PANAJI: Goa’s first and foremost sitarist Pt. Ravi Chary is set to return to his roots for a special musical tribute at Swaryogi 2026, an evening dedicated to the memory of revered Goan musician Pt. Yograj Naik.
Organised by the Pt Yograj Naik Pratisthan in association with the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa, the event will take place on May 14 at 6 pm at the Multipurpose Hall, Sanskruti Bhavan, Patto, Panjim.
Known for taking Goan classical music traditions to national and international platforms, Pt. Ravi Chary will perform alongside acclaimed tabla maestro Satyajit Talwalkar, son of legendary Padmashree Taalyogi Pt. Suresh Talwalkar.
Speaking about the concert, Pt. Ravi shared his emotional connection with the tribute, recalling that both he and Pt. Yograj Naik learnt under the guidance of Prof. Abdul Karim Khan.
“I’m coming for a special classical concert with some very special and difficult ragas and compositions from the legends of the sitar. Pt Yograj Naik contributed his life towards music and teaching in Goa, so performing in his memory is truly special,” he said.
A Grammy-nominated artiste for the album Miles from India and a nominee at the Global Indian Music Awards, Pt. Ravi Chary was born and raised in Panjim before moving to Mumbai nearly four decades ago. Despite his global musical journey, he says his connection to Goa remains deeply rooted.
Recalling his early days with the sitar, he shared how his father, the late Pt. Prabhakar Chari, introduced him to the instrument after noticing that Goa had many vocalists and percussionists but very few sitar players.
“My father bought me my first sitar for Rs 75 in the early 1980s. That was the beginning of my journey,” he reminisced.
Pt. Ravi has shared the stage with some of India’s greatest musicians, including Asha Bhosle, Zakir Hussain, Kishori Amonkar, Trilok Gurtu and several other renowned artistes.
He also recently featured in Asha Bhosle’s final video song Saiyaan Bina, where his sitar solo received special praise from the legendary singer herself.
Apart from performing, Pt. Ravi continues to mentor young musicians through his Swara Sanskriti Music Academy in Mumbai, where over 70 students are trained in sitar, harmonium and tabla. He expressed interest in further nurturing young talent in Goa as well.
Swaryogi 2026 will also feature a special student felicitation segment honouring promising young musicians Devanshi Harmalkar (sitar) and Kaustubh Chari (tabla), reflecting the Pratisthan’s vision of supporting the next generation of artistes.
The event will be attended by Dr Pradip Sarmokadam as chief guest and Vivek Naik as guest of honour.
Discover more from Allycaral
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
