‘Connecting with myself': How Sanjay Divecha worked up the courage to make a solo guitar album

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a day ago

I've always believed in the oneness of all things in this universe. Going through life's bylanes and observing how events unfold and teach you the lessons to be learned, this belief has only strengthened with time.
My work as an artist has primarily been to connect with my inner self , and express myself with honesty. Being able to share this work with others is a blessing that I am truly grateful for. The yearning to learn something new in my art and refine my skill set has been my constant companion.
I started my musical journey in Mumbai, where I was born, studying the sitar for five years. But as I listened to blues, jazz, and rock, I chose the guitar as my primary instrument.
I moved to Los Angeles in 1987 and soon began to study at Musician's Institute there a couple of years later. I lived in Los Angeles for 15 years, recording and touring with artists who performed a variety of genres: the Beninese-French singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo, Latin-rock pioneer Carlos Santana and jazz-fusion maestro Dave Weckl among them.
Since I returned to India in 2003, I've been participating in a range of projects.
I've been a member of the group Crosscurrents, which was led by the tabla superstar Zakir Hussain. The personnel were legends too: bassist Dave Holland, saxophonist Chris Potter, vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, keyboardist Louiz Banks and drummer Gino Banks.
I lead three ensembles, each of which ploughs a distinct groove. Sanjay Divecha & Secret was formed as a result of my effort to absorb folk music from across the country, both north and south. With Merkaba, we play urban contemporary music that aims to foster healing both of the self and the community. I also perform in a jazz trio that play both originals and standards. And now also performing solo guitar concerts.
Amidst all of this, I'd been intimidated by the thought of recording an album primarily of solo guitar tunes – it seemed too demanding. All my previous recorded works have been with ensembles, with a variety of instruments.
With Leela, I've finally mustered up the courage to record a collection of music that was mainly written for solo guitar, also mainly recorded on acoustic guitar.
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In Sanskrit. 'Leela' means 'divine play'. This album was a joyous yet profound act of creation.
The songs are reflections of some of my journeys and inspirations, interpreted in a spontaneous and instinctive manner. It started with me performing a few solo guitar concerts. I've always had this repertoire. The experience was so thrilling, I decided to capture that so I could share it with others.
Although all the songs have a form , the manner in which they were interpreted was in the moment and there was always room for improvising .
As I started the recording process I started to add a few layers to enhance the music – acoustic steel string guitar, acoustic nylon, acoustic baritone and some electric guitar.
On some tracks, I invited guests I have long admired to join me. There's Ananya Sharma on vocals and hand claps, Apoorv Petkar on vocals, harmonium and hand claps, Anand Bhagat on percussion, Vasundhara Vee on vocals and Harmeet Mansetta on string orchestration.
The album opener, When the Mountains Meet the Sky is inspired by my trips to the northern states of India and the mighty Himalayas .
Decades after I first heard the guitar legend John McLaughlin live, his music has continued to have an impact on me. Song for John Ji is dedicated to him and his spirit.
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One of the cool things that can be done on the guitar is alternate tunings. I've used quite a few in this collection. These tunings open up the instrument and give it new possibilities and dimensions.
Every once in a while a melody comes along with a special quality that resonates with all. Afrika is a song I learned from Andre Manga, multi instrumentalist from Cameroon. I finally recorded this song after many requests from audiences asking where they could hear a recorded version of it.
Music from Brazil has been a huge part of my musical journey. For Tom is a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim (who was fondly known as Tom) .
The organic nature of Leela takes me back to my formative years as a guitar player. I'm grateful for it to take its own journey.