|
Like
the many-armed fire-clad deities of Indian mythology, the country's wealth of musicians draw from innumerable resources in creating sacred music. While a youngster in a musical home
Debashish Bhattacharya happened upon a Hawaiian steel guitar. Perhaps it was the karmic residue of past lives causing him to gravitate towards it, eventually forging a career by re-treating ragas with a Western penchant. Also studied in the sitar and classical vocal style gwalior, Bhattacharya would fully explore the subtle nuances of slide guitar with a 10-year guruship under
Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra (the founder of the raga slide guitar).
The opening track, "Aanandam," takes off where last we saw the guitarist, globetrotting alongside
ethno musicological madman Bob Brozman on Mahima. Employing one of his homemade
"Trinity of Guitars"--the ukulele-derived Anandi--the tabla-backed track emits all the shimmer of
Mahima.
The uniqueness of hearing ragas in slide context opens a history of sonic folklore to interpretation. Unlike Mahima, where freshness wore thin by record's end, Calcutta Slide-Guitar maintains an air of inventive dignity throughout. Bhattacharya instantly moves from the quirkier opening track to the beautiful raga, "Prema Chakor." Played on his 14-stringed
Gandharvi, which crosses the sound of saz, 12-string and flamenco guitars, the album's pace is set: a patient, at times temperamental exploration of classical India that shudders and soothes through a host of emotions. The final member of the aforementioned trinity, the
Chaturangui--a 22-string guitar with four additional tones--adds the most manic impression, sounding as if dozens of hands are circumnavigating the studio. In fact, there are six, as Debashish is joined by brother
Subhasis on tablas and sister Sutapa on tambura. As one can imagine,
Calcutta Slide-Guitar is a family affair. Whether it's immediate family, the tradition of India or that of the world makes no difference. This record brings them all together.
|
PRESS REVIEWS - ABROAD 