V.M. Bhatt

GRAMMY® award winner Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has mesmerized the world with his pure, delicate yet fiery music. As the foremost disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, Bhatt belongs to that elite body of musicians that traces its origin to the court of Moughal emperor Akbar. His electrifying performances have captivated audiences in the United States, Europe, Gulf countries and his native India. Bhatt has become India’s unofficial cultural ambassador, taking on the challenge of popularizing Indian culture and music throughout the world. He has attracted particular attention for the innovative instrument he created, the Mohan Veena. It is an Easternized successor to the Hawaiian slide guitar, given a revolutionary design and shape, furnished with 14 additional strings and calling for perfect assimilation of sitar, sarod and veena techniques. With blinding speed and faultless legato, Bhatt is undoubtedly one of the most expressive and versatile slide players in the world. In 1994, he shared a GRAMMY® award with guitar legend Ry Cooder for their world music collaboration entitled A Meeting by the River. Above all, due to his ground-breaking efforts, the Mohan Veena has established itself at the top of mainstream Indian Classical Music scene, proving the essence of his name: Vishwa (meaning the world) and Mohan (meaning charmer); as indeed, a world charmer he is.