Quick 8 With Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
On November 7, 2009, Nazar representative Vaibhav Jain spoke with the Grammy Award winning musician back-stage just after he performed alongside Salman Ahmad, Pt. Samir Chatterjee and Daniel Weiss in a fusion concert at Westlake High Shool in Austin. The concert was organized by Aid-Austin, which is a voluntary non-profit organisation that focuses on tackling problems faced by rural India.
1. What has touring America been like for you?
I really like touring in America, especially since the people here are so open. They are, most definitely, very respectful of our culture and listen well. They are smart, experienced and are very fond of Indian Classical Music, in particular.
2. What has your experience with the Austin crowd been like over the years?
“Austin has been always very hard” in the sense that the audience response here is very warm, nice and enthusiastic. They participate, you know. They know what music is. This is a good thing. Austin is one of those rare places where you get so many knowledgeable listeners. Thus, the Austin crowd is one where one has to consider that the audience understands the music and has music within them. Playing at such venues provides a satisfaction of another level.
3. Given that you’re a classical musician, once can visibly see the influence folk music has had on you. Could you elaborate on that?
Folk music is a family heirloom. See, the various rituals etc. that happen, initially feature the singing of songs. Folk music, you see, is older than Indian Classical Music. So then, folk music is created and infused into children just like one inherits any other cultural trait. I’m also very connected to my heritage. I have made an album with Langas and Manganiars1 called Desert Slide produced by a company in London called Sense World. That album gained a lot of popularity and we have done numerous live programs together as well.
4. Today’s student has the ability to record his own voice or that of his guru and listen to it again and again at convenience. Do you feel, though, that Saadhana (here, intense practicing) is a diminishing trait?
No, I think that what’s happening is great; that there is availability of resources. You can hear a good guru’s work, understand it, compare it and, resultantly, expand your mental level. So, I think there are benefits. I see positive growth – very talented young musicians are coming up at a rapid pace.
5. You’ve made music with so many other artists from so many different traditions and backgrounds. What’s been your most memorable performance, or a stand out musician you played with?
Arrey! All artists are equally good! (On further insistence) A.R. Rahmanji has called me a number of times. I like working with him too. And then there are other musicians like L. Subramaniumji.
Nazar: When I asked Pandit Jasraj this same question, he took L. Subramanium’s name too!
Yeah! He’s a very nice musician. I toured America with him once and it was very enjoyable. There have been many-a-good artist; none has been any lesser than the other.
6. What are your personal feelings and expectations from a concert of this nature? Expectations before it and feelings after and during, I guess.
The response that we got, it started from the very beginning – that was a great thing. Actually, I expected the crowd to be this way because I’ve always known this about Austin. For example, we hadn’t planned on playing the second song before-hand. It was just decided on-stage at the precise moment.
Nazar: I liked that one the most!
Really? Yeah … that one developed on its own. This is the wonderful quality of our music that it isn’t prepared for as such. It is characterized by creativity and the spontaneous.
7. How many individuals, as of now, are set to continue the legacy of the Mohan Veena that you’ve established?
My son Salil is definitely spreading the art and there are some students too who are doing well and putting in a lot of hard work. About 8-10 are really talented and are A-Class Radio artists or better and are doing amazingly well. Apart from them there are many but these 10 are those who I consider the best.
8. So, got to hear you sing today too. Apart from getting to flex your vocal chords, what else does a fusion concert/performance bring in for which you would agree on doing one?
Right! See, there are different streams of music. Fusion is how you bring them together. Actually, Sangeet itself is a kind of fusion – of melody and rhythm. Only on fusing the two, do you get music. So, fusion exists already. When you fuse different music streams different and distinct expressions surface through the interaction with the other artist(s). All this is enjoyable and the creation of new things is made possible.
Glossary
1. Communities in the desert region of Rajasthan, India, famous for their folk music.
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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Thanks for sharing the interview, I thoroughly enjoyed the concert. The fusion was melodies, the talent on that stage was phenomenal. The fact that such beautiful music is produced on the spot is a tribute to their flowing talent.
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