The fifth generation of a family of professional sitar players and the son and disciple of Sitar Maestro Pandit Kartick Kumar, he has undoubtedly made his mark, as one of the finest young Sitar Virtuoso… Niladri Kumar, a torch bearer for the future of Indian Music, with his prodigious technique acquired through years of learning and the deep understanding of diverse musical styles.

Deeply steeped in tradition through all his growing up years, it was a real eye opener, when during his college days he got exposure to what he calls ‘the new culture’, followed by ‘generation next’ and the music they appreciated. "The attempt to relate to the likings of this generation, literally changed my outlook towards music." says Niladri.

With this new perspective in mind, Niladri brought about the initiative of extending the boundaries of his musical realm. He combined his understanding of diverse Indian musical gharana styles with world music styles, through imaginative experiments.

Niladri truly believes, “Music is meant to touch the soul of the listener and the driving force is to aspire to maintain a fine harmony between tradition and modernity that is in sync with the sensibilities of a global audience.” It was probably this very sentiment and his tremendous creative enthusiasm that led to him crafting a truly zany and zestful sound in the form of a ZITAR. This five stringed instrument, thereafter, helped give wings to Niladri’s flights of artistic expression.

ALBUMS:

An orthodox among the traditional and optimistically fearless among the creative, Niladri is a rare instrumentalist with a unique musical repertoire. His immense talent is featured in innumerable number of albums.

Some of his Indian classical albums are ‘Where Innovation meets Tradition / Together’, ‘Dharohar’, ‘Revelation’ and ‘Saanjh Sur’. Where as ‘IF’ and ‘Sitar Gaze / Chillout Forever’ are some of his Fusion albums along with 10 other international albums. Besides this Niladri is a guest musician on the latest CD ‘Floating Point’ by jazz guitar legend John McLaughlin.

FILMWORKS:

He started his Film music career as a musician sometime around 1991/92.

“Now a days the kind of music being used in films is slightly different, therefore it’s really exciting to work with Music Directors who are willing to experiment.” says Niladri, who has enjoyed playing for Laxmikant-Pyarelal, A R Rahman, Anu Malik, Pritam and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and many more. Chup Chup ke from Bunty and Babli has a prominent sleeve played by him on the sitar. While Bheeegi Bheegi si from Gangster, Alvida from Life In A Metro or Crazy Kiya Re from Dhoom 2 are accentuated by the distinct sounds of his inimitable zitar renditions.

RECITALS & CONCERTS:

Be it for his Indian Classical music recitals or his World Music Concerts, Niladri displays an uncanny ability to strike an instant rapport with audiences, young and old, with his unique musical repertoire.  He has already travelled all over the world performing at numerous prestigious Festivals, Venues and Concert halls. Lately, he has been touring with non other than the legendary Ustad Zakir Hussain's ‘Masters of Percussion’ tour.

While tactfully maintaining his busy schedule of concerts, recitals and recordings, Niladri adds ‘zing’ to corporate events of reputed companies.

BANDS & SITARFUNK: 

“Fusion music does not follow any guidelines, therefore it gives the artiste great liberty to experiment especially when performing with other talented musicians. Yet, a fusion concert is only truly able to transcend to an all time high, when each member performs the best of his individual, unique talent within the unity and oneness of the band to complement each other and I have been lucky to experience this magic!” Niladri remarks with a twinkle in his eyes.

‘Asia ElectriK’’ - Sivamani, Niladri Kumar and Louis Banks;

‘TaNi’’ - Taufiq Qureshi and Niladri Kumar;

‘SiTARFUNK’ - Niladri Kumar with fiery generation next musicians.

Niladri has the unmistakable Arien trait of being a firebrand, who believes in forging his way through life with daring, initiative and enterprise. Having received so many rave reviews the world over for his unparalleled performances and renditions, Niladri is considered one of his generations brightest stars with a career that promises to be illustrious and innovative. With so many accolades, one can say that this is only the beginning of the journey for Niladri, a person, who is blessed with a legacy and is crafting a talent to versatility.