Electronic duo Tech Panda x Kenzani collaborates with Hindustani classical musicians and Kathak dancers for Ibtida’s experimental baithak in Mumbai-OxBig News Network

Somewhere between the chaos of tempo rubato in electronic music and the symmetry of classical compositions, there is an undefined sonic space where infinite creative possibilities are waiting to be explored. In an attempt to engage with that space, electronic duo Tech Panda x Kenzani will, for the first time, perform with Hindustani classical musicians and kathak dancers at Royal Opera House in Mumbai, on July 19. The force behind this dialogue between the distinct spectrum of arts is Ibtida, a platform started in 2019 to revive the old-world nostalgia of mehfils and baithaks in India.

The curators of Ibtida, Anubhav Jain and Tanvi Singh Bhatia, have titled this show Surrender/Atmasamarpan. Anubhav says, “The seed of Surrender was planted sometime around March. With Ibtida, the intent has always been to create a platform for new-age artistes, one that blurs lines between the old and the new, the performer and the audience, the seen and the felt. Collaborating with Tech Panda and Kenzani came from a deep curiosity about what happens when two seemingly distinct sonic traditions — the visceral pulse of electronica and the textured depth of Dilli Gharana — speak to one another, not over each other. It wasn’t about fusion for the sake of novelty, it was about allowing a new language to emerge from shared respect.”

One of the mehfils organised by Ibtida
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Sharing the stage with Tech Panda x Kenzani will be dhrupad and khayal vocalist Arman Dehlvi, ghazal singer Vani Babbar, Suhel Saeed Khan on the sitar, Rohit Prasanna on the flute, and kathak dancers Amrapali Bhandari and Priyanka Kapil. Tech Panda aka Rupinder Nanda shares, “I feel so lucky that we could rope in these star musicians for this one-of-a-kind performance. Like, on sitar, is literally the torchbearer of the Dilli Gharana — Suhel, an 11th generation musician. Also, Arman is classically trained in the tabla and vocals and has also been an electronic music producer, so he fit well into the scheme of things.” Kenzani (Kedar Santwani) is as elated while talking about Rohit, the son of flautist Ravi Shankar Prasanna from the Benaras Gharana. “It is literally the first family that comes to mind when the word flute is mentioned. We are lucky to have found each other and rehearsals have been so much fun.”

Though the duo is a bit reluctant to share its set-list for the show, it does spill the beans on how the gig will be a jugalbandi of sorts. The tracks may include some of the duo’s earliest work, like ‘Khoyo’. It recently released ‘Duniya’ that samples a qawwali on a Moog Sub 37 synthesiser alongside the band’s faithful VSTs (Virtual Studio Technology). Rupinder says that the duo wanted songs that can be used as a canvas and really stripped down for all the musicians on stage to effectively showcase their skills. “We have been rehearsing for the past two months! It started with just throwing ideas and defining roles, but now that we are closer to the event, practice has become more serious with each beat and groove counted for and time lapsed to the exact number. Nothing about the performance is going to be impromptu,” says Kedar.

Tech Panda x Kenzani
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

While dissecting the role of the electronic duo and classical musicians on stage, Tanvi says that Tech Panda x Kenzani are not just adding beats. “They’re co-weaving the fabric of the evening. Tech Panda and Kenzani are working closely with the classical artistes to understand their phrasing, mood, and structure. They are producing this show in collaboration with us.”

A baithak that places itself on the edge of experimentation, somewhat subverting the notions of highbrow purists of classical music and quietly pushing the envelope of mainstream resistance, Anubhav is clear about Surrender/Atmasamarpan: “Our approach doesn’t replace the purity of classical; it reframes how we can listen to it, how it can travel, and whom it can reach. This evening is not a compromise. It’s a collision between devotion and disruption. To the purists, we say, this isn’t meant to imitate what’s already perfect. It’s meant to invite new ears to show that Hindustani music can spread and be learnt by a vast audience. And if it ruffles a few, maybe it’s doing something right.”

To get your passes for Surrender/Atmasamarpan, which will be held at The Royal Opera House, Mumbai, on July 19, 8pm onwards, click on the link. Tickets start at ₹3,500.