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The Vishwa Mohan Bhatt Chat

Pavan: Composition is always my passion . You must have heard my music for relaxation , song of nature etc . Now Megh Dutam is out . I may compose ghazals also but it requires time. which I'm not getting because I'm mostly busy on concerts and travelling .

Damini: Since I have modified and Indianised the guitar and renamed it as Mohan Vina, it is now no more a western instrument. I'm using the body of a guitar but have exteneded the finger board and added 14 more strings (total 20 strings ) to make it suitable for playing Indian classical music like on any other Indian instrument. I wanted to be different and create something new and open new vistas for the younger generation. Recently there was an article in one of the American newspapers and the caption under my photograph was " Inspiration for young guitarist" .

panditji, i come from a western musical background and i find it hard to hear sruti. could you tell me; are there really 22 sruti to the octave in indian music and if there are please tell me-are these notes given the same importance as the notes of the thats (which seem to be the same as western 12 note octave) or are they just used for ornamentation.

panditji, thanks for the kind reply for my earlier qustion. It was very nice to know indians and our music receives such rave responses in west.

Damini: I'm not recording in a large number for all these recording companies in India this might be a reason my recordings are not available . My thinking is this that I want to hold more live concerts and that people should be enthusiastic about the concerts. Becasue I think that in the studio recording the artits and his talent and imagination cannot come out . In a studio it is totally diferent, while in a concert there is more freedom for our talent and imagination . Plus I like the rapport between the audience and the artist which makes that artist perform his best.

Panditji, your response to Damini was very heartening. Live concerts is the life-blood of our music, and now we know you agree!

How did you work on the Colonial Cousins album? I believe you encountered Hari by accident in London and that's how it came about? What was it like working with these two men? I wish you had got bigger credit though! How come Hari's a buddy?

Who are the aristes you admire among Indian classical musicians?

Sometime back, I asked about the future of Indian classical music. Do you share the common despondency about its future? Who are the artistes who will carry on the rich tradition of Indian classical music?

panditji, i often noticed this that in live concerts, esp. jugalbandi's,people clap and appreciate more those parts in which the artists reach a peak point(idont how to explain this musical terms) whereas i always found the initial stages where ur trying to build the raga more interesting with subtle notes which always much more difficult?

Samuel: As you know we met accidentally on the street of London and Leslie and Hariharan invited me to come to the studio . Since I was very busy in my own concerts I was able to spend only two three hours for them and I played only in one of the compositions . As for the credit, I don't think that I should ahve got a bigger billing, I colllborated with them as frien.

KEVIN: It is very interesting question . The 22 shruti's are being used in Indian classical music ina very special manner which can be described only prcatically . Out of these 22 shrutis they have taken out 12 notes which are common in western scale also these 22 Shruti's are being used in ornamentation as you said in ' meend '(mend the note), 'gamak'(shaking the note) , 'ghasit'(slide the note) .

Panditji, what do you have to say about the status of music in Indian (esp. Hindi) films ?

Sometime back, I asked about the future of Indian classical music. Do you share the common despondency about its future? Who are the artistes who will carry on the rich tradition of Indian classical music?

Thank you for your kindness. Good night or should I say Good morning. All the very best for the future.

Panditji, can Hindustani music be played on the guitar only with the slide guitar technique?

Since you mentioned you (and your son) are not actively involved in teaching, what steps do you intend taking in the future to prepare some worthy students to carry on your legacy ?

DAMINI: you are right I agree with your view . Its a pity that the audience sometimes does not understand the intricacies of the first part known as 'Alap ' which is very deep with subtle notes and a systematic develpomnet and elaboration of the Raga. I don't know why some people like the speedy movement and sawaal jawab (question-answer session) between the main instrument and the tabla. The artists full ability is only realised in the first part in the Alap .

Bhattji, you had once said that the tragedy of western music is that it has become synonymous with sex. But is not popular Indian (film) music going the same way?

Bhattji, you had once said that the tragedy of western music is that it has become synonymous with sex. But is not popular Indian (film) music going the same way?

Pavan: Its not that I'm not teaching at all I have few very goood students who are spreading and maintaining the tradition of the Mohan Vina. I have a large following in Bengal, Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan etc . My students are running the institute and I sometimes go to visit them .

In your recitals you often perform a number of "layakari" patterns or breaking up of the rhythmic cycle into pharases which are often mind blosingly complex. When playing these (and I suppose most of these come about by way of improvisation) are you aware, in your mind, of the complex mathematical structure of these patterns, or is it some sixth sense that guides you to do these ?

panditji, i am from toronto and i know you have performed here before but i was not aware until after you played. i would like to know when you will play here next and who organizes your concerts here?

Music Bhakt: You're right . Only recently Amitabh Bachchan conduceted the beauty peagant and it was opposed by certain sections and I want to tell them that whatever happened was aesthetic and in a decent manner, but what our films depict is really unfortunate . These people are only commercially motivated and use vulgarity in songs and on screen only for exploting it to make money. They neglect our rich tradition . The human values are vanishing An whatever is happening is being used for creating excitement . And what we the classical musicains are doing is excatly the opposite . We we release tension and excitement and take them to another world where there is no tension, no excitement.

panditji, now that ur associating with Hindi film music, can u elaborate ur views on the music directors & singer of today, do u think such pathetic music can endure itself, also the likes of Aniada,Baba Sehgal Etc do they have any base. Why there muic does'nt touch our hearts?

panditji, could you also inform me of how to get in touch with the sangeet sansthan college?

Kevin, your sincerity is sublime! Music critic Mohan Nadkarni is releasing a classical music directory this evening in Mumbai where Panditji is the first performer. Perhaps a copy of the directory will answer many of your queries!

Kevin: I don't know when I'lll be in Toronto again. My concerts series are organised by Dr B N Dixit of Pittisburgh University his telephone number is 412-963-8023.

Pavan: Our Indian classical music has very intricate and complexed 'Layakari' When we improvise we unconciously start improvising and that level starts unfolding automatically. It is not a fixed pattern that we follow and many times we feel that we are not a part of us and sometimes we can feel the precense of Goddess Swaraswati behind us.