Mystical medleys

WHILE many of us grappled to make sense of lockdown life by taking up new interests such as cooking, painting or learning an instrument, the process of creating art while being stuck within four walls affected many artists of the world. For Delhi-based band Kitanu, which was formed in 2017, the pandemic became a bane to their existence. Struggling to produce their debut EP, this five-piece band—Rohan Prasanna on sarod (right in above image), Omkar Raghupatruni on guitar (left in image), Arman Handa on bass guitar, Guru Ganapathi on drums, and Siddhant Sarkar on vocals (centre in image)—that blends folk sounds with conventional Western instruments, was almost on the verge of breaking up even before they could establish themselves. However, luck was on their side; with patience and perseverance, the band managed to launch their eponymous EP in August this year. Their EP is a combination of individual influences of each band member.

- DYUTI ROY

In this edition of Soundscape, we speak to Kitanu’s vocalist Sarkar to discuss their music, the unique band name, and more. Excerpts:

Where did the idea of merging the sound of the sarod with Western instruments germinate?