Performer at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Suffers Medical Emergency, Family Starts GoFundMe in Support

Lisa Stump

Performer at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Suffers Medical Emergency, Family Starts GoFundMe in Support

Stephan Mikés, a live performer known for his sitar performances as Chakranadi at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, has suffered a medical emergency requiring quintuple bypass surgery. His family created a GoFundMe campaign to help bolster finances regarding the musician’s medical expenses and lost income during healing.

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Sitar Performer at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Receives Quintuple Bypass Surgery

Quintuple bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to treat blocked coronary arteries. The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that provide the heart with its own blood supply. When these arteries become blocked, a person becomes afflicted with a condition known as coronary artery disease. It is possible to have one or more arteries blocked in this manner, which can pose a significant risk to the heart.

When someone requires a quintuple bypass, it means they have five blocked arteries.

Stephan has started his recovery from his 18-day hospital stay, 14 of which were spent in the ICU. His recovery time will depend on how long his sternum bone takes to heal. The family estimates this to take between 6-8 weeks.

Stephan Mikés’ musical ability ranges from performing classical Indian ragas and meditation or relaxation music to rock and reggae classics. His original compositions include the pieces he created specifically for his live performances at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

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Chakranadi’s performances occurred in the Anandapur village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. Disney described the experience as guests discovering “exotic tunes” that would become “increasingly mesmerizing.” Disney also claimed guests would feel as if they were “transported to a new place through the sounds of charming Indian instruments.”

The performances were scheduled hourly from noon to 5:00 p.m. during Disney’s “Festival of All Seasons” celebration, and the show lasted about twenty minutes.

Watch a live performance of Stephan Mikés as Chakranadi at Disney’s Animal Kingdom above.

Stephan Mikés plays a sitar, which is a stringed instrument that belongs to the lute family. It is a well-known instrument in Hindustani music and culture. The sitar is characterized by its deep, hollow, rounded body and wooden faceplate. The neck of the sitar is made from either a member of the mahogany family called Tun Wood, or Teak.

The sitar is different from the guitar because it has a shorter neck, a larger body, and more strings. It is a popular instrument in Indian classical music.

A sitar’s sound is created by its wide bridge with its gently sloped surface. The strings vibrate along the bridge, producing sound. According to Stephen Mikés’ site, both the sound from the vibrating string along the bridge as well as the maintenance of the bridge are referred to as jawari. Jawari means “to bring to life.”

Take a look at our coverage of Stephen Mikés performing Chakranadi below:

You can visit Stephan Mikés’ GoFundMe page here.

Did you watch Stephan Mikés perform as Chakranadi at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? We’d love to read about your experiences in the comments below.

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