Debashish Bhattacharya
Encyclopedia
Debashish Bhattacharya is an India
n classical musician who plays the lap slide guitar
.
Bhattacharya was born into a musical family in Kolkata
, it became apparent that Bhattacharya was skilled at a young age. His parents, both traditional Indian vocalists, gave him a basic understanding of music and he first began strumming a guitar at age three, when his father gave him a full-size Hawaiian lap steel guitar
. He made his debut at the age of four on All India Radio
, in Calcutta.
At the age of nine, he left his parents for ten years to study under the pioneer of Indian slide-guitar Brij Bhushan Kabra
. At age twenty, he was awarded the President of India Award for winning the National Music competition of All India Radio.
His originality as a musician has earned him global admiration, and he has performed on networks all over the world.
He invented his own slide-guitars, unique to his compositions, which he calls the "Trinity of Guitars". These hollow neck instruments are the 24-string chaturangui, the 14 string gandharvi and the anandi, a 4-string lap steel ukulele
.
His most popular albums are: Mahima with Bob Brozman
, and Calcutta Slide-Guitar, Vol. 3. Both of these albums are on Riverboat records and ranked in the top 10 of the Billboard World Music Charts.
He was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award
in the category of Best Traditional World Music Album
for his album Calcutta Chronicles.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n classical musician who plays the lap slide guitar
Lap slide guitar
A lap slide guitar is a general term often used to describe any guitar played on the lap with a slide or steel.Lap slide guitars are generally one of three types:* Acoustic resonator guitars* Electric lap steels...
.
Bhattacharya was born into a musical family in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, it became apparent that Bhattacharya was skilled at a young age. His parents, both traditional Indian vocalists, gave him a basic understanding of music and he first began strumming a guitar at age three, when his father gave him a full-size Hawaiian lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
. He made his debut at the age of four on All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
, in Calcutta.
At the age of nine, he left his parents for ten years to study under the pioneer of Indian slide-guitar Brij Bhushan Kabra
Brij Bhushan Kabra
Brij Bhushan Kabra is an Indian musician who popularized the guitar as an instrument in Indian classical music.Kabra was born 1937 to Goverdhanlal Kabra in Jodhpur where he spent his youth. He was interested in sports and listened to Indian classical music, but did not intend to become a musician...
. At age twenty, he was awarded the President of India Award for winning the National Music competition of All India Radio.
His originality as a musician has earned him global admiration, and he has performed on networks all over the world.
He invented his own slide-guitars, unique to his compositions, which he calls the "Trinity of Guitars". These hollow neck instruments are the 24-string chaturangui, the 14 string gandharvi and the anandi, a 4-string lap steel ukulele
Lap steel ukulele
The lap steel ukulele is a type of and method of playing the ukuleleThere are three main types of lap steel ukulele:* Lap slide ukuleles, simply a ukulele with high action played with a slide* Resonator ukuleles, particularly those with square necks....
.
His most popular albums are: Mahima with Bob Brozman
Bob Brozman
Bob Brozman is an American guitarist and ethnomusicologist.He has performed in a number of styles such as Gypsy jazz, calypso, Blues, ragtime, Hawaiian and Caribbean music. Brozman has also collaborated with musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds such as India, Africa, Japan, Papua New Guinea...
, and Calcutta Slide-Guitar, Vol. 3. Both of these albums are on Riverboat records and ranked in the top 10 of the Billboard World Music Charts.
He was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the category of Best Traditional World Music Album
Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists between 2004 and 2011 for quality traditional world music albums...
for his album Calcutta Chronicles.
Sources
- Andrew Gilbert Sliding between cultures, instruments: Debashish Bhattacharya merges the Hindustani and blues traditions The Boston Globe, 6 April 2008.