Making Tracks

As a lap steel aficionado, as well as an innovative performer, Debashish Bhattacharya has been operating ‘beyond the ragasphere’ for decades: his unique take on Indian classical music has cemented his international career for over thirty years, modernising classical melodies and rhythms with multiple levels of percussion and lightning-fast group unison solos. Born in the pulsing city of Kolkata (Calcutta), Debashish was thrust into a musical world from earliest age, practicing with his talented family and experimenting on his first Hawaiian steel guitar from the age of three. Today he still operates out of Kolkata, recording and touring internationally, with a heavy load of awards and accolades under his belt. He has released a string of highly acclaimed albums and earned a Grammy nomination for his 2009 album Calcutta Chronicles; on his new album Beyond the Ragasphere he collaborates with a stellar line-up of international musicians. Also introducing his teenage daughter Anandi on faultlessly fluid vocals, it is bursting with Indian flavours while the improvisational style and intricately reverberating strings make this a memorable and intriguing listening experience.