When The Strokes invited a guest musician to take the stage with them at Lollapalooza in January, this writer expected it to be an international one. To everyone’s pleasant surprise it was Shillong-based Hammarsing Kharmar, whom lead singer Julian Casablancas introduced as “one of the best soccer players”.  Just like most people in the audience, we wondered “Who is Hammarsing Kharmar?”

Kharmar studied Economics at St Stephen’s College in Delhi before heading to Boston to study music at the Berklee College of Music and moving to New York. At the Big Apple, he started a band called Mon Khmer, as well as solo project, Exhibition, whose song, No One There, featured Casablancas. This was what he played at Lollapalooza.