Tarun Balani explores themes of heritage and migration with Kadahin Milandaasin

Just over six months since drummer-composer Tarun Balani embarked on a listening sessions tour for his album Kadahin Milandaasin that explores his Sindhi heritage and ideas of migration, the New Delhi artist now returns to Bengaluru with his quartet.

After a solo vinyl set at Middle Room in Shanti Nagar, Tarun and his quartet comprising Swiss trumpeter Sonja Ott, New Delhi-based guitarist Siddharth Gautam and American pianist and synth artist Luke Marantz will perform at Bangalore International Center on February 28 as part of the venue’s annual festival Parvah.

Tarun’s India tour ends in Bengaluru, following shows in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata. Including the vinyl set, that will be two stops in the city and he says it is intentional. “Bengaluru holds a special place in my heart,” he says. Tarun recounts how he began his touring career over a decade ago, playing in clubs in Indiranagar and he always loves returning to the city.

Tarun also brought his second show — a live audio-visual performance — to BLR Hubba in January, with the visual artist Parizad D. “Bengaluru audiences have consistently been so welcoming of my music, showing up to listen in every format possible and I’m deeply grateful for that. This time as well, I wanted to take the opportunity to share as much music with them as possible.”

Since its release in May last year, Kadahin Milandaasin (which translates to “When Will We Meet?”) has been Tarun’s most personal work yet, in the way that it has resonated with audiences, especially the Sindhi community. “Knowing that my music has found meaning and a place in so many people’s hearts — whether through messages online or conversations after the shows — is perhaps the most rewarding feeling for me.”

Tarun Balani 
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Special Arrangement

At the Bengaluru concert, they will be playing the seven-track album from start to finish, which Tarun says he has surprisingly never done before and calls it “incredibly rewarding”. “Of course, we are reshaping the set list each night, and we’ve also added ‘Dr. Escher’ from our album The Shape of Things to Come to bring additional context to the quartet’s overall sound.”

The India tour is the first time Tarun has taken a quartet on the road on home ground for over a decade. It comes with its pressures, as does the overall challenge of putting together a tour as an independent act, but he says they have been “having a blast on the road” with shows fully sold out.

The shows come just before a Europe tour in the summer, which has also been “extremely challenging” to put together in a post-pandemic touring economy. “The circuit has changed drastically. I’m, of course, thrilled to be sharing this music with European audiences, many of whom are unfamiliar with music coming from India, especially in this format.”

If anything, Tarun is stepping into international touring on the back of releasing an album that revolves around personal and region-specific themes, but the album has given him confidence. “Now, I’m even more unapologetic about who I am and where this music comes from and I can’t wait to share it.”

In the mean time, he is also working on more projects, and returning to India with the quartet is also on the cards. Talking about his plans for 2026, Tarun says, “Over the summer, I will be focusing on some of my solo work , including Listening Room and solo electronic projects. I’m currently working toward a larger European and North American tour, along with a second round of India dates in the second half of 2026.”

Kadahin Milandaasin by Tarun Balani and quartet will take place at Bangalore International Centre on February 28 at 7pm. Entry free.