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Hindol Deb

Sitarist and composer exploring the combinations of Indian music with jazz and various different genres

About Me

Hindol started learning the Sitar at the age of five from his father Sri Panchanan Sardar. Thereafter, he received training from other imminent teachers like Pandit Santosh Bannerji from the Rampur gharana (school of thought)whose profound influence on of Been-ang (special style of playing Veena) on Surbahar inspired him to imbibe that style in his performance. Later he went on to learn from Pandit Deepak Chowdhury who taught him the tantrakari of the Maihar gharana. Some of the other eminent artists who have been a source of Hindol's inspiration are Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, Pandit Nikhil Bannerji, Pandita Girija Devi, Pandit BhimsenJoshi, Pandita Kishori Amonkar among others have shaped Hindol's style of performance.

As one of the Indian music critics wrote in his column,”Hindol’s performance is marked by a combination of technical finesse and a deep sense of maturity.” His indian classical renditions are marked by maintaining the aethetics of the Raga, carefully crafted Improvisation with elaborate rhythmic sections. Hindol’s deep interest in creating meaningful compositions to play together with non-indian instruments led him to finish Masters in Jazz Improvisation from the Hochschule für Musik, Köln. During his study at the University his interest was drawn towards the medieval western music as well as Jazz followed by several sessions with the musicians. The outcome of these sessions are his own projects – Medieval Raga, with Indian & Medieval music composed for Sitar, Cello and Percussion and Essence of Duality , a Crossover-jazz Quartet composed for Sitar, Piano, Double Bass and Drums.

Apart from his own projects, Hindol has been actively involved in combining different other genres with Indian music exploring the infinite combinations in the crossover of Indian music with various other genres like Contemporary Western Classical, Jazz, Flamenco, Nordic folk, Balkan music. In 2015 he did a Crossover Project together with German double Bassist Sebastian Gramss called Roots & Shoots touring India and Germany. He also worked with the well-known Swedish Duo Nina and Mattias Perez on their Nordic-Indian Crossover Northlight to give performances in Sweden and India. In 2018 he recorded for Marcus Stockhausen together with other musicians in Eternal Voyage, released by SONY music. In 2019 he worked with Marina Abramovic in her Project ‘Anders Hören’ performed at the Alte- Oper Frankfurt. He was commissioned by the well-known danseuse Daksha Mashruwala to compose for a music Dance Choreography 'Crossing Oceans' has been staged in all major dance festivals in India.

Hindol has also been invited to several artists-in-residency programs like the Carnegie Hall Alumni residency, Recollets - french ministry of culture, Rikskonzerter Sweden to participate in Ethno, Goethe Institute Germany among others. He has toured internationally in various countries including US, Germany, France, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, Japan, Denmark, Switzerland, Luxembourg.

As a dedicated teacher Hindol conducts Sitar lessons and workshops of Indian Classical music, Improvisation, interpretation of Indian music in Western musical context. Among some of the Institutes he has conducted workshops in Hoschule for Muzik und Tanz in Cologne, Popakademie Mannheim, Rheinische Musicschule Cologne, Arvika, Karlstad and Lund University in Sweden to name a few. Since 2017 Hindol teaches Indian Music at the Popakademie in Mannheim.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because...it is a way of creative self-expression while maintaining a structure I was first exposed to jazz...through the Radio show in India I met [musician name]...Renaud Garcia Fons, Omar Sossa The best show I ever attended was...OmarSossa, Trilok Gurtu at Cologne The first jazz record I bought was...in 2002 My advice to new listeners...let the music seep into you before you switch to something else Or whatever else you have in mind.