Renowned rock enthusiasts instantly recognize names like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Larry Lalonde, Kirk Hammett, and others. While Satriani boasts 15 Grammy nominations and over 10 million albums sold in the United States, there is a musician in India who draws inspiration from him. Hailing from Pune, Shitalchandra Kulkarni possesses a remarkable talent with his nimble fingers, frets, and fan base, creating an international musical signature.
Shitalchandra recently achieved the prestigious ‘Intercontinental Music Award’ for the second time. This recognition came in the ‘Performance’ category, where he was honored as the best instrumentalist for his track ‘Crank It Up’ from his album ‘Endless.’
As a celebrated multi-instrumentalist, Shitalchandra had previously won the award for the track ‘Water,’ securing the Best in Asian Rock category. Over the past three decades, Shitalchandra has made significant contributions to the music industry as a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and performer.
His musical wizardry comes to life in his personal studio, Chords India, where he has recorded over 1000 hours of music, encompassing more than 400 tracks. Additionally, since 1998, he has served as the Teaching Director for various instruments at the ‘Institute of Modern Music,’ attracting numerous enthusiastic music students. Managing Trustee of MRDI (Music Research & Development of India), Shitalchandra expertly manages his spectacular live shows.
Shitalchandra’s latest solo guitar instrumental album, ‘Endless,’ exemplifies his exceptional production skills, excellent guitar craftsmanship, and the incredible diversity of his guitar work. It showcases guitars in a distinct manner, presenting a polished sound and production that give his guitar work a mature definition.
The album features a collection of 15 exquisite guitars, ranging from acoustic to electric, which serve as the canvas for Shitalchandra’s musical masterpieces. Only handpicked students are permitted to handle these prized instruments, requiring meticulous cleaning, polishing, and tuning before each performance.
In his pursuit to emulate Joe Satriani, Shitalchandra has amassed a collection of accolades on both national and international stages. These include the Intercontinental Music Award for the song ‘Water’ in the Best in Asian Rock category (2020), the Intercontinental Music Award for the song ‘Crank It Up’ as Best Instrumentalist (2021), two nominations for the Asian Rock Category for the songs ‘Natural Understanding’ and ‘Innocence,’ the IRAA AWARD from the Indian Recording Arts Academy for the song ‘Natural Understanding’ as a Music Producer (2022), and the LIT Talent Award as the Best Multi-Instrumentalist for his latest track, ‘Move Ur Big Butt’ (2023).
Fans of Shitalchandra Kulkarni eagerly anticipate the highly anticipated second edition of his album ‘Endless,’ which is set to be released soon.
