Behind entrepreneur Narendra Firodia's love for the unusual musical instrument, the handpan

Have you heard of the handpan? It’s a percussion musical instrument that originated about a decade and a half ago and looks a bit like a UFO. It’s a cross between a Caribbean Steel Pan and the Indian Ghatam and is made of steel. When Narendra Firodia first heard about the handpan, he was fascinated. “I was struck with the sound the instrument made. It was very soothing,” says the 45-year-old Co-founder of You Care Lifestyle, an e-commerce platform for organic food and lifestyle products. So awestruck was he that he decided to learn to play it.

“We had an event for the 75th birth anniversary of my father and we wanted to conduct a musical programme. Someone sent me videos of Daniel Waples playing the handpan. That’s the first I heard of the instrument,” says Firodia. Waples is an international artist who has been playing the handpan for nearly a decade now.

Hearing Waples live inspired Firodia and he began his search for a handpan. After much research he found a manufacturer in Mysore, and it took over two months for the instrument to be prepared since it is completely handcrafted. “Incidentally, that’s when the lockdown happened. There was nothing to do and I found some online courses and started teaching myself,” says Firodia.

Firodia now practises over the weekends and it is his way of relaxing and rejuvenating. “The sound made by the handpan is extremely soothing. It’s like being in a spa,” he says. He refers to himself as a beginner and says that since not too many people play the instrument in India, finding a teacher is difficult. However, he has now connected with some teachers online and is hoping to start learning properly soon.

“I like creating my own tunes. There are very few people playing the instrument in India, so finding someone to teach me is also difficult. I am learning online.”

Firodia launched You Care Lifestyle last year in October. He plans to launch an app soon. Currently maximum sales come from metro cities but he is slowly getting customers from Tier II cities as well. The platform encourages sale of local produce. Firodia says it’s also about educating consumers about the benefits of organic and chemical-free products. Firodia also has a tech company and runs a platform called ‘I love Nagar’, which is for the city of Ahmednagar, near Pune where he stays. The app enables citizens to raise and address an issue, contributing to the development of the city. Firodia also invests in start-ups.

While Firodia’s daughter plays the piano and his son the guitar, they are captivated with the flying saucer-looking instrument their father is trying hard to master.

@smitabw