Visitors to Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles may hear the enchanting sounds of Indian sitar wafting through the air. If they follow their ears, they will discover the source of the music is sitar player and producer Farhan Khan, aka Flash Sitar, who can often be found promoting his music to passersby. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Khan’s style blends Indian music with electronic beats and global flavors. A former student of the renowned Ustad Habib Khan and a graduate of Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Khan’s sitar work has led to many collaborations and appearances in film and TV soundtracks. “I endeavor to create music that is culturally diverse, healing, upbeat, positive, melodic, enchanting, ambient and soothing,” states Khans, “I love to share this diversity of culture through Indian musical instrumentation, multi-cultural rhythms and modern style grooves.”
Featured Songs:
Flash Sitar’s version of the iconic “Hotel California” brings an Indian twist to this classic melody from The Eagles. The sitar’s associations with 1960s counterculture make it a fitting instrument to interpret a song whose lyrics are often interpreted as a commentary on some of the negative results that came from that era’s freewheeling ways.
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