Grammy winner and Hindustani classical music instrumentalist Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt plans to launch a Rabindrasangeet album soon.
"Very soon I will be doing something in the domain of Rabindrasangeet," the 'Mohan Veena man' said and recalled his deep rooted association with Kolkata, capital of eastern Indian state of West Bengal and the home town of his guru Pt Ravi Shankar.
Regretting he could not do a project on Rabindra Sangeet for so long despite being mesmerised with Gurudev's 'sur' and 'bhab' due to lack of time, he said "It (the album) will be a blend of vocal and instrumentation."
Since different genres of music are now more accessible on mobile, the compositions could also be available on the digital media, said Bhatt, who was in the city to perform at ongoing the 'Behala Classical Festival' as a tribute to Pt Ravi Shankar.
Asked if fusion was diluting the spirit of classical music, Bhatt said "In classical music there is no fusion. We cannot accept any fusion. In raag there is always a purity."
Fusion music, he said, was a different genre in itself.
"It is meant to give a new dimension to a musician's talent by combining other forms of music."
Both classical and fusion music will thrive, he said.
"Today you are wearing a shirt. Tomorrow you can wear a kurta. The day after you will be wearing a dhoti. It all boils down to how you are presenting yourself."
"Kolkata besides being the native place of my guru Pt Ravi Shankar, is also where my Mohunbeena was made by a master 'karigar'. I have been playing it for the past 38 years.
“My Mohunbeena resonates with the sur of Kolkata where children from every second household get talim in music and you can hear harmoniums in the evening as they practise," Bhatt said.
The classical musical event also witnessed performances by Begum Parveen Sultana, Aman Ali Khan and Kumar Bose.