Only a few decades after the introduction of the Hawaiian slide guitar into Indian Classical music (a mere ripple in the genre's millenia-long history), recently minted Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya has not only applied traditional ragas to the instrument but mastered an interplay between the music of ancient India and borders beyond. On the Grammy-nominated masterpiece CALCUTTA CHRONICLES: INDIAN SLIDE GUITAR ODYSSEY, Bhattacharya focuses on the latter, the slide guitar's role as an international ambassador. For instance, the lead-off track, "Sufi Bhakti" mixes elements from both Sufi and Indian culture in a thoroughly modern fusion while "Gypsy Anandi" suggests Gypsy, Hawaiian, and even Appalachian shades in its take on raga. With all tracks played on slide guitars of Bhattacharya's design, CALCUTTA CHRONICLES does for contemporary raga what TALKING TIMBUKTU did for Saharan blues.
Professional Reviews
The Wire (p.69) - "Even the near bluegrass of 'Gypsy Anand,' for all its eclecticism and studio enhancement, feels firmly anchored on Indian soil, and is better for being so."
Dirty Linen (p.45) - "The haunting opening track, 'Sufi Bhakti,' performed on the anandi pays homage to the devotional musics of both Sufi and Hindu traditions....Bhattacharya has produced a work that is at once deeply intimate and readily accessible, as well as a showcase for his awesome technical facility."
Paste (magazine) (p.71) - "Anyone looking for a primer on authentic Indian raga -- with its bendy, atmospheric slide guitars and gentle tabla beats -- would be well served by the latest album from this award-winning master musician."
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