Sitting in his living room, with an enormous sitar in his lap, viewers may have expected the musician from the YouTube channel Sitar Rock to play a rendition of a classical Indian piece, utilizing the traditional instrument in the conventional way. However, the clue to his true intention was in his channel name. He wouldn’t be playing a classical piece but giving a rock song an entirely new sound by reimagining it on the sitar, and Music Man readers will be blown away by how well it works.
Interpreting Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’ on sitar seems both entirely surprising and also makes complete sense. This song was released when the 60s hippie counterculture was incorporating new styles and influences into music, and the cover captures the experimental sound of the time. Despite completely transforming the song, the Sitar Rock version ended up sounding so natural that one fan described it as “a wonderful arrangement that makes it sound as if the song was written for sitar.”
It seems to me that Sitar Rock managed to find the perfect blend of creating something new while still paying tribute to the original song. As I listened, I found it easy to get lost in the sitar’s unique sound, forgetting I was listening to a classic rock song at all. Then, I’d catch a familiar musical phrase from the original melody, reminding me that I was listening to a cover all over again and striking the perfect balance between recognition and astonishment at this musician’s creativity.
The Sitar Rock channel is dedicated to interpreting all different eras and sub-genres of rock music on the sitar, from 60s classic rock to metal, to punk, to 90s alternative rock. The most popular cover on the channel is of ‘Paint It Black’ by The Rolling Stones. The video is now nearing 100k views, and viewers were so impressed by the cover that one declared “Best cover of ‘Paint it Black’ I ever heard,” while another even said the song simply sounded “better on sitar” than the original.
With Sitar Rock’s videos receiving an outpouring of appreciation from viewers, there is no denying they are a hit with everyone who’s found them. One viewer commented on one of the videos, “The world really needs more sitar/Indian music. It’s so beautiful!”, making it clear that there is an appetite for more.
While these remain sitar covers of Western songs, they may be opening up an entirely new audience to the sound of the sitar, encouraging them to venture further and delve into the world of authentic Indian sitar playing. By combining musical cultures this way, Sitar Rock is not only showcasing true creativity with his interpretations but also breaking down barriers in music and culture.