Byline: Anandi Mishra

Pune: Six months into the year, Daniel Waples, a busker from North London, has already spent two months in India as against three weeks in the UK."For the last two years I've spent more time in India than in England. I enjoy the weather, food and culture here and find myself asking for spicy curry when I am back in England," Waples said. What also works for him is that English is widely spoken here.The hand percussionist, who is in Pune for some private performances, has travelled across the globe with an instrument called the handpan, originally made in Switzerland. It has two hemispheres of steel and looks like a UFO.Waples' first encounter with music was with his father's guitars when he was a child. From the age of 11 to 14, he was part of a military marching band where he played imperialistic songs and covered soundtracks for Jurassic...