On Monday, the Centre for Fine Arts will be transformed into a temple of peace and joy. Debashish Bhattacharya is a musical do-gooder who brings us a moment of healing and meditation. But mostly you should come to see how this virtuoso uses the slide guitar in Indian classical music. Breath-taking!
In 2009, Calcutta Chronicles by Debashish Bhattacharya was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music. But still, a slide guitar in Indian classical music? It’s almost like swearing in church. Not to Debashish Bhattacharya. “You can’t really call it a slide guitar, it is actually a totally new instrument that I created in my studio,” he tells us about the chaturangui, the 22-snare instrument that is sometimes referred to as the “voice of India”. “The chaturangui was specially designed to reproduce the nuances and tonality I was looking for. It has a new form, a new sound box, and a new way to play it [fingerpicking and sliding - BT].”
Master of the Indian slide guitar
Are there more people playing the slide guitar in India now?
Debashish Bhattacharya: I have a music school with about 2,000 students and I teach workshops across the world. I also run a company to keep art and artisans alive in India. I have trained them to build my patented guitar, but also standard guitars.
Was it difficult to introduce the guitar to Indian classical music?
Bhattacharya: Believe it or not, this instrument is best suited to Indian classical because it is music that comes from the voice; it is vocal music based on one note and then played with nuances and twists. The slide guitar can reproduce these better than any string instrument with frets. It has a long glissando and the fingerpicking makes the music lively and complex, which is perfect for Indian classical. It is thus perfectly logical: this instrument offers more dynamism and more tonal variety.
A revolution in Indian classical music?
Bhattacharya: It is true that over the past 400 years, Indian classical music has not been updated very often, but actually this instrument ensures continuity. Nowadays, the sitar, sarod, and other classical instruments use electric sound cards, and their sound consequently tends more towards the electric guitar. I did the opposite, adapting the guitar to my culture. It sounds like a traditional Indian instrument and in that sense, it is much more traditional.
At the Centre for Fine Arts, you will perform with your brother Subhasis. Are you members of a musical caste?
Bhattacharya: There are only two castes in the world: those who have money and power, and everyone else. We are part of a musical family of singers who provide services to the community: we provide people with education, good vibes, music, and advice. What’s more, my brother is one of the best tabla players of his generation.
What may we expect from your concert?
Bhattacharya: First and foremost, it is a place of healing and meditation where we work on the purity of the human spirit. Additionally, there is a lot of improvisation, playfulness, and energy. It is also intellectual music that starts with the soul and then moves to the intellect. This music nourishes human peace. But it is also demanding; it requires a very attentive audience. Listen with your heart and the music will penetrate your body and soul.
Debashish & Subhasis Bhattacharya • 10/12, 20.00, €15, Paleis voor Schone Kunsten/Palais des Beaux-Arts, rue Ravensteinstraat 23, Brussel/Bruxelles, 02-507.82.00, www.bozar.be
Debashish Bhattacharya: I have a music school with about 2,000 students and I teach workshops across the world. I also run a company to keep art and artisans alive in India. I have trained them to build my patented guitar, but also standard guitars.
Was it difficult to introduce the guitar to Indian classical music?
Bhattacharya: Believe it or not, this instrument is best suited to Indian classical because it is music that comes from the voice; it is vocal music based on one note and then played with nuances and twists. The slide guitar can reproduce these better than any string instrument with frets. It has a long glissando and the fingerpicking makes the music lively and complex, which is perfect for Indian classical. It is thus perfectly logical: this instrument offers more dynamism and more tonal variety.
A revolution in Indian classical music?
Bhattacharya: It is true that over the past 400 years, Indian classical music has not been updated very often, but actually this instrument ensures continuity. Nowadays, the sitar, sarod, and other classical instruments use electric sound cards, and their sound consequently tends more towards the electric guitar. I did the opposite, adapting the guitar to my culture. It sounds like a traditional Indian instrument and in that sense, it is much more traditional.
At the Centre for Fine Arts, you will perform with your brother Subhasis. Are you members of a musical caste?
Bhattacharya: There are only two castes in the world: those who have money and power, and everyone else. We are part of a musical family of singers who provide services to the community: we provide people with education, good vibes, music, and advice. What’s more, my brother is one of the best tabla players of his generation.
What may we expect from your concert?
Bhattacharya: First and foremost, it is a place of healing and meditation where we work on the purity of the human spirit. Additionally, there is a lot of improvisation, playfulness, and energy. It is also intellectual music that starts with the soul and then moves to the intellect. This music nourishes human peace. But it is also demanding; it requires a very attentive audience. Listen with your heart and the music will penetrate your body and soul.
Debashish & Subhasis Bhattacharya • 10/12, 20.00, €15, Paleis voor Schone Kunsten/Palais des Beaux-Arts, rue Ravensteinstraat 23, Brussel/Bruxelles, 02-507.82.00, www.bozar.be
Read more about: Muziek
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