Grammy award winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has come up with a new album composed by his son
In 1994,Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt came up with the astonishing album,A Meeting by the River,that went on to winning a Grammy Award that year. Though Bhatt hasn’t enjoyed the same level of international success since then,the maestro is confident he will make an impact with his latest album,Celebrations of Love,composed by his younger son,Saurabh Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. “This is the second time I am working with Saurabh. Let’s see how it turns out,” smiles Bhatt. Saurabh had composed the music for his album Music with Soul four years ago but is better known as the composer for Balaji Telefilms’ daily soaps.
The eight-track album is a fusion album— a mix of lounge music and classical Indian sounds. It has been created by collaborating with artistes like Rakesh Chaurasia on flute,Niladari Kumar on sitar and Shyam Raj on the saxophone. “The feel is Indian but there are touches of western influences with use of instruments like the saxophone,guitar and keyboard,” says Saurabh. With tracks titled Moments of love,Mist,Longings of love and Peace Within,the album is a blend of love,pathos,desires and dreams.
Legendary for his speed and faultless legato on the 19-string instrument,the Mohan Veena,Bhatt believes that the album follows a more contemporary sound. “At this point of time it’s all about my effort to blend music to make it sound a little more modern. I don’t see anything wrong with experimenting with the sound.” Bhatt acknowledges the dwindling audience for classical music but is optimistic that things will improve.
After working with a lot of artistes in India and abroad,Bhatt is now working on a new album with Canadian reed virtuoso Glen Halls. “He is a brilliant jazz pianist and this is the only kind of music that I hadn’t worked on before,” he says.
Suanshu Khurana is an award-winning journalist and music critic currently serving as a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is best known for her nuanced writing on Indian culture, with a specific focus on classical music, cinema, and the arts.
Expertise & Focus Areas Khurana specializes in the intersection of culture and society. Her beat involves deep-dive reporting on:
Indian Classical Music: She is regarded as a definitive voice in documenting the lineages (Gharanas) and evolution of Hindustani classical music.
Cinema & Theatre: Her critiques extend beyond reviews to analyze the socio-political narratives within Indian cinema and theater.
Cultural Heritage: She frequently profiles legendary artists and unearths stories about India’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Professional Experience At The Indian Express, Khurana is responsible for curating and writing features for the Arts and Culture pages. Her work is characterized by long-form journalism that offers intimate portraits of artists and rigorous analysis of cultural trends. She has been instrumental in bringing the stories of both stalwarts and upcoming artistes to the forefront of mainstream media.
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