Today we’d like to introduce you to Vatsal Dave.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Vatsal Dave, based in Dallas, Texas, is a well-known sitarist dedicated to North Indian Classical Music (aka Hindustani Classical Music). He began his journey into music under Ghulam Rasul Khan and furthered his training under Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee, a leading exponent of the Imdadkhani Gharana. Under the tutelage of Mukherjee, Vatsal studied at the Rotterdam World Music Conservatory and continues to seek guidance in Kolkata, India. He performs internationally, continues to spread this art form through his teachings. His notable works include albums like “Lone Star Sitar” with Grammy awardee Art Greenhaw of Dallas, “Himalayan Sunrise”, and “Immortal Beloved”. Vatsal is the author of “Sitar 101: Introduction to Indian Classical Sitar”. With a background in engineering and the tech industry, Vatsal has dedicated himself to the world of music, especially the sitar, and continues to teach music in the DFW area.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s never a smooth road. To begin with, the sitar, the instrument itself, is a very demanding and challenging instrument, let alone playing it tunefully, mastering it, and performing. The sitting posture is like sitting in a yoga pose for a long duration while performing raga music. And this ancient instrument is very difficult to mic and amplify to render the most uncolored sound that one can create in this ever-changing world.
Along with the difficulties mastering this instrument, there are cultural barriers and a lack of information and understanding about the art form of Indian classical music, which does little to the cause of spreading the music. It requires a fanatic dedication to continue on this arduous journey, and I’m happy to say that I’m still on my path, in search of the ethereal sound of music through my chosen instrument, the sitar!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
With a background in engineering, I have served for over 25 years in the high-tech industry in the capacity of a software engineer, architect, and practice manager with American Airlines, EDS, Dell, Evavi, in various roles and capacities. For the past year or so, I’ve been dedicating more time to the music–performing, teaching, and creating music.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’d say it is my passion for writing–poems, essays, travel stories. I write on Medium and Substack; below are the links to my blog “Scrolls of Yore”.
Substack: https://substack.com/@vatsaldave
Medium: https://medium.com/@cacophonics
Pricing:
- Classical Ensemble: $1600
- Fusion Ensemble: $2000
- Sitar & Tabla duet: $1200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sitarbug.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sitarbug/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sitarbug
- LinkedIn: https://artists.spotify.com/c/artist/5lJ6OwV70t9TdR0stwE1Xi/profile/overview
- Twitter: https://x.com/sitarbug
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sitar_bug
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/vatsal-dave-249459981
- Other: https://artists.apple.com/ui/profile/artist/ami:identity:0c172499e39db24e10cfe446c8acdd1d
