Rahul Sharma to enthrall fans at Dubai concert today

After Dubai he will be performing next month in London in a project called 'In the footsteps of Babur' with musicians from Tajkistan and California.

MUSIC TODAY IS global and one can reach out to fans across the world and one doesn't need to only be commercial to achieve satisfaction, said Rahul Sharma, who is a Hindustani classical musician, santoor player and a vocalist. Rahul - son of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma - will be performing in Dubai today with the popular global artists at Global Fusion 2016. In an exclusive interview with City Times, Rahul talks about his plans for 2016, retaining the purity of music and above all the desire to perform with his father Pandit Shivkumar Sharma.
When was the last time you visited UAE for a performance? And what can your fans look forward to this year at Global Fusion 2016?
I performed last year and year before last consecutively at DUCTAC in Dubai. Dubai has a diverse crowd and I always look forward to performing there. Global Fusion is a completely novel performance with musicians such as Pete Locket, Buddy Wells, Georges Kazazian and many more exploring global sounds and creating something new on stage for the first time, so fans have a lot to look forward to.
How do you see 2016 as a year in terms of promoting your talent; are there any new tracks/ joint albums in the pipeline, are you collaborating with musicians abroad since you have worked with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Kenny G, Deep Forest, Richard Clayderman?
After Dubai I will be performing next month in London at the Wigmore Hall with my project with the Aga Khan foundation called 'In the footsteps of Babur' with musicians from Tajkistan and California. March end, I will be performing at the Cape Town Jazz Fest with saxophonist George Brooks. There are also a couple of albums at the conception stage right now.
Are you exploring Bollywood after the movie Mujhse Dosti Karoge?
Last year I completed music direction for a film by Vivek Agnihotri titled Freedom; my songs have been sung by Mika, Sunidhi Chauhan, KK etc. Music direction has not really been a priority and often takes a backseat.
How do you see yourself still making that mark in the world of music when the era of remixes are in fashion?
Well, Indian classical music has always had a spiritual connect, only when a person has passion for it one can progress through it in life. Once you master an instrument it stays with you for a lifetime. My journey has been interesting and I have experimented in various genres including electronica with Grammy winning group, Deep Forest; our album was a tribal electronica genre. I was also happy when I saw my album with Kenny G called Namaste topping the Billboard jazz charts in the US.
Can your global fans look forward to you playing with other music icons..like you just had a performance with Zakir Hussain in India and abroad?
Ustad Zakir hussain and I endorse the same tea brand and I get to be the 'ustad' in the new commercial. Zakirji is such an icon and there are so many more one can learn from. I admire Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and of course I am still learning from my father and Guru Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma. Hopefully I will play with my father soon, it's been a while now.