She is a cellist from Netherlands and he, a sitar whiz from India. Both meet, bond and tie a lifelong knot of conjugal companionship, in music as well as marriage. The story of Indian cello player Saskia Rao-de Haas and talented sitarist Shubhendra Rao conjures up a symphonic saga of tune and trust.
Having already won international accolades with a string of collaborative concerts, folk traditions from different regions and avant-garde compositions all around the globe, this critically acclaimed husband-wife duo has already scripted an East-marries-West journey of success in the cauldron of world music.
Shankar’s protégé — Shubhendra and his better-half cello artiste, Saskia come together on stage, to relive that nostalgic fervour of East-West fusion. “Be it political or a geographical one, a divide can essentially be bridged via cultural links. And music cements this liaison for a lifelong bonding,” notes Saskia, all set to engage herself with Shubhendra into an enchanting soiree of the sitar vibing with the cello at a Kolkata programme.
It is true that there are not many women cellists in India. When asked if the picture is similar or any different in Netherlands, the diligent disciple of eminent flautist Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia said: “My grandfather played the cello, and since I was very close to him, I also wanted to play the instrument and forge a permanent bond with it. Though he felt it was a heavy instrument for a girl, times have really changed and it is nowadays played both by men and women.”
“Historical records prove that a bunch of western musical gizmos have long made inroads into the Indian music scene, and have seamlessly blended with the eastern melodies in the due course of time. Albeit their root of origin lies on a foreign soil, yet they are no longer considered exotic imports. In fact, their sounds and beats have smoothly seeped into the sub-consciousness of both the music exponents and the die-hard listeners alike,” Saskia explains.
Elaborating on the subject, she says, “Fact is, the violin was popularised first in South India and later in the northern parts, since the 18th century. At that time, though not known to many, even the cellos had forayed the Indian music market and since then, there have always been a few good cellists in and around the country, mostly in Goa, Kolkata and Chennai.”
When asked if before meeting Shubhendra, she was exposed to the realm of Indian classical music, Saskia said: “I had started my studies on Indian music in 1993, and was exposed to it only a few years prior to the course I had enrolled for at my university. I was immediately awestruck by maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasiaji’s soul-stirring flute renditions and the doyen legend Pandit Ravi Shankarji’s sitar licks. To just say that I was absolutely mesmerised by these other worldly-sounds and their depth of artistry, is an understatement in itself”.
For the uninitiated, Saskia is already recognised as a pioneer in the world of music for introducing a new instrument — her Indian cello and for creating a unique style of playing. In her revered Guruji Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia’s words, Saskia’s music “truly speaks what cannot be expressed...flows from the heaven to the soul. She has been taught by God and everyone should listen to her recitals.”
Talking about how she joined Panditji’s classes, Saskia says, “I was studying at the conservatory of Rotterdam, when Guruji happened to teach a batch of flautists there. However, there were no restrictions on the willing pupils from outside the concerned department. I grabbed this opportunity, and I would frequently drop in to follow his taalim (tuition), which he imparted to his attentive students and then gradually, noticing my keen interest in the classical music, he started teaching me as well”.
“Panditji’s tutelage bore an inspirational guidance to my career thus far,” she reminisces with a sense of gratitude. “I still remember my first lesson on Indian music; I was seated on a chair and much to my surprise, my tutor was lecturing on the floor. It was a queer feeling I must confess! To elevate yourself above your teacher’s level felt highly inappropriate and since that day, I made sure that I am on a lower plane than my learned mentor!” she recollects.
Talking about modifying the western cello into its Indian counterpart, Saskia explains: “Initially, I started working with a wonderful violin maker called Eduard van Tongeren from Holland. He had procured my first own instrument when I was barely eight. Eduard and I have designed quite a few instruments before this particular Indian cello. In 2005, he finished his masterpiece for me — a cello with five playing strings and 10 resonating strings. It is also slightly thicker and shorter than its western cousin and has a beautiful open sound effect. Shubhendra’s sitar maker in Delhi then attached those loud, resonating strings for the ultimate output!”
It is true that there have been numerous musical matrimonies but the occident meeting the orient is a rare find. When remarked that her union with Shubhendra certainly symbolises Rudyard Kipling’s The Ballad of East and West but with a difference, Sasika says, “Thanks for the compliment! As a matter of fact, after listening to our concert in Mumbai, the Dutch Consul General had once said that ‘Kipling has been proved wrong today. East and West may and can meet.’ But in my opinion, I guess, we took it even further and got wedded in life and music till death do us part!”