Reluctant Pianist

Catching up with jazz musician Sharik Hasan as he tours India with his group

As a child in Bangalore in the 80s,Sharik Hasan was fascinated by a beautiful black piano in his home. He would stand mesmerised as his mother played those black-and-white keys. Soon,he too began learning the piano but music was second to academics. I never took it seriously,for it didnt seem like a viable option back then,says Hasan,who went on to study mathematics and English in the US.

Almost a decade later,this reluctant pianist is now touring India with his collective,Sharik Hasan New York Quartet,and will perform in Delhi,Mumbai,Kolkata,Hyderabad,Chennai and Goa. I was in first-year college in 2002,when I had my first exposure to jazz,and was blown away. Around me were all these young people majoring in music and I wondered how it could ever be more than a hobby, he says.

It was then that Hasans training truly began he attended jazz concerts,sat in on rehearsals,paid

a classmate for piano lessons and heard as many jazz giants on CDs as he could. He even crashed legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubecks concert once. Hasan took a year off from college and returned to Bangalore in 2005.

This was a time when venues were sprouting all over and people were taking music seriously. I became more confident; I was even being paid. I decided that music was all I wanted to do, he says. Since then,Hasan has trained with various music schools and is currently finishing his post-graduation in music from the Manhattan School of Music.

About a year ago,he formed the Sharik Hasan New York Quartet with friends and classmates Adam Larson on saxophone,Philippe Lemm on drums and Raviv Markovitz on bass. Their music combines a number of

influences,from the funk jazz tunes of Herbie Hancock to the pop sounds of Michael Jackson and even the complex strains of Ustad Vilayat Khans sitar. These influences can be heard in numbers such as Onwards and Odyssey.

Story continues below this ad

Hasan has also performed on stage with American jazz pianist Dave Kikoksi and American jazz tenor saxophone player Rick Margitza,apart from being a part of Indo-French group,Sharik Hasan Trio,in 2008. While his musical journey sounds uneventful,the transition phases was difficult,he says. At 21,I changed the track of my life and there was a lot of uncertainty and risk. But its been worth it, he adds.

Sharik Hasan New York

Quartet will perform at Cocktails & Dreams,Gurgaon,

on July 13. Contact: 9810104439

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
Delhi news

Loading Taboola...