ek ubharta sitara
As stated by Rave( International Magazine)-‘ There is little doubt that Katti has enormous talent-his playing is both studied and expansive, and he tackles difficult raags with panache. Also, his sitar skills bear the mark of years of practice’.
• Chirag performed as a classical soloist at Tokyo Radio Japan when he was only 16 years old.
• Chirag has been awarded the scholarship for Sitar by the Ministry of Culture New Delhi.( Government of India).
• Chirag is an empanelled artist of Indian Council for Cultural Relations- ICCR
Apart from classical solo concerts Chirag also performs with his fusion band‘ Sitar Rhapsody’ Chirag has also worked for films with many music-directors like Pyarelalji( Laxmikant-Pyarelal), Pritam, Salim-Sulaiman, Ustad Taufiq Qureshi, Amit Trivedi, Sachin Jigar, Monty Sharma, to name a few.
• What is your greatest inspiration for opting Music in your life? Answer: Frankly speaking, I don’ t know; because Music came very naturally to me. It was in my family. So as a toddler I started by imitating what my father was doing. That’ s how I started playing with the toy Sitar.
• What is the basic quality which is required to be a musician?
Answer: One should be a good listener, observer, disciplined, dedicated, focused and have lot of patience and perseverance.
• Can you please tell something about your Guru and Gharana? Answer: My Guru is my father Pt. Shashank Katti. Initially he acquired the knowledge of classical vocal music from his mother and then learnt from Pt. K. T. Bhatawdekar, who was one of the senior most disciples of Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb. So I belong to the
Imdadkhani Gharana. But having said that, my father always encouraged me to listen to all the Artists, be it an instrumentalist or a vocalist from different gharanas, and try to adapt whatever I like and present it in my own way.
• How do you define Guru Shishya Parampara? Answer: In India, Guru Shishya Parampara is an ancient method of teaching, wherein the student not only learns the music or the Art form, from his guru but also stays with him and tries to grasp whatever the Guru has to offer. As far as I am concerned, I was born in my Guru’ s house... my father. Fortunately for me, I didn’ t have to search for a Guru; was blessed to have one in the form of my father.
• How you celebrate Guru Poornima? Answer: By offering prayers to God, our spiritual( Adhyatmik) guru and to the Guru who taught us this Art form.
• How do you define Complete Surrender? Answer: The way a baby has complete faith and belief when he / she is lifted in the the air by the mother; that the mother is going to catch him safely, similarly one has to have complete trust and belief in your Guru.
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