Chirag Katti is one of India’s most promising Sitar players and one of the brightest young stars of Indian Classical Music. His music is a great representation of his youthful and exuberant personality. Chirag has music in his genes, his father Pt. Shashank Katti also served as his teacher. Chirag has received the prestigious Surmani award, along with a position on the panel of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). He was also awarded a scholarship for his excellence at the Sitar by the Ministry of Culture New Delhi. (Government of India). Even though he is very young, Chirag has already released albums with major music labels like HMV-Saregama, Times Music and Inner Splendor (New York).
He has also taken his brand of Indian Classical Music to the global stage with concerts in the USA, Japan, South Africa, Austria, UAE and Thailand. Aside from his solo project and performances, Chirag Katti is also a part of a fusion band ‘Sitar Rhapsody’. He has also lent his talents to many films and has worked with famous movie composers such as Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Pritam, Salim-Sulaiman, Ustad Taufiq Qureshi, Sachin-Jigar and Anu Malik.
Chirag Katti’s latest track Passion is a recreation of an old composition of his. The song has been composed by Chirag himself and he does a masterful rendition of the Sitar throughout it. Other musicians involved with the song are Rupak Dharmakar (Tabla), Dharmesh Maru (Keyboards), Hansel Dias (Bass) and Siddharth Nagarajan (Drums).
Chirag believes that in these trying and testing times of COVID-19, it’s an artist’s passion that sees him through the tough situation. An artist’s passion can serve as a river in a time of drought, a harbour in a tempest, eyes in the moon of blindness, and that passion is what this song is dedicated to.
It’s a purely instrumental track. However, it never feels like it is lacking a voice. Chirag’s Sitar sings masterfully through it. He displays his virtuosity throughout the track, playing at incredible speeds while never sacrificing musicality. Passion is not just a showcase of the incredible talents of Chirag Katti, it’s also a great song. There’s enough virtuosity to satisfy the most dedicated Classical Music listener and enough “catchy-ness” to attract the attention for the casual music fan as well. Passion is a well-composed and masterfully performed track. Your replay button is definitely in danger.
Verdict: Come for the virtuosity, stay for the musicality, then do it all over again.
