- Pt.Vyas
Infobox musical artist
Name = Anand Vyas
Background = group_or_band
Origin =New York , New York, USA
Genre =Folk Classical
Years_active =2002 –present
Label =Nada Brahma
URL = [http://www.anandvyas.org/ Official website]
Past_members = Justin Benigno
Joe Leone
Count KellamAnand Vyas (born
May 21 ,1976 inNew York, United States ) is an American born artist. He is UstadSultan Khan 's only disciple who plays theSitar rather than theSarangi of his illustrious Guru. His Ghanda-Bandhan (the traditional teacher-disciple ceremony) was held at the Poonam Palace Hotel inAhmedabad India . There were many world renowned musicians at this ceremony including Ustad Fazal Quereshi (UstadZakir Hussein 's brother), Ustad Kadar Khan, and Pt. Nandan Mehtha among othersPlaying Style
What separates Anand's playing from other player's of his generation is his amazing clarity of tone and the very heavy gauge string that he uses to employ a very full sound on the sitar. The usage of such a heavy string has been used by two notable Sitar heavyweights, Ustad
Rais Khan and Pandit [Nikhil Bannerjee] Anand very sparingly uses the drone strings on his sitar, feeling it takes away from the clarity of each note treating the sitar like any other single note instrument such as a flute. Using the drones if, and only if, it serves a musical purpose for the piece of music being played. The result is a sound that is unmistakable and often times more accessible to Western Audiences. The downside of such a heavy gauge string is; chronic hand and arm pains. The upside - a very full rich sitar sound. His first recording was in 1996 on Athens, Georgia 2004 Singer Songwriter of the Year [http://www.countkellam.org/anandvyas.html Count Kellam's] 's album "If Sounds Were Blu". The track that Vyas is on is a very long 30 minute "hidden" track (track #32). Kellam is best known for his work with singer song-writerBain Mattox . Vyas has also played with guitarist Joe Leone of Trinket fame. Leone was found byREM 'sMichael Stipe . He is a multi-instrumentalist, writer, painter, and musicologist.External links
* [http://www.anandvyas.org Official website]
* [http://www.auburn.edu/isa/cultural/cultural.htm Press Release of recent Auburn University Concert]
* Press Release of recent Auburn University Concert [http://www.auburn.edu/isa/cultural/cultural.htm]
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