Curious about Rihki Ram model sitar

[sitarkatz]

Could anyone tell me what model of Rihki Ram sitar Anoushka Shankar is currently playing?

It has an OM symbol on the headpiece in silver.

I looked at Rihki Ram's website and couldn't find the same model.

Thanks for your input.

Cheers!

[Sitarfixer]

Chances are that sitar is a standard full carved kharaj sitar that has been selected for / by her and had some custom tweaking done. The "Om" has been fitted to every one of the sitars in "Shankar'La", even the original Nodu crafted jewels 'gasp'.

[sitarkatz]

So then...where do they get those cool looking OM emblems?

I want one.

Cheers!

[Lars]

Someone posted here not too long ago that Anoushka was playing a Hiren Roy? Anyone remember that? I though it might have been inaccurate though but you never know.
OM inlays can be done on any sitar, especially ones made in Kolkata

[sitarkatz]

Thanks Lars!

Anoushka has been pictured with a nice Hiren Roy in the past, but I saw he in concert last week and she is playing a Rihki Ram.

She is also pictured with a Rihki Ram sitar in the updated version of "My Music My Life" by Ravi Shankar in the Sitar Manual section of the book.

I wonder why she has switched from a Hiren Roy to a Rikhi Ram sitar?

So..where can I purchase an OM emblem like Rikhi Ram uses? Do they sell them?

Cheers!

[Neal]

Sitarkatz,
It's not an emblem. It is an inlay that is placed upon production of the instrument.

[Lars]

Neal, how's that sitar of yours doing? Probably the only OM sitar in Beantown too..... I never saw the Anoushka Hiren Roy shot, maybe just a sitar grabbed for a photo shoot....I always thought she played a Rikhi Ram.

[Neal]

Hi Lars,
The sitar is nicely seasoned now.
I wish I had Sanjay construct a matching Grand Pro Teak at the same time ... oh, well.
I never went with the OM symbol as I thought the ones they were showing at the time looked less like an OM and more like some type of squiggly worm (http://sitarsetc.com/rrimages/rrgptk/rrgtktop.jpg) ;')

[sitarkatz]

Here's a pic of Anoushka with her Hiren Roy & Sons sitar.

http://uimpi.net/entry/musica/4593/anou ... iscos.html

Here she is with her Nodu Mullick sitar.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005QD80.jpg

Cheers!

[Lars]

Nice links to the pictures....must have been for a photo shoot eh? Neal, sorry......I forgot you didn't have the wormy OM on your sitar and glad it's working well. That was probably my favorite one that I got in from Sanjay at the height of his glory days. I remember hoping you wouldn't want it after finding out the hole he poked in it from the case .....but glad you got it, was a good time. Also more videos for you next year even if I have to do them myself, I promise.....

[Neal]

So, the folklore of my sitar grows ;') ... cannot wait for the DVD's. My fondest recollection of this forum was way back in 2001/2002. The Uncle Ken, Russ, Lars, Peter Cutchey days talking about Mangla's et al. It was so new and exciting back then.

[Lars]

Yeah we had a good time, I really miss Peter and Alex (Bharat). I probably had 1000 phone calls with both of them, really gets me down sometime not having them around. Not Uncle Ken though because I talk to him twice a week still.....and of course the great Neal-baba emails....good times

[Uncle Ken]

Hi Neal, how's those meends......Ah, those were the days.....Peter rambling on about how your instrument would "open up" in "the fullness of time"....mesmerizing bits and pieces of knew knowledge.... being BSE (before "Sitars Etc.") most of us were blown away finding out there were other Sitar maestro's besides Pt. Ravi Shankar. The board was a different place then as well. Every now and then I hear from Russ, grower of gourds, fine chap.....miss those times....everything changes, nothing stays the same...uncle ken

[povster]

I was out of the music (except infrequently picking up my only sitar from those days - a Hemen #2 and plucking on it) in the old days of this forum. I was fortunate to have found my teacher in 1973. He exposed me to so many sitarists (as well as other musicians beyond the NB, RS and VK) such as Rais Khan, Indranil Battacharaya, Illyas Khan, Krishna Das Gupta, Ballaram Partok, Arvind Parekh etc etc. and encouraged me to listen to and appreciate them.

Funny thing is every onece in a while an internet search comes up with some really old posts from here (predating my arrival). It is so fascinating to read them and see some familiar names and to see other names I can only guess at.

[Neal]

For those that didn't know of their existence. Here are the 'original' threads ...

archives/2/index.html