(Exclusive) Shweta Pandit: I'll perform Hindustani classical music for the first time in Europe
Shweta Pandit is set to perform at the Limbo Festival in Italy next month. She will be the only Indian performer this year. and will perform Hindustani classical music for a Western audience. Her band includes musicians from Italy and Malaysia. She will also celebrate her birthday in Barcelona.
Singer
Shweta Pandit
is all set to hit a major milestone in her career as she takes the stage at Limbo Festival, a boutique music and wellness festival nestled in the heart of Tuscany, near Lucca, Italy.
Scheduled from July 10 to 13, the festival is known for its eclectic mix of music, meditation, yoga, and outdoor activities.
'I'm headlining the global line-up as the only Indian performer/singer, and it's happening in Italy,' Shweta shared. 'Honestly, this is absolutely incredible because it's nothing like what I've ever done before as a vocalist.'
While Indian artists have performed at international venues before, Shweta emphasizes that this is unique.
'We travel for concerts internationally, but we always sing to an Indian audience abroad who know our songs and the artists as well. But this is a total western audience that I'm singing for, and it's a huge honor that they invited me to be the only Indian artist this year.'
Set to close the festival on July 13, Shweta won't be performing Bollywood numbers, but something much deeper and rooted: Hindustani classical music.
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'The other interesting part is I'm performing Hindustani classical music for the first time in Europe, and not Bollywood music,' she said. 'It means a lot to me that I'm blessed to take the legacy forward, put together by my grandfather and granduncle Shri Pandit Jasraj ji, to take Hindustani music to the global stage.
'
Shweta's band for the Limbo Festival reflects a truly global collaboration — featuring Italian tabla player Francesco Gherardi from Florence, and Malaysian-origin actress-musician Jacelyn Parry, who will be playing the Sapeh, an instrument native to Malaysia.
'This will also be the first time I'm using the Sapeh in my performance,' Shweta revealed.
While her concert may be the main event, Shweta plans to celebrate beforehand: 'The Cancerian that I am, I'll be celebrating my July birthday in Barcelona on a Mediterranean cruise.'
She closes on a powerful note about what this performance truly signifies:
'I'm representing India on this global stage, and the most interesting part is that the whole audience of 20,000 people, nobody will be Indian. It will only be a Western audience. Usually when we perform abroad, it's to the Indian community of that country. But here, for the first time, I'm singing to a 100% Western crowd, and they will be listening to Indian music on that stage, likely the first time ever.'
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