Guitar maestro Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya is one of the world’s phenomenons who created a unique Trinity of Slide Guitars. Each takes the slide guitar to new heights of sublimity. First of his invention is the Chaturangui, a 24-string hollow neck guitar, followed by the 14-string Gandharvi, which holds the longest glissando and the Anandi, a 4-string slide Ukulele, played at the end of a performance. All three combine aspects of the western guitar with elements of traditional Indian instrument.

Born to musician parents Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya, a child prodigy, was initiated into Indian classical singing, but was drawn to the guitar because of the ability to emulate the human voice by using the slide. The highly innovative mind of Debashish has given the Hindustani Slide Guitar a new dimension. The Maestro belives the Trinity of Guitars is the ultimate form of Indian Slide Guitar. Debashish hopes this would be the driving force for Indian Slide Guitar in the years ahead. The origin dates back to the 1930’s, when Hawaiian Musician Tau Moe introduced the lap steel guitar to India. Debashish met Tau Moe and honoured and performed at his presence in 2004 at Laie. The rest if history.

Past performances of Debashish have include Zakir Hussain, john McLaughlin and his latest incarnation of Shakti, Bob Brozman that resulted in the album Mahima. Jerry Douglas, Dereck Trucks, Idris Al-Maloumi, Mandolin U.Shrinivas Led Kaapana, Martin Simpson are the others. Recorded more than Fifty albums and played some two thousand concerts in last thirty five years, this Guitar God has changed tastes and ideas of slide guitar playing for many and has cut a niche for himself.

Having studied under Maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan ( Sarod ), Pandit Ajoy Chalraborty (Khayal, Vocal) and the legendary Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra, the Godfather of Indian Classical Guitar, there really is no way to describe this astonishing musician short of seeing him live.

The uncanny ability of sliding like a voice and mesmerising tantrakaari Ang put Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya as a leading slide guitarist of the world. This extremely personable and gifted artiste takes us on a timeless journey through the history of Indian Classical Music, bringing it into the 21st century, with detours into the Blues and Hawaiian music as well.

His work has earned him president of India award in 1984, The Asiatic Society Gold Medal in 2005 and BBC Planet Award for World Music in 2007. He was Nominated for 51st Grammy award in 2009, and two more times Albums were nominated for Grammy in 2002 and 2009 in which he has performed.

Debashish's Biography ( Detail Version ) 

                  Indian Raga Music thrives on improvisations. No two performances by the same day can claim to be the same. For a musician with substance, therefore, sky is the limit. His improvisations, within the frame work of a Raga or within the limitations of the instrument he plays, become a novel experience for himself as well as his listeners. Some go beyond and open new horizons in the field of their work. 

Debashish Bhattacharya is one of such most amazing music personalities of the world whose dynamism of artistry and creativity place him as a Genius. His charisma as a Musician, Composer, Innovator, Revolutionary thinker, Guru, and the Director of international slide Guitar Parivar has attracted devotees of music from all nooks and corners of the world. 

Born on the day and date of Swami Vivekananda's hundredth Birthday, blessed by the genes of his vocalist parents belonging to the family of musicians for generations, Debashish carries music in his veins. His brother Subhasis is an exponent of Tabla and other rhythm instruments. Sutapa, his sister, is a very talented singer who during her first tour abroad has been quite popular in Japanese and Canadian festivals.

Debashish is extremely fortunate to be associated with his Guru, Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra, the living legend and pioneer of Indian Classical Guitar. The training coupled by his own hard work has shaped up Debashish as the best slide Guitarist of the world today. He is blessed with an immense power of influencing the imaginative ability of his fellow musicians. As an innovative slide guitarist he has already set a new trend among guitarists.

His debut concert at the age of four, broadcasted by the All India Radio, Calcutta, was blessed by the late Ustad Karamatullah Khan of Farukhabad Gharana who accompanied him on the Tabla. At twenty, Debashish received the President of India Award for winning National Music competition of All India Radio. As a rare feat, Debashish, still in his thirties, was awarded the Top Grade, the ultimate honour by Prasar Bharati, Ministry of information and Broadcasting of India.

He has the honour of performing with the renowned maestro musicians of the world : Ustad Zakir Hussain, John Mclaughlin and the great musicians like Martin Simpson, Bob Brozman, Rene Lacile, Takashi Hiriyasu, lieu Fang, Julian Kytasty and many others around the Globe. The composer in Debashish does not believe in the East and the West in music. His faith lies in the Universal Music which gives peace and joy to its believers.

The Performer in Debashish has a rare quality of communicating with each one of his listeners through his instrument in every performance. He has introduced a new finger style as well as playing technique combining thumb and index finger. This brings out the best of fine bole variety, fast Taans, and strong Jhala, which were technically impossible on a slide guitar earlier. Debashish's uncanny sense of musical understanding has established him as a recording artiste whose perfect virtuosity matches all categories of music be it Indian, or any kind of Western classical, jazz, blues, folk or Nue Music.

A dedicated Guru and pathfinder Debashish has written a syllabus, the first of its kind, on Indian Classical Guitar, which includes technical terminologies and abbreviations.

The inventor Debashish is perhaps the phenomenon in the History of The World Music and Indian Classical Music who created a TRINITY OF SLIDE GUITARS. Christened as CHATURANGUI, GANDHARVI, and ANANDI. These according to Bob Brozman are "the new arms and ammunitions to fight against ignorance". 

Debashish has performed in 'Remember Shakti' of John Mclaughlin and Zakir Hussain, U.Srinivas, Selva Ganesh . . the greats.

He has participated in the world of Slide Guitar tour with Bob Brozman and Martin Simpson, and performed in forty concerts in USA during1996-97.

Debashish has featured in different networks like : CNN, ABC, BBC, MONDOMIX ,CBC, STAR PLUS, NATIONAL TELEVISION OF-SOUTH AFRICA, GREECE, INDIA, ALFA TV OF GREECE apart from the NATIONAL PROGRAMME OF MUSIC-INDIA, RADIO NATIONAL CONCERT-INDIA, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO-USA, NATIONAL RADIO OF HOLLAND, SWITZERLAND, RADIO BBC.

He has performed in AMERICAN, CANADIAN AND EUROPREAN and AFRICAN JAZZ, WORLD MUSIC AND FOLK FESTIVALS, NATIONAL SLIDE GUITAR FESTIVAL, INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVALS ETC. 

He has recordings with the following labels: RIVER BOAT RECORDS, UNIVERSAL, HMV, MUSIC TODAY, SAGARIKA, INDIA ARCHIVE MUSIC, RAGESHREE MUSIC, NEELAM AUDIO, VESTAPOL VIDEO, FREQUENCY GUIDE ENTERPRISE and many others.

Debashish is an endorsee of JOHN PEARSE STRING and WEISSENBORN.

His work has earned him president of India award in 1984, The Asiatic Society Gold Medal in 2005 and BBC Planet Award for World Music in 2007.