Meeting by the backwaters
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Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt's music wins over students of IIM-K.
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Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt plays on the Mohan Veena.
"THIS IS the era of music. Wherever you are, if you have music in you, you can reach out to millions globally," says Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt, Grammy Award winner and renowned inventor of the Mohan Veena.
He was in Kozhikode for a concert held in connection with `Backwaters' 05,' a cultural festival at Indian Institute of Management - Kozhikode, (IIM-K).
Bhatt started his concert with his favourite raga, Madhuvanthi. Initially, his exploration of the raga was slow and light hearted.
The Jhor, a rhythmic exploration of the raga and then Jhala were pleasing to the ear. His artistic innovation was evident in the alap.
He was ably supported by Arvind Kumar on the tabla. Arvind is a disciple of Pandit Kishan Maharaj.
Before he began playing `Vaishnava Jana... ' as it was Martyrs' Day, there was a request to play a lullaby he had composed on the occasion of International Mother's Day. This composition set in raga Thilak Kamod and Roopak Thaal transported the audience to a serene world.
This was followed by a piece from his Grammy award winning album `A Meeting By the River,' which had touches of Maand and Khamas.
The audience gave a standing ovation to the maestro after the performance.
Bhatt hopes to finish a new series of music albums on the theme, `Music for Romance.'
Bhatt had won the Grammy award in 1994 along with R. Cooder for their music album, `A Meeting by the River.'
Mohan Veena
Bhatt hit the limelight with the invention of his Mohan veena, an instrument that perfectly amalgamated the Indian version of the Hawaiian Guitar with the techniques of the sitar, the sarod and the veena. He gave it a new design by adding 14 more strings to it.
"There was a lot of resistance from the traditionalists among Indian classical musicians. But over the years, global acceptance of the instrument silenced my critics," recalls Bhatt.
Born into a family of musicians, Bhatt inherited the versatility of the two gharanas that his parents belonged to. He was a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar.
He has been lauded for his exceptional ability to play the `Tanthrakari Ang' and incorporate the `Gayaki Ang,' traditionally the domain of a vocalist, on this string instrument.
Reflecting on his phenomenal appeal and popularity in the West, especially in the United States, Bhatt says, "My strength has been my improvisation. This is what makes me a good collaborator."
Whether it be with American guitar player Jerry Douglas or Arabian Oudh player Simon Shaheen, Bhatt is at ease with both of them. He believes that it is this trait that helped him become the first Indian to play a jugalbandhi with the Chinese Erther player, Jei Bing Chen.
Interestingly, Bhatt's music has marked resonance of Carnatic music. He recalls that his style of aalap of ragas like Hamsadhwani, Keervani, Charukesi, and Simhendramadhyamam has been influenced by the veterans of Carnatic music. He owes much to the improvised `laykari' (Mathematics involved in music) of Carnatic music.
Pandit Bhatt has also tried to apply music for relaxation and therapy.
On classical music
"I believe that Indian classical music is timeless and defies geography, race and culture."
Expressing concern at the trivialisation of classical music owing to mushrooming of music videos and albums, he says, "The Government must make it mandatory for all television channels, especially music channels, to devote a slot for popularising classical music."
But he was quick to add that there were many opportunities for up-and-coming artistes. While appreciating the efforts of organisations such as SPIC MACAY in popularising Indian classical music and fine arts among the youth, he says, "Classical music must be a compulsory subject in schools. Only when students learn music along with science and mathematics, can they appreciate the cultural heritage of India.
He has also created another stringed instrument called `Vishwa veena' that has 35 strings. He created a raga called Ganga as a tribute to the nation on its 50th year of independence.
Pandit Bhatt refuses to be categorised. He says that soulful music is universal and defies easy classification. He yearns for a universal music that is not divided by narrow divisions.
Sanjay Kumar
Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup
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