The wedding march

“I think coming up with something organic by way of music is the most innate expression of our marriage in order to begin on new journeys,” says Saskia who learnt music from the Hungarian master Tibor de Machula and vocalist Kaustav Ray and received some training from Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia in Netherlands.

Rao,a disciple of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar,was initiated into sitar by his father NR Rama Rao,one of the first disciples of Shankar.

These days,Rao,Saskia and their 4-year-old son Ishaan divide time between Chittranjan Park in Delhi and Amsterdam. Both regularly compose music for various theatre and dance productions at popular music festivals like the one at Edinburgh.

Saskia has also modified her cello to suit Indian classical needs. “I use a specially designed cello with added strings for the meend (vibration) effect of it,” says Saskia who also plays the instrument sitting on the floor and not on a chair as is customary. And the first pluck of strings is convincing enough and exemplary of her sensitivity towards the nuances of Indian classical music. As she begins with raag Mishra Kaafi in the strong baritone sound of the cello,she seems to be welcomed by Rao’s sitar with an intricately woven resonance as he joins her.

Different octaves of two acoustically different instruments merge and suddenly become one. And the jugalbandi continues.

Curated For You

India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 5th T20I Highlights: IND defeat SL by 15 runs, complete 5-0 series whitewash

Pune sees coldest year-end mornings since 2018, minimum temperature to hover around 10 degree Celsius on New Year

‘They have been intimate with each other’: Anupam Kher on why being friends with an ex-partner shouldn’t be normalised