Vishwa Mohan Bhatt In Concert - Bihag, Desh Raga Records, 1991
“Although guitar is a foreign instrument, he has a tremendous command over it. He has given a new dimension to it by merging the sound and style of guitar, sitar and sarod. The effect of his playing is unique.” —Padmavibhushan Ravi Shankar Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt was born in 1952, of a musician family of Jaipur in Rajasthan. He received his initial training from his older brother Shashi Mohan, and is now a disciple of Ravi Shankar. He has modified his guitar by adding several chikari (drone strings tuned to the tonic), and eight sympathetic strings tuned to the scale of the raga being played, which ring out in the background when their note is struck on the main strings. This hybrid instrument, which Vishwa calls the Mohan Veena, is played like a Hawaiian slide guitar, and is ideally suited for the sustained, sliding notes of vocal style Indian classical music. Sukhvindar Singh, from Ludhiana in the Punjab, is one of today's leading young tabla players. Learning first to play the pakhawaj (the large double headed drum used to accompany Dhrupad vocal music) under Nihal Singh, he received a thorough training in the Banares tradition from his guru Kishan Maharaj. Rag Bihag is an important evening raga. The rasa (mood) is romantic combined with pathos, as in longing for one's lover. Basically following a major scale, it omits the second, third and sixth while ascending, and goes through both a natural and augmented fourth: S m G M P N S, S N D P M G m G R S (C F E F# G B C, C B A G F# E F E D C). There is an andolan (slow vibrato between microtones) on the sharp fourth, and the second, used only in descent to the tonic, is soft. The heart of the rag is the phrase P M G m G (G F# E F E). Vadi and samvadi (most important) notes are the third and seventh. Rag Desh is a rainy season rag, and played in the evening at other times. Mood is pathos and joy. Its ascending/descending stucture goes: N S R m P N S, R S n D P D m G R G N S. (B C D F G B C, D C Bb A G A F E D E B C). Vadi and samvadi are the second and fifth.
Chances are they won't be offering this on the Nashville Network, but this is a release of steel guitar music with a difference: the music being played on it is Indian classical music. Guitarist Bhatt takes an archtop guitar, adds drone and sympathetic strings, and plays it lap-style with a steel bar. The result sounds no more like Sol Hoopii than it does Buddy Emmons, though the basic technique is one common to bar pushers worldwide. Anyone familiar with the technique will be properly floored by Bhatt's playing on the "fast tintal" section of "Rag Bihag," a work that clocks in at a full hour. Recorded live in Pittsburgh, the two performances here represent serious Indian classical music (Ravi Shankar even endorses Bhatt's music and hybrid instrument) which will be of interest to lovers of guitar (and steel guitar) music in their many-splendored forms.~ Mark Humphrey
Creator of the Mohan Veena, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has mesmerized the world with his pristine, delicate yet fiery music. Born on 27th July 1952, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt hails from a family of musicians and had his initial training from his elder brother, Shri Shashi Mohan Bhatt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has attracted international attention by his successful Indianisation of the western Hawaiian guitar with his perfect assimilation of sitar, sarod & veena techniques. By changing the strings that were originally used and adding ‘Chikari’ and 8 ‘Tarabs’ (sympathetic strings), he has given his guitar an evolutionary design and shape, and has developed his own style of playing Indian Classical music - a fine combination of ‘Gayaki Ang’ (Vocal style) and ‘Tantrakari Ang’ (Instrumental style). With blinding speed and faultless legato, Bhatt is undoubtedly one of the most expressive, versatile and greatest slide player s in the world. Being a powerhouse performer, Bhatt's electrifying performance always captivates the audience whether in the United States of America, Europe, Gulf countries or his motherland, India. An ‘A-grade’ artist of All India Radio and Television, he has participated in the National programmes of All India Radio and has given exclusive recitals of one hour in the ‘Sangeet Sabhas’ of Radio Sangeet Sammelan. He has given numerous lectures and demonstrations around the world and has numerous CDs and cassettes to his credit. A disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar since 1983, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has had accolades and honours heaped upon him. These include the Padmashree (2002), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1998) and the Grammy (1994). (ITC Sangeet Research Academy)flac - no scans.
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