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All Music Guide:
Vishwa Mohan "V.M." Bhatt is one of India's most innovative musicians. The inventor of the Mohan Veena, a nineteen string modified archtop guitar with three melody strings, four drone strings and twelve sympathetic strings, Bhatt has created a sound that blends the western Hawaiian guitar with sitar, sarod and veena techniques. The first Indian musician to be awarded the "Musical Scientist award" in Banglore, India, Bhatt was praised by "Acoustic Guitar" magazine as "one of the greatest and mosty expressive slide players in the world". The "Edmonton Journal" referred to Bhatt as "an inspiration even to Western guitarists". A long time student of Ravi Shankar, Bhatt belongs to an elite group of musicians whose imeage traces back to Mughal emperor Akbar's court musician Tansen and his Hindu guru, Swarmi Haridas. In addition to six solo albums, Bhatt has recorded with Ry Cooder, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Taj Mahal and Arabian oudh player Simon Shaheen. Bhatt became the first Indian to collaborate with a Chinese musician when he toured with Erhu player Jei Bing Chen. Bhatt's collaboration with Ry Cooder, "A Meeting By The River" received a Grammy award in 1994. His collaboration with Bela Fleck and Jei Bing Chen, "Tabula Rosa", recorded in a Santa Barbara, California church in October 1994, was nominated for a Grammy. Tunes from "A Meeting By The River" and "Mumtaz Mahal", recorded with Taj Mahal, were featured on the soundtracks of films, "Two Days In The Valley" and the Oscar award-winning, "Dead Man Walking". Bhatt is a skilled composer. His composition, "Raga Ganga", was performed during celebration of India's fiftieth year of independance.
Wikipedia:
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt also known as V. M. Bhatt (born July 12, 1950) is Hindustani classical music instrumentalist who plays the Mohan Veena (slide guitar).
Personal life [edit]
Vishwa Mohan lives in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, with his two sons and his wife. His elder son Salil Bhatt is a renowned Mohan veena player (and also a player of the Satvik veena), whose album Slide to Freedom Part II was nominated for the Canadian JUNO AWARD and also featured in pre-Grammy nominations list, while his younger son Saurabh Bhatt is a well known composer. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt's grandson Satvik Bhatt is also a musician and a Limca Book Of World Record holder for being world's youngest Mohan Veena Player at the age of 3 and a half years and also for identifying 45 ragas at the age of 3 and a half years. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt's parents late Manmohan Bhatt and late Chandrakala Bhatt were also teaching and performing musicians who imparted knowledge of music to V.M Bhatt. His nephew, Krishna Bhatt, plays the sitar and tabla.
Career [edit]
Bhatt is best known for his Grammy award winning album A Meeting by the River with Ry Cooder released on Water Lily Acoustics label. He is also known for other fusion and pan-cultural collaborations with Western artists such as Taj Mahal, Béla Fleck and Jerry Douglas. Exposure such as an appearance on the 2004 Crossroads Guitar Festival, organized by Eric Clapton, allows his playing to reach a larger audience.
Folk musician Harry Manx, who studied with Salil Bhatt and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt for five years, plays a Mohan Veena. Counting Crows' Bassist Matt Malley also plays a Mohan Veena and is a student and friend of Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Australian Musician Lawrie Minson also learnt Mohan Veena from Salil and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
