Eric Deaton opens up on his love for Jagjit Singh, Pandit Ravi Shankar

(Blues singer Eric Deaton was in Uttarakhand recently when the news of his nomination for the Grammy Awards 2022 broke out. In an exclusive chat with with The Federal, Deaton recalls how his musical journey has been shaped by many Indian influencers and masters, who include ghazal king Jagjit Singh and sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.)

Call it the lure of the Himalayas, the pull of the muse or plain and simple wanderlust, there is something special which draws them irresistibly to this region. Whether it’s the Beatles, Steve Jobs or other notables before and after them, the green hills of Uttarakhand have acted like a strong magnet for each of these enlightened souls.

It is the same pull which set American blues singer Eric Deaton on his third visit to the Himalayas.

But on his way to India from Mississippi, Deaton had no idea what awaited him in the hills. The singer was soaking in the sun and the air of Mussoorie’s quaint homestay on Camel’s Back Road when he received the news. He had just been nominated for the Grammy Awards.

“It’s a momentous development for me. The nomination for the Grammy is as good as the award,” said Deaton, gushing with enthusiasm which he made no attempt to hide before sitting down for a discussion.

What emerged in the hour-long talk was not just the nut and bolts of Deaton’s musical talents, which he has been honing for the past two decades. But what emerged as the brightest is his continuing love affair with India and Indian music, and the fairly large number of “Indian masters” who have been instrumental in making him the successful blues master that he is today.

“I love India. I love the Himalayas. There is something about this place which touches me profoundly every time I come here,” Deaton said.

Born in North Dakota in 1989, Deaton moved to Mississippi in his teens. It was in North Dakota that he held a guitar for the first time, at the age of 13. But he found his calling in Mississippi. “It was in Mississippi that I came across Indian friends who helped me in the pursuit of music. As in India, instant recognition is hard to come by in the United States too. I toiled hard to reach where I am today,” he said.

A number of Indians joined and shaped Deaton’s musical journey. “I learnt sitar from Sudha Aiyar and Sarangi from Ramesh Mishra. The two helped me in getting a foothold into Indian music,” he said.

Deaton is particularly fond of Sufi music. He listens regularly to Abida Parveen, Sabri Brothers, Jagjit Singh, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ghulam Ali. He is particular drawn towards classical music, and readily points out his fascination for Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Ustad Vilayat Khan and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.

Deaton got attracted to classical rock music while still in his teens. “Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley were early influences,” he said.

But soon the rock gave way to blues, and the fascination has held strong to his day. “Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf were the blues singers I got highly attracted to during my high school. I was 18 then. I decided to follow blues, and soon got the apprenticeship under RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough,” he said.

But why blues? Of the various shades and types of music, blues—with a heavy emphasis on feelings of angst and sadness, in contrast to the foot-tapping jazz and pop where the likes of Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley have excelled—has its own undiminished fan base. Some of the best proponents of blues include BB King, John Lee Hooker and Eric Clapton.

As Deaton explained, “I was drawn to the sound of the blues. It’s a very powerful music. For me, it has more emotional impact than pop. There is a depth of feeling in blues which I love, as also the way the guitar and the bass sound.”

Eric Deaton’s love affair with India is not going to end any time soon. “It’s as strong as my love for the blues,” he said, with a smile and twinkle in his eyes.