At first it feels odd to listen to childhood favorites like Chura Liya Hai Tumne (Yaadon ki Baraat) and O Maajhi Re( Khushboo) set to meditative music. Then you think, “Pancham Da would have approved!”

This interpretation of R.D. Burman’s oeuvre is the work of Sandeep Khurana, a prolific Bay Area composer, who specializes in new age albums, from yoga music to Reiki albums, from Shiva Mantras to psychedelic versions of Hindi hits.

An IT professional (can there be any other kind in the Valley?) Sandeep took courses in music at the Ali Akbar Khan College of Music here in the Bay and classes in film production and the media arts before deciding to pursue his dreams of a career in music full time. 11 quick albums have been the result since Sandeep started composing in 2002, some in collaboration with local artists like Rita Sahai and Renoo Nathan.

Ethereal Chakra

“Record companies are always willing to listen to a new concept,” say Sandeep, whose music is currently available in digital formats. In the US, Sandeep tied up recently with Songcast, which distributes his music on various digital download sites like Amazon and Itunes. The downloads are picking up but Sandeeps’s aim is to get a record label interested in producing CDs and have it on store shelves.

It’s not easy being a professional musician in a world filled with wannabes but Sandeep’s music has slowly been finding a market. “I just want people to give me a chance,” says the musician, confident that his work will do the rest of the speaking for him.

Check out some of Sandeep’s wide range of music here. One album that might be of interest is R.D. Burman – The Digital Way, volume one. Another one called “Celebrating Pancham” featuring Bay Area singers is in the works.