Ace sitarist and music producer Rishab Rikhiram Sharma is the youngest disciple of the legendary Ravi Shankar. He was the first sitarist to perform at The White House in 2022. But do you know that he initially rejected the offer?
Rishab Rikhiram Sharma revealed it at NDTV Yuva.
He said, “It was amazing. But funnily enough, I said no to the White House initially. This is not their fault. I have deep respect for the White House and the President. But they did not know how to present an Indian recital. So they were asking me, ‘Can you stand up and play while the guests are entering?’ And I was like ‘No, this is not how our music is supposed to be heard’.”
Rishab Rikhiram Sharma added, “I respectfully said that I won’t be able to do that. But they were very willing to work. They were like, ‘Let us know how we can make it work.’ I told them we need to have a riser, there has to be a carpet and a clean white sheet. We talked it out and they arranged a nice bench for me.”
The sitarist shared his experience of performing at the White House.
He said, “Right on the stage where the President was supposed to speak, right next to the podium, I played Chanakya, Tilak Kamod, Shiv Kailash. All original songs, no Bollywood or covers. Everyone received it with so much love.”
Speaking about his “Guru ji” Ravi Shankar, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma admitted that the sitar legend was indeed a strict teacher. He was very particular with the notes. But Rishab revealed that the moment Ravi Shankar “kept down the sitar, he was the sweetest person on the planet.”
Rishab Rikhiram Sharma said, “He was the funniest. I think I got my humour from Guru ji, like how he does wordplay. I miss him every day. There’s no one like him, and when I lost him, I feel we lost the biggest rockstar of Indian music.”
Rishab Rikhiram Sharma also confessed that he started playing sitar for his mental health.
He said, “I wanted to heal myself. I was coping with my grandfather’s death. And I was completely, utterly broken when we lost him. I was going through anxiety, depression. I wasn’t myself. Music was something that brought me out of it.”
Last month, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma announced his Sitar for Mental Health 10-city India tour. It will kick off in Delhi on April 6, 2025.
