Gen Z Collab Of Polish Guitarist Marcin Patrzalek & Sitarist Rishab Sharma
Despite utilizing vastly different tools, the technical parallels between the two young masters became instantly obvious during their unscripted jam resulting in wholesome collaborative duet
An entirely spontaneous cross cultural jam session has taken the internet by storm, featuring Polish guitar prodigy Marcin Patrzalek, who is touring India for the very first time, and Indian neo classical sitar trailblazer Rishab Rikhiram Sharma. This cross-cultural collaboration seamlessly blended the distinct worlds of Western and Indian classical instrumentation, grounding tradition with a modern pop sensibility
The link-up was hosted at fourth generation luthier Sanjay Sharma’s boutique store, Rikhi Ram Music, situated at Gole Market in Delhi. For over a century, the Rikhi Ram lineage has engineered bespoke stringed instruments for legendary classical icons, serving as the perfect historical backdrop for this modern East meets West sonic experiment.
The moment also pays a subtle ode to a massive generational shift in instrumentation, bridging two prominent Gen Z trailblazers who are actively propelling traditional instruments into the modern pop zeitgeist. At 25, Marcin has captured global audiences with his revolutionary percussive fingerstyle guitar playing, championing a style that blends flamenco, classical, rock and electronic elements. Mirroring this digital age disruption is Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, the youngest and final disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar. At 27, he has leveraged his massive digital platform to make Indian classical music more contemporary while elegantly bridging ancient raga therapy with modern mental health advocacy.
Rishab Rikhiram Sharma states, “Welcoming Marcin to our store in Gole Market was such a joy! He is an incredible musician and a curious soul with a genuine love for discovering Indian classical music. We dove into a little theory, explored the magic of the Tihai and eventually turned it all into a jam. This meeting is a testament to the fact that while we handle two entirely different musical ecosystems, we are profoundly united by a shared, universal love for sound, vibration and strings. Moments like these are a beautiful reminder that music really is a universal language with no borders or boundaries, just rhythm, melody and two artists speaking the same language of peace and positivity. I feel honoured and very lucky to do this for a living.”
Marcin states, “I feel so blessed to call Rishab my friend now. When I first met him at his family’s sitar shop in Delhi, I could immediately tell that the atmosphere there was special. There is so much love for music and the sitar in Rishab. What we created together was completely spontaneous. We didn’t prepare at all. Of the two videos, one is Rishab’s composition and the other is mine, and neither of us had heard the other’s piece before. It was pure spontaneity, pure improvisation, and pure inspiration. I feel very blessed to have him as a friend, and I look forward to working together more in the future.”
Despite utilizing vastly different tools, the technical parallels between the two young masters became instantly obvious during their unscripted jam. As forward-facing disruptors of rigid musical constraints, both prodigies specialize in repackaging foundational styles into high-octane audio-visual formats uniquely tailored for modern global audiences.
