Friday Mar 25, 2022

The Birth of a Third-Generation Japanese Sitarist and Cultivating Global Exchange Authentically with Tadao Ishihama

Osaka-born musician and inter-disciplinary artist moved to Kolkata, India after graduating art high school one week after the chance strains of a Sitar led to a love-at-first-sound of sorts. Navigating language barriers in a recently globalized India, he sought tutelage from Pandit Monoj Shankar of the Maihar Gharana in Kolkata who he would keep revisiting and living with over the years that followed in true Gharana tradition. His eventual long-term return to Japan in 2003 was the beginning of the third generation of Indian Classical musicians in Japan. Tadao has expanded since though, with eclectic global collaborations in Europe and the US. His recent success as an author of traditional Bengali cuisine which he learned from his Guruma and curation of a series of events celebrating South Asian culture in Japan has led to the establishment of his status as an unofficial ambassador of sorts that has been endorsed by the Indian Govt. and local Indian community. In this long-form conversation, we trace the beginning of his fascinating journey and discuss ideas on the role of global cultural exchange without from a space of fearless authenticity while paying respect to the source in the 21st century.