Steeve Vatz was an iconic guitarist who amazed his audience with his virtuosity for many years . From humble beginnings and difficult childhood , this protege ’ found strength in his music and worked very hard from the age of thirteen with his ‘ never give up ’ attitude and passion for music . He understood his path in life very clearly that he was going to be significant in the world of guitar and would make musical contributions that were exceptional .
Steeve had a significant passion for teaching guitar and he believed that knowledge must be passed on and hence created a huge student community who would come and learn from him in a dedicated manner to find their identity in music . He also conducted many shows which were popularly known as the “ The Vatz Fest ”. The goal of these shows was to guide and direct the youth on a better path and also set a stage for young aspiring musicians .
Steeve believed in contributing to society as his songs and music spoke about caring for the people who suffer , such as the homeless , youth in depression , and
Steeve Vatz - The Story of The Indian Guitar Virtuoso
Written by : Sai Kiran
addiction . Steeve ’ s music reflected his deep spiritual perspectives on the love for humanity . His music has always been energetic with powerful and heavy guitar tones and also vivacious melodic lines giving his audience an open mind of perception in listening to different genres of music .
Steeve has shared the stage with many national and international artists and music producers such as Andy Park ( Canada ), Dave Bibrough ( UK ), Usha Uthup , Ilayaraja , A . R . Rahman , Harris Jayaraj , Vidya Sagar , C . Sathya , Joshua Sridhar , Dharan , Thaman and many more . His exuberant guitar tone and contributions were the most sought-after in the movie industry which caused a trend in guitar music . The effect of his contributions caused many young people to have a zeal and passion to learn and play the guitar . He was also an innovator as he designed the first custom double-neck guitar in the country in the year 1999 and toured with it , exhibiting and unlocking the world of guitar tones with his exuberant skills . He also was an innovator pertaining to custom guitars which are called the “ Vatzilla Guitars ”.
Steeve ’ s love for his students has always been very close to his heart as he would connect with them at a deeper level and help them if they are troubled in some way . This made him an excellent teacher and counsellor for all his students . He conducted periodical ensembles to educate and encourage all his students about music composition . His teaching was personalised and customised to each student because he understood their abilities and therefore designed a curriculum for each student specifically . He would educate his students on every element that there is about guitars from fundamentals , melodies , harmonies , effects , gear , signal chain , performance objectives , recording dynamics and more .
It is unfortunate and heartbreaking to know that Steeve Vatz is no more as he battled cancer in the past few months . Although he is now in a better place , he will be missed and his contributions will be cherished always because he was a legendary guitar player who is timeless with respect to his music . I am a student and friend myself and with deep reverence for my teacher , I wanted to share this story about a great musician who had a profound impact through his musical contributions and generosity in this society . He will be missed dearly by all of us but he lives among us through his music .
Steeve had started working on a book about modern guitar playing , which unlocks various musical perspectives . The book , which will be an arsenal of information for all aspiring guitar players , will be released soon .
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