The new book “The Journey of the Sitar in Indian Classical Music: Origin, History, and Playing Styles” (published by iUniverse), from sitar player and author Dr. Swarn Lata, compiles the knowledge and teachings of generations of players, capturing the joy of the musical instrument known as the sitar.

“The Journey of the Sitar in Indian Classical Music” offers in-depth information about the sitar, its origin from 13th century onward, swaras, the structure, and the development of practical techniques.

The book provides a detailed explanation of the meaning of music, the place of the sitar in Indian classical music, including sitar gharanas, ragas, rasas, rhythm and different sitar playing styles of renowned ustaads.

The following is an excerpt from “The Journey of the Sitar in Indian Classical Music”:

“The sitar is the most popular and sophisticated instrument that has acquired a great place in the Indian classical music.

It is played in almost every song, bhajan, ghazal, solo performance, orchestra, and in folk tunes.

The sitar is used in playback music, which includes classical ragas.

The artists like Pt. Ravi Shankar ji, Ustaad Alaudin Khan, Ustaad Vilayat Khan, Shujaat Hussain Khan, Nishaat Hussain Khan, Kartik Kumar, Shahid Parvez, Shameem Ahmad, the late Nikhil Benerjee, Debu Chaudhary, Mani Lal Naag, and others have played vital roles in the promotion and development of sitar in Indian classical music.”

Dr. Swarn Lata has more than 35 years of experience teaching sitar to students from diverse cultures and communities. She is a celebrated sitar player who has performed throughout North America and India. Lata earned her Ph.D. in instrumental music with a focus on the sitar from Panjab University in Chandigarh, India.

She is the founder and director of Sitar Darpan School of Music in Toronto, where she lives, teaches music and practices healing through music therapy.

She has two happily married daughters, Geetika and Ritu, and two grandchildren, Yoga Lakshmi and Arjun. More information can be found at www.sitardarpan.com.