His strings reverberate far & wide

History hasn’t been kind to his tribe. But then, guitarists go unsungbecause they like to keep it low key. No flashy, flamboyant solos, no eccentric body language or loud costume because their performance isn’t about lung-power or screaming showmanship, their role is to just be there rock-solid as the backbone of the band.This, however, has not been a deterrent for Asmith Devraj, a professional guitarist from Orissa. He started his musical career at the age of 14 in Bhubaneswar. Today, Oriya boy Asmith has established himself as a professional guitarist in Mumbai with a number of advertisements and jingles to his credit, the latest being the Limca ad.A commerce graduate from Utkal University, Asmith is all set to perform at a music concert in Bhubaneswar next month. He took to the guitar, quite early, after watching a video of Elvis Presley. Having received his basic training in guitar from Bidyut Roy, he got a chance to play with eminent musician Don Philip at the age of 15 when Don was here at a charity event wherein he required guitarists to record a Christmas carol album. The track was later released in Australia. “This has been the best experience in my career so far,” he says, adding that he had also accompanied former chief minister Giridhar Gamang for an Austrian cultural project in 2000.He went on to play with international artistes like Lara Thepre, Phil Robson, Christian Tobian jazz (musicians) and continued his advanced level training of guitar (jazz) from music maestro Carlton Kitto, western classical from Sir J.S. Nathaniel and Flamenco from Sir Carlos Savio.He feels popularity of music today depends entirely on its packaging. “One needs to keep the audience happy with the performances,” he says. “I want to make my own music. Performing live is not an easy task when compared to a recording. There is no retake when you play in front of the audience. One needs to be the best,” says the confident guitarist.Having moved to Mumbai in 2007, Asmith says he is really excited about the Bhubaneswar concert during year end. “I will be back in my city to perform after a long time. This feels like a dream come true,” he said.