manju mehta raag gavti jhod/jhor

raag gavti jhod/jhor


First Lady of the Sitar

Miami New Times by Bob Tarte - Volume 14 Number 29 October 28-November 3rd, 1999

In Northern India instrumental music has traditionally been considered a male domain. Fathers pass on both their technical prowess and their acquired lore to their sons or closest male relatives. Until recently, women have been left out of the loop. "The one instrument where females have made some inroads is the sitar," says Manju Mehta, who speaks from personal experience. Mehta is one of Indian classical music's most renowned female sitaryas. "In amateur venues it is no longer uncommon for females to study and play the instrument. Even so, there are only a handful of female sitaryas who perform professionally."

Mehta initially attracts attention wherever she plays simply because she's a woman. But her amazing rhythmic control, coupled with the sheer beauty of her melodic inventions, quickly sweeps aside all other considerations. The essential artistry of Indian music is the ability to breathe life into the raga form, and Mehta most definitely has what it takes, earning the praise of many of India's classical leading lights. "She is a creative performer of exceptional caliber," warmly notes sarod player Usta Ali Akbar Khan.

Born into a musical family, Mehta took up the sitar at age thirteen, thanks in part to the influence of her "first guru," her eldest brother, Shashi Mohan Bhatt, then a student of Pandit Ravi Shankar. "Having a sitarist brother in the family, it was easy to pick the sitar as my main instrument," she says. Mehta's parents, Manhohan and Chandrakalav Bhatt, both accomplished musicians in their own right, enthusiastically encouraged Mehta and her siblings. "No matter what time of the day it was, there was always someone in the family practicing their music," she says of her childhood, recalling her younger brother Vishva Mohan Bhatt plucking away at his Hawaiian guitar and her nephew, Krishna Mohan Bhatt, trying his own hand at the sitar.

Bharti Chokshi -disciple- shared video October 30,1999 APAI

Category:

Music

Tags:

• manju
• mehta
• raag
• gavti
• jhod/jhor

[tutmankingasher]

she plays with weird form, please explain middle finger instead of index plucking?????but a true musician at heart kyabat

[kamalehi]

she uses her 2nd finger instead because she lost feeling in her index finger, so she cannot use it anymore, just her middle finger to pluck.

[tiowey]

@tutmankingasher it's also not uncommon for players with small hands to use their middle fingers

[Bansidhe]

Can anyone recommend a great sitar player I should listen to a lot of. I'd like to try and apply some of it to my guitar playing for songs in my band.

[phantomlord91]

Awesome! The Indian Dimebag Darrell! x'D

[pianoscantalk]

gorgeous music!

[bongolow07]

I love how the Sitar sounds. I want to get one but I don't know where to look hah.

[edwardpowellmusic]

Mohan Bhatt's sister is a great sitarist !!

[EALIXA]

Very nice!

[blade0817]

Learning to play the guitar is a joke compared to learning the citar!

[blade0817]

Too bad she lost feeling in her fingers. Did she try acupuncture yet? I am a student of traditional Chinese medicine and I believe it could help her regain feeling in her fingers.

By the way I love listening to sitar - and Indian - music. :)

[snok123]

What do you mean get a real Guitar? or why did you say that?