A Surrey-based sitar virtuoso might be the first person to ever play the instrument at the base of Mt. Everest.

Last month Sharanjeet Singh Mand made the trip to Nepal with a group of 11 people, and carried his delicate sitar up the famous mountain to its base camp 鈥� near the top of the world, so to speak.

For Mand, the highlight of the 10-day trek was playing his sitar near the mountaintop on April 26, for a video now posted to his Facebook page.

鈥淭o be able to be there with my instrument, it was special, and I wouldn鈥檛 have felt complete without it there,鈥� Mand said Tuesday (May 3).

鈥淚t was windy and cold, and playing the instrument and keeping it in tune was a challenge,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very delicate instrument, and extreme cold can damage it, so I had extra pairs of everything in case anything breaks on it. It was all good, and I鈥檓 grateful for that, and also for the sherpa for being so careful while carrying it.鈥�

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Mand said he and the sherpa took turns carrying the instrument up the mountain, for six to eight hours a day in low oxygen.

Now back home in Surrey, Mand lived in Newton prior to a recent move to the Ocean Park area of South Surrey.

鈥淎s a child I always had a fascination with climbing mountains and of course Mt. Everest,鈥� Mand explained. 鈥淗ere I鈥檝e been hiking and I met people who were planing a trip there, but then COVID happened and that got delayed, but it finally happened this year. I might go again.鈥�

Mand has done 鈥渨hat others can鈥檛 even imagine,鈥� said his proud sister, Raman.

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Born and raised in India, Mand moved to Canada in 2014.

In 2019, CBC Music named him among .

鈥淚t鈥檚 a milestone in my life,鈥� Mand said at the time. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 the first time an Indian classical musician has been on the list, and that should open so many doors for other musicians, other ethnic musicians. That is something I鈥檓 really happy about.鈥�

Mand has been playing sitar for more than a dozen years, and also teaches others. While in high school, someone challenged him to play the sitar at a time when he was studying science, not music.

鈥淚 used to listen to opera and classical music as a young child, and I eventually asked my parents for a sitar,鈥� he recalled.

鈥淚 fasted and didn鈥檛 eat in order for them to get me a sitar,鈥� Mand added. 鈥淚 was doing a hunger strike 鈥� that is how much I wanted it. I was doing well in science and they were concerned about me playing music, so they were reluctant. But as soon as I sat with a sitar, I just felt complete. It was very beautiful for me.鈥�

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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