SANDALWOOD  SITAR

Clar and GiGi Monaco started their study of Indian music in the early 1990's in Chicago. They began performing as a duo (Sitar and Tanpura) in 1998, playing numerous Music Meditation sessions around the city and private functions.

Sandalwood Sitar Music Ensemble was founded in 1999. Sandalwood was now incorporating other instrumentation and collaborating with tabla players and other musicians.

By 2003, the demand for Sandalwood had grown tremendously for Indian weddings and other public and private events in and around the Chicagoland area. They also played weekly at a popular Oak Park restaurant, Khyber Pass between 2003-2009.

SELECTED PAST VENUES:

The Theosophical Society of America - Summer National Conference, July 2011.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Chicago. 2010.

"Beatles Celebration-The Brendan Hedges Scholarship Fundraiser". Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago. 2010.

"Here Comes The Sun-Cancer Awareness Event", Chicago. 2009.

"World Music Festival - Music For Life Fund-raiser", Oak Park IL. 2008

"What's Blooming" Annual Art Festival, Oak Park Arts District. 2008

"TheoFest" Theosophical Society, Wheaton IL. 2008

Wonderwall's 1st Annual Harrison On Harrison TM Event - George Harrison In Art & Music. Oak Park IL. 2008

Chef Art Smith (Oprah's former chef), private dinner party, Chicago. 2007.

"Sister Cities - Chicago and Lahore Inauguration", Mayors Daley and Mehmood, Chicago Cultural Center. 2006

University Club of Chicago, Chicago. 2006.

House of Blues - Foundation Room, International Bar (Lawyers) Association Convention, Chicago. 2006.

Cuneo Mansion & Garden, Vernon Hills. 2005

Navy Pier - Grand Ballroom, Chicago. 2005

Chase Auditorium, Chicago. 2005

Sri Venkateswara Temple, Calabasa CA. 2005

Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago. 2004

Our Business

Sandalwood's musical performance, their professional attitude and dress attire shows great respect to the Indian music, tradition and culture for which they represent.

Performing musical arrangements on Sitar, Tabla, Tanpura/Swarsangam and Percussion....Indian classical ragas, light classical ragas, Hindi film songs, western pop such as The Beatles.

Who We Are

CLAR MONACO: SITAR PLAYER.         Group leader and co-founder, Clar Monaco began his study of the sitar in 1993 with Mushtaq Husain Khan, son of the great Ghulam Hussain Khan of the Indore Gharana classical music tradition, and the late Patric Marks who was a disciple Khansahib.

In 2005, Clar became a disciple of  world renowned artist, Pandit Ronu Majumdar, who is also the chairman of Sadhana School of Indian Music for which Ronuji appointed Clar as the Sitar Teacher by the following year. Clar taught introduction and intermediate levels of Sitar at Sadhana School from 2006-2009.

Clar is an M.F.A. alumnus of the University of Chicago and holds five levels of academic certificates in Sitar study from the Bharatiya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal in Pune, India.

GIGI WONG MONACO: TAMBOURA/SWARSANGAM and VARIOUS PERCUSSION.                       Co-founder, GiGi Wong-Monaco studied India classical music with the late Patric Marks from 1997-2005.

From the island of O'ahu, GiGi is a graduate of the University of Hawai'i - Mano'a (B.F.A.), and Wilmington University (M.S.).

Sandalwood's roster of musicians:      

*Dharminder Singh, Tabla         *Kalyan Pathak, Tabla                 *Amee Majmundar, Violin                   *Diana Mayne, Viola                         *Payal Sud, Tamboura/Percussion       *Monika Sharma, Percussion             *Sean Murphy, Sitar (R.I.P.)