"Music contains various forms of expression, which can satisfy different people. It is a Universe that has it all and can serve everyone! Of course, it is up to the people themselves which kind of music they will choose, depending on their state of mind at each stage of their life and development. However, I do believe in qualities."

Konstantinos Kalaitzis:

The spirituality of Indian Music & Culture

Konstantinos Kalaitzis is a Greek musician, researcher and photographer. In the last thirty years, he has visited India (45 times) and he has also toured in 16 more Asian countries. As a researcher and photographer he owns a rich and rare photographic collection, depicting the local people, flora, fauna and landscapes of those countries. He has also taken part in numerous missions with the humanitarian organization “Heart Doctors”, in African, European and Asian countries. His spiritual and also musical quests have led him to visit all the 29 states of India, as well as island and Himalayan regions. As a hiker and mountaineer he has trekked and climbed in many places of the Himalaya range, in the countries of India, Myanmar, Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal and Pakistan, reaching the high altitude of 6.000 meters. Searching the classical and folk music, as well as the classical and folk dances of the Indian peninsula, he collected 180 musical instruments, including all the classical instruments, many folk and many tribal ones, used by the musicians of the tribes he met. Those pieces are planned to be hosted in a museum.

​(Photo: Konstantinos Kalaitzis)

He has played leading roles in two theatrical plays, in South India with topics from the Greek and the Indian philosophy. He has met many great Indian music instructors and performers of the vocal and instrumental Indian music. He, himself, as a musician, plays the percussion instrument tabla and as a singer sings in various Indian languages - the vocal styles bhajan, ghazal and qawwali of North India and the vocal style kriti of South India. He has written a book titled “Indian Music - classical & folk music, great creators, musical instruments, dances” (2023) in Greek and is shortly going to be published in English, about the Indian music and dances, in their classical and folk form, the great composers and poets and the musical instruments of India.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Indian music and culture influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Indian music, being connected with spirituality and philosophy, if studied deeply, can easily lead someone to perceive the world through the idea of ahimsa (non-violence), abhaya ("fearlessness") and unity or non-diversity, not only among human beings but also among all living beings. This is the reason why I have abstained from eating animal products for almost 40 years.

The truth is that I had a pre-existing love of travel, but after this influence, my way of seeing the world has changed and I notice that especially during the various, mainly solitary, tours I take around the world. I believe that solitary travel is very helpful in feeling and experiencing unity and brotherhood with those whom you consider to be strangers! You realize that you cannot be limited by any religion or any dogma and thus you feel free!

You have published one book titled “India Music”. Why do you think that India music continues to generate such a devoted following?

The music tradition of India is very rich and can meet the needs of a wide range of people, creating a variety of emotions that are stimulated by the combinations of notes of each scale. But what makes it truly special is its deep spirituality, which is the reason for its creation and development. To give an example, I shall mention some impressions of the people who have come for the first time to witness the Indian vocal genres that I have occasionally presented: "I don't know what your words mean, but they touched me", "You took us on a journey", "My husband cried", "Every cell in my body danced to your music". In vocal music, the vibrations emitted by each word may play a role, but I believe that similar feelings can be evoked by instrumental music as well.

"Indian music, being connected with spirituality and philosophy, if studied deeply, can easily lead someone to perceive the world through the idea of ahimsa (non-violence), abhaya ("fearlessness") and unity or non-diversity, not only among human beings but also among all living beings. This is the reason why I have abstained from eating animal products for almost 40 years." (Photo: Konstantinos Kalaitzis with the legend of kamayacha, Sakar Khan / Jaisalme, India. Kalaitzis has written the book “Indian Music, classical & folk music, great creators, musical instruments, dances”, about the Indian music and dances, in their classical and folk form, the great composers and poets and the musical instruments of India)

What moment changed your life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

The moment that marked the change of my life was after a serious car accident in which, although I miraculously had no physical injury, I saw all the scenes of my then 25-year-old life in a split second! After this incident I started broadcasting on another frequency. Other incidents and stimuli began to appear before me, different from the previous ones, whether related to music or to the philosophy of life in general, and I started showing an interest in metaphysics. Meeting these incidents was like an appointment that had been waiting for a long time but for some reason was blocked and when the time came to happen, I eagerly accepted it and although it was something new there was a sense of familiarity with it. As if it reminded me of something!

But the most important role in terms of my way of thinking and living was the meeting I had with a great spiritual teacher in India, many of whose teachings and instructions for a more qualitative life I followed and still follow today.

What were the reasons that made the 1960s in the West to be the center of Indian music researches and experiments?

As we all know, the 1960s saw the creation of the Hippies movement, who among other things found great interest in the Indian philosophies of Hinduism and Buddhism, yoga, meditation and Mahatma Gandhi's example of non-violence and peace. The philosophy and culture of India influenced them greatly. Of course, Indian music, which is linked to the above values and ideas, could not go unnoticed. The vastness and richness of Indian music was recognized and accepted, not only by musicians following the hippie movement, but also by other musicians. Thus, several of them put some elements and sounds of North Indian Hindustani music in their musical creations. Perhaps to a greater extent the Beatles and especially George Harrison, who was a close friend and a disciple of Ravi Shankar in the sitar.

"Regarding the meaning of life, I believe that every human being is born with a specific purpose, which must be accomplished within a certain period of time. When someone understands the work he has come to accomplish, big or small, he must work to develop it, to share it, aiming to benefit as many people as possible and thus to develop himself through it." (Photo: Konstantinos Kalaitzis, Diwali Day, Nepal)

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the Indian music paths and your travels?

According to Indian music, especially classical music, there are basic principles and rules that one must follow with discipline, but at the same time there is great freedom for improvisation. I believe the same is true in life. There are rules that we must follow, but at the same time we have a lot of room for freedom and improvisation.

The folk music of India, which expresses the customs, traditions, and the very soul of the people, as well as my multiple trips within and outside India, have taught me that people all over the world have the same characteristics, the same feelings and the same needs. This realization led to the veil of the apparent diversity of people being cast aside from my eyes.

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

Music contains various forms of expression, which can satisfy different people. It is a Universe that has it all and can serve everyone! Of course, it is up to the people themselves which kind of music they will choose, depending on their state of mind at each stage of their life and development. However, I do believe in qualities.

In experiments that have been conducted on plants, it has been observed that some types of music wither them while others help them grow and benefit them. I would like music to influence people positively, acting as psychotherapy and boosting their spiritual development, to unite peoples and lead them to live in harmony through a spirit of cooperation and peace. I believe that Indian music can achieve this to a great extent

"But the most important role in terms of my way of thinking and living was the meeting I had with a great spiritual teacher in India, many of whose teachings and instructions for a more qualitative life I followed and still follow today." (Photo: Konstantinos Kalaitzis, a Greek musician, researcher and photographer)

John Coltrane said "My music is the spiritual expression of what I am...". How do you understand the spirit, music, and the meaning of life? Do you find similarities between East and West music?

What John Coltrane said is true, and so is the fact that this can also change! When at some point I changed my way of thinking and living, the music that resonated with me changed too. Spirit and music are two subtle and ethereal concepts / destinations, which in order to get close to or touch them, one needs to become subtle and ethereal oneself, through spiritual exercises and disciplines. Spirit and music are closely related.

It is not by chance that the Sufi mystics or spiritual teachers, transmitted wise and spiritual concepts through poetry and music. In my book entitled "Indian Music" I write, "If, as it is said, the Divine is One and manifests itself in different names and forms, responding to the call and expectations of each faith, so also Music is One and from the combinations resulting from the notes it contains, it manifests itself in various forms, shapes and genres, to respond to the call and expectations of each musical quest, belief and taste.”

Regarding the meaning of life, I believe that every human being is born with a specific purpose, which must be accomplished within a certain period of time. When someone understands the work he has come to accomplish, big or small, he must work to develop it, to share it, aiming to benefit as many people as possible and thus to develop himself through it. Another aspect is the understanding of the laws of universal balance, and the acceptance that nothing happens by chance, no matter if one does not always know the cause. And finally, remembering to practice the values of love, justice, peace, truth and non-violence as often as possible.

Similar elements can be observed among ancient Greek, Arabic, Byzantine and Indian music, which have a tropical character and use microtones. Similarity, it could be argued, exists between Indian and jazz music, mostly due to the common element of improvisation. Also, common elements can be found in the folk music of both India and Greece, due to the oral transmission of the music, which means that there is no written notation, and the musicians use their instinct rather than their mind. Of course, over the last decades there have been several influences, resulting either from collaborations between Eastern and Western musicians or from the easy and fast communication and accessibility of today's communication media.

"As we all know, the 1960s saw the creation of the Hippies movement, who among other things found great interest in the Indian philosophies of Hinduism and Buddhism, yoga, meditation and Mahatma Gandhi's example of non-violence and peace." (Photo: konstantinos kalaitzis with a yogi in Gangotri, Himalaya, India. Kalaitzis as a hiker and mountaineer he has trekked and climbed in many places of the Himalaya range)

Life is more than just music, is there any other field that has influence on your life and music?

Mountaineering was another area of influence for me, apart from music. My love for the mountains led me to do a lot of trekking, at quite high altitudes, throughout the Himalayas, as well as in the Pamir and Karakoram ranges. In mountainous areas, you are often faced with adverse conditions and dangers, which act as an exercise to overcome the fear of losing your life. You also come up with some unique thoughts and ideas and get in touch with the music of nature. And in the lower mountains, you meet traditional musicians and share with them their music, customs and traditions. Another area of influence is working with the land, farming and planting, not only in the area where Ι live, but in other areas as well. I used to see fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts only on the plate and detect only their colors, taste, smell or texture. Now through them I see the law of Creation, Preservation and Decomposition in all its glory, listening, at the same time, to the music of nature through the sound of the wind, the gurgling of the water, the rustling of the leaves and the melodies of the birds.

Konstantinos Kalaitzis - Home