amit roy::They constantly strum at his thigh when he is not holding his instrument, and the worn nails look as though they have been playing the sitar for eternity amit roy

amit roy::They constantly strum at his thigh when he is not holding his instrument, and the worn nails look as though they have been playing the sitar for eternity.
He took his first steps in indian classical music at the age of five or six, and built his current 20string sitar himself some 30 years ago, even handcarving the tuning pegs in the form of lotus flowers.
Complimenting his friend, bhat says that when roy picks up his sitar time stops still and the hubbub of urban japan melts away.
Roy proves this to be true when he demonstrates his art.
Sitting crosslegged, the body of the instrument, formed from a gourd, resting on one foot, he picks a timeless sound from its strings, one that is simultaneously simple and complex.
He has more than 100 students aged 15 to 64, and travels regularly to tokyo, osaka and sendai.
Indian music first became popular in japan back in the 1970s, with the versatile sitar offering guitar and shamisen players the opportunity to explore wider musical vistas.
He believes that as people learn to trust their instincts and gain exposure to global influences, subsequent generations of japanese musicians will be ever more skilled at indian music.
Roy explains how music the world over evolves from being the soul of festivals to a form of prayer in religion, from a symbol of royal court to a form of entertainment.
The indian classical music that he plays and teaches has undergone all these transitions over a period of 2,500 years, and has finally emerged as a public art.