Pt Brij Bhushan Kabra was the first to use the sliding guitar to play Hindustani Music.

A geology student, Kabra spent his early years in Jodhpur. His father Goverdhanlal Kabra was very fond of classical music, and as a child, Kabra was exposed to the likes of Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Pt Omkarnath Thakur, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pt Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan. Kabra’s family was connected to Jodhpur’s royal family, for whom Ali Akbar Khan regularly played. In fact, Kabra’s brother Damodarlal Kabra learnt sarod from Ali Akbar Khans.

For Kabra, life changed during a visit to Kolkata. He was listening to Rabindra Sangeet, where he heard someone playing the Hawaiian guitar. The instrument sounded clean and melodious, and he wanted to learn it. When Kabra told his father he wanted to learn the guitar and convinced him by saying he would only play classical music on it.

Kabra, who by then was staying in Ahmedabad, initially learnt by listening to records and reproducing the...