Niladri Kumar and Rashid Khan Collaborate on a New Single

Niladri Kumar, who is renowned as the inventor of the guitar-sitar hybrid ”˜zitar’, and popular singer and guitarist Rashid Ali have teamed up on a new track titled “Head To The Heart.” The instrumental song features a unique jugalbandi between the two musicians that includes improvisational solos on the zitar and masterful chops on the acoustic guitar.

Says Ali, “The zitar-guitar collaboration is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. It was great to work with Niladri on this track because both of us compose fusion music.”

As a zitar player, Kumar enjoys a unique space in the fusion music space, and has over 15 albums to his credit, the latest being the 2014 record Plucked. Ali is most popular for his hit “Kabhi Kabhi Aditi” from the 208 film Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, and provides regular vocals for A. R. Rahman. His last album, Call Me Rashid (2011) featured him on the vocals as well as guitars.

The monochromatic video of “Head to the Heart,” which went on air last month, features the two musicians taking on each other. Talking about what inspired the existentialist title of the track, Kumar says, “Once the music is in the head, only then can you put it in your heart… that way you can use your head to find out what your heart’s calling is.”