WHEN INDIAN SLIDE guitar master Debashish Bhattacharya gives a concert, the venue is usually packed with other guitarists. They come to marvel at his musicianship, which combines the highly disciplined virtuosity of Hindustani classical tradition with the adventurous spirit of a world music trailblazer. He has performed and recorded in a variety of contexts — collaborating with guitar greats like John McLaughlin, Derek Trucks, Henry Kaiser, Bob Brozman, Martin Simpson and African kora master Ballake Sissoko. But his newest recording, The Sound of the Soul, is a sublime offering of pure, unadulterated Bhattacharya — a deep dive into the traditions that form the core of his artistry. All based on classical ragas, the album’s four tracks feature Bhattacharya on the chaturangui, a 24-stringed instrument of his own invention, accompanied only by percussion, either tabla or pakhawaj. The album pays tribute to one of his key musical mentors, the renowned Indian sarod master Ali Akbar Khan, born a hundred years ago last year.
“Baba Ali Akbar Khan and his father [the equally revered Allauddin Khan] were my inspiration from when I was 2,” Bhattacharya says. “And they still are.”
This story is from the July 2023 edition of Guitar World.
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This story is from the July 2023 edition of Guitar World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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