For years, it has been at the centre of a courtesan’s performance, following her voice, her heart and her poetry. The uncanny familiarity to a haunting wail, the soul-stirring sound — only a sarangi, one closest to the human voice, has the power to evoke an expression so unparallel. But somewhere down the ages, especially when the grand mehfils lost its royal patrons, this famed Indian fiddle lost its glory. “And I want to bring it back to life,” Kamal Sabri, the seventh generation of a distinguished family of traditional musicians that boasts of names like his father, Ustad Sabri Khan of the Senia Gharana, has travelled with his music across the world and is at his ‘project restoration’. Out with his new album, Meditation on Strings, the musician shares his love affair with the sarangi.

“A journey of exploration and adventure,” he smiles. So it has been for Sabri, who has recorded with famous groups like Massive Attack and One Giant Leap, toured with musicians from Scandinavia, performed with Jan Garbarek, the King of Norway and among other international and national festivals, participated as the youngest Indian musician in “Les 24 heures du raga” (the 24 hours Millennium concert) in Paris. Besides, he has played for both Hollywood and Hindi films, composed powerful scores for documentary films, theatre and dance, and during his days in the UK, he formed an ensemble band at the age of 17 and played with the likes of Talvin Singh. “Those were the underground music days,” he laughs, still carrying on with his musical connections. “But in a new avataar,” Sabri’s focus is on classical music. “I want to retain the purity of Indian classical music through the strains of my sarangi. I want the connoisseurs to recognize and respect me as a classical, traditional performer, one who is following the gharana.” That’s the reason Sabri gives the fundamentals a priority and never misses his riyaaz. “Fusion is merely improving on the instrument, it’s more for fame. Real understanding of the instrument and its music lies in learning from Ustads and knowing the roots,” he feels.