International artist brings sitar concert to Ashland United Methodist Church
Rebecca Evans
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Ashland United Methodist Church will host a free concert Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. featuring internationally recognized sitar player Dr. Sanjay Kingi.
The performance is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at the church, located at 2711 Ashland Avenue. The event is open to the public, with donations accepted to help cover travel expenses.
“I will tell everybody to close their eyes, close their fist, sit properly and just keep their mind empty,” said Dr. Sanjay Kingi, “Making them sit with concentration so no matter whatever problem he faces, he just faces it very confidently.”
The sitar is a plucked string instrument originating in India, known for its long neck, sympathetic strings and distinctive resonant sound. It is commonly used in Hindustani classical music.
Dr. Kingi, a physician with a Ph.D. in music, has built a career blending science and art. He is a graded artist with All India Radio and Doordarshan, India’s state-owned broadcasting service, and has performed solo concerts across India, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.
Throughout his career, Kingi has also collaborated with some of the world’s most well-known musicians, including Pandit Birju Maharaj, Ghulam Ali and Anup Jalota. His work includes an ambitious composition setting all 700 verses of the Bhagavad Gita to 700 unique ragas, or melodic patterns.
Organizers describe the evening as an opportunity to experience the meditative and soulful sound of the sitar in a community setting.
For more information, contact Ashland United Methodist Church.