Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing musical keyboard instrument similar to a Reed Organ or Pipe Organ. It consists of free reeds and sound is produced by air being blown through reeds resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion. The air is supplied by bellows alternately depressed by the player.
This instrument has found its way into every religious ceremony held in our part of the hemisphere. It is used for accompaniment in chanting the Vedic Hymns, Sutras,Chowpayees and Dohas during worship in Guyana.
Sitar
The Sitar is derived from the long neck lutes of Western Asia and from the Veena family of Indian musical instruments.It should not be confused with the similarly named “setar”. In the Persian language,”sitar” literally means “30 strings,” while setar means “3 strings.”
The instrument,developed during the collapse of the Moghul Empire (circa-1700),reflected the culture of both India and Persia. It is played in North Indian classical music,(Hindustaani Sangeet), film music and western fusion music.
Not as popular as the Harmonium,Dholak and Tabla, the sitar is a very revered, traditional instrument and is used a lot in the composition of Indian music. It does not lend itself to too many varieties of music,however,when it is played,it is a very recognizable instrument as it is said to can calm the nerves of many musicians.