Sitar

 

I studied the Sitar for six years (97-03) under Sri Patric Marks of Chicago, IL.  Patric passed away on 23 November 2008, following a valiant battle with cancer.   He taught the Sitar and Tabla to a large body of students in the IL/IN/WI region. 

Patric studied the Sitar under Ustad Ghulam Hussain Khan of the Indore Gharana. He had also trained under Ustad Rais Khan for a while.  Patric was from the Indore Gharana (lit. Indore School).  

Ustad Bande Ali Khan founded the Indore Gharana.  He was an outstanding musician in the Maratha court of Indore in the 19th century, and he played an instrument known as the Been, or, Veena, which was a precursor to the Sitar. The genealogy of the Indore Gharana relevant to Patric is shown below.

Patric Marks on YouTube (Raga: Yaman Kalyan)

Patric Marks on YouTube (Raga: Behag)








I am currently studying the Sitar under Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, who was the Ustad Allahuddin Khan Professor, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, India.  He is currently with the Faculty of Music at Sikkim University at Gangtok.

Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay on YouTube (Raga: Miya-ki-Malhar)

Patric Marks (1936-2008)

Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay

I am sitting-through (i.e. “auditing”) my wife’s vocal lessons from Pandit (Dr.) Rajaram Kale, which has helped me with my Sitar-playing, as well. In my opinion, it is mandatory for any student of instrumental music to get some training in the vocal idiom, as well.

Raja-ji is one of the senior-most students of the legendary vocalist (late) Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki. He is a remarkable teacher with a large repertoire of material.  He runs the Swarabhishek Gurukul in Mumbai, India, which offers online classes to students spread over the world. If you have an interest in taking lessons, I highly recommend you contact his school.

Some of my instruments  have featured in the “Museum Pieces” section of Tony Karasek’s website.  Here are pictures of my 1960’s Naskar Surbahar (Bass Sitar) purchased from Brian Godden many years ago.  Tony’s website also features my 1960’s Hiren Roy “Ink Label” Sitar. Here is a two-minute clip of me playing Raga Kafi in Teen-Taal (16 beats; 4+4+4+4) on this Sitar.  

I have other sitars of different vintages, as well.   In 2009, I bought this badly damaged 1930’s Lahore Sitar from Gruhn Guitars, TN.   The broken “tumba” was fixed by Tom Sturm from Berwyn, IL.  Tony Karasek worked on it afterwards and brought it back to life.  Here are the pictures of the restored instrument - Photo #1, Photo #2, Photo #3, and Photo #4.  Here is a Mishra Kafi Hori in Deepchandi-Taal (14 beats; 3+4+3+4) of mine on this restored vintage sitar.


Pandit (Dr.) Rajaram (Raja) Kale