion style and lighting up the stage fashionably in a bespoke Tarun Tahliani. SITARA – The Next Generation Electric Sitar custom-created by his father and master luthier Sanjay Sharma added a striking visual dimension, while his repertoire spanning original compositions like Shankara, Shiv Kailash, Burning Ghat, Belua and Roslyn to reimagined popular melodies including Harry Potter x Game of Thrones, alongside Bollywood classics like Kal Ho Naa Ho, Zara Zara and Tumhi Dekho Naa kept the audience deeply engaged. As a special performance for his fans in Kolkata, he also performed ‘Ekla Cholo’, the timeless masterpiece by Rabindranath Tagore. The performance concluded with a powerful finale with Chanakya, Kautilya, Venkateswara and Tandavam that earned prolonged applause, reflecting Kolkata’s deep connection to a new presentation of classical music. He also paid a touching tribute to Asha Bhonsale by presenting a sitar rendition of ‘Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar’
Following a remarkable run across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Ahmedabad, each city marked by rave reviews and packed audiences, Kolkata stood as a key cultural highlight of the tour with Chandigarh and Delhi being the last pitstop on the tour.