In a groundbreaking global collaboration, Indian sitar virtuoso and composer Purbayan Chatterjee has joined forces with five-time Grammy Award-winning guitarist Mark Lettieri (Snarky Puppy, The Fearless Flyers) to release their highly anticipated collaborative album titled ‘Feathered Creatures’, out today via GroundUP Records.
The 9-track album represents a bold artistic evolution, effortlessly dissolving the boundaries between Indian classical music, jazz, rock, and contemporary electronica. Produced and arranged by Purbayan’s longtime collaborator Nakul Chugh, the album infuses traditional instrumentation with a cutting-edge sound design palette.
The project was sparked by Snarky Puppy founder Michael League, who recognized a rare creative chemistry between the two virtuosos and introduced them during Purbayan’s international tour as a guest with the band. What began as a recording experiment quickly transformed into a full, co-authored artistic partnership defined by shared authorship and mutual respect.
Purbayan Chatterjee states, “This album stems from a deep-seated need to soar beyond our foundational disciplines. We aren't casting tradition aside; rather, we are elevating it so that ancient heritage can fully awaken within a modern landscape."
Mark Lettieri states, “I’m incredibly excited for this new project with Purbayan. It’s a new sound and creative direction for both of us, that perfectly blends our diverse set of influences and styles.”
Throughout the record, Purbayan anchors the record with melodies steeped in classical raga and intricate Carnatic rhythmic architecture, while Lettieri counters with effects-driven guitar lines that weave shimmering, pulsing textures. The record leans heavily into cinematic storytelling and deep traditional roots, highlighted by a two-part tribute to the legendary percussionist Ustad Zakir Hussain and ambitious music videos tracking a visual transition from live-action Indian mysticism to a mythic, anime-style instrument face-off.
Throughout the rest of the album, geographic distances collapse into a singular musical frequency as the duo jumps fluidly between genres and regional acoustic traditions. This sonic convergence expands into themes of profound spiritual awakening, while mapping out bold creative intersections where raw Indian folk traditions seamlessly handshake with Western country and Americana roots music.
The collaborative tapestry further challenges conventional boundaries by navigating complex, asymmetric seven-beat rhythmic cycles for deep melodic exploration, ultimately capturing a liberating sense of flight where rigid classical structures completely dissolve, allowing pure human instinct and cross-continental training to align.
The album is available now on all major global streaming platforms.
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