Creator of the Satvik Veena, Pandit Salil Bhatt represents the dynamic face of the new age Indian musician. Son of Mohan Veena maestro and India's Grammy Award winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, he has received a Pre-Grammy Award nomination which speaks volumes of his highly successful international collaborations. Salil is also the first musician to perform in Parliament of Germany.
His flamboyant choice in clothes can make many wonder; his appetite for stage performances might amuse others but when he sits and strings his instrument all are but lost in the mellifluous tunes. Recently he got Sangeet Bhushan award for his contribution to the classical music world. Here he talks about his creation, his legendary father and his award.
Excerpts from an interview:
Tell us about your creation Satvik veena?
My father created Mohan veena approximately half-a-entury ago. My creation is heavily influenced by his and also the Hawaiian guitar. You can say it’s a cross between them. People have this misconception that guitar is a western instrument but it is not so. The oldest string instrument to exist ever was ‘Shat-Tantra Veena’ or a Veena with hundred strings now commonly known as Santoor. From it all other string instruments evolved, be it the Swar Mandal, or my father’s Mohan Veena and for that matter my own Satvik Veena. Every artist should play an instrument which suits his personality; hence I created Satvik Veena almost a couple of decades back.
What is the difference between Mohan Veena and Satvik Veena?
Both are different in their structure. Tuning is different. The kind of wood used for creating either of them is different hence the resonance emitted is different too.
Your father has also been your guru. Please enlighten us about the relation ship you share with your guru and father.
Having a Grammy Award winner as my father and guru was a blessing for me but also daunting at times. Though he never pushed me into music, it naturally happened. He never asked me to sit with him and learn but since I guess it’s in our blood I felt guilty at not learning enough and that made me work hard and learn better. He was always supportive but because of all his tours and concerts he never had time. So I literally had to fight against time to get the right directions from him.
For a musician what holds more importance: performing and getting firsthand experience on stage or sitting with the guru and doing one’s riyaz?
Riyaz is a very tiny word to describe what we go through to appear on stage and perform. What we do is a sadhna, a tapasya! I think both the scenarios hold relevance for different people and different situations. Getting solid knowledge from one’s guru is of utmost importance. But now since I have to travel so much for my concerts, I rarely do get time to sit with my father. It’s a part and parcel of a musician’s life. It’s all a part of the ‘sadhana’ we are doing.
Can you tell us about the recent award and how much do these awards mean to an artist?
I was bestowed with the title of ‘Sangeet Bhushan’ in the 2nd Sangeet Triveni Festival held in New Delhi recently. Vidushi Shanno Khurana ji gave me this award. And I think for me or any artist these awards are a medium of appreciation people show towards us and therefore I accept them with open arms and a bowed head in reverence.
What is the advice you would like to give aspiring musicians?
There is nothing called instant gratification in the world of classical music. Parents come to me after one month and ask when their child will perform on stage! Music should never be learnt with this bent of mind for when we go on stage we aren’t showing off our skills but recreating our thousand-year-old traditions. People are awed by the aplomb when they see us perform but don’t think about the broken backs we’ve had from continuous practice! So what I have to say is learn well, have a solid repertoire, and then maybe think of getting on stage.
